 A geochemical history of Tabon Cave

(Palawan, Philippines) : environment, climate,

and early modern humans in the Philippine
archipelago

https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/A-geochemical-history-of-Tabon-

Cave-%28Palawan%2C-%3A-and-Choa/

4ed2d11888f2bc53e32c1d81eec0d0c89f71d777?utm_source=direct_link

Published 30 April 2018

Tabon Cave (Palawan, Philippines) is a key prehistoric site in Southeast Asia, one

of the few to have yielded Homo sapiens fossils from the Late Pleistocene. Its

history remains poorly understood: heavy physical and chemical alterations have

greatly complicated its stratigraphy, and contextually isolated archaeological

finds hamper the construction of a clear chronology. This study reexamines

Tabon Cave using a multi-pronged geosciences approach to explore

environment, climate, and early modern human presence in the region. The

results reveal a major period in the cave’s history between 40 and 33 ka BP, when

drier climates, more open landscapes, and active human use of the cave were

briefly spaced by a wet episode that left an extensive, gypsiferous speleothem.

Future innovative research approaches spurred by the unique constraints of the

site will undoubtedly further highlight the unique scientific and heritage value of

Tabon Cave, a window into the earliest odysseys of our species across the

archipelagos of Southeast Asia.

Summarization: Tabon Cave, a significant prehistoric site in Southeast Asia, has

yielded Homo sapiens fossils from the Late Pleistocene. A study using

geosciences reveals a significant period between 40 and 33 ka BP, when drier

climates and active human use were interrupted by a wet episode, leaving a

gypsiferous speleothem. This research highlights Tabon Cave's scientific and

heritage value.