Ancient human bone found in Ishigaki cave [ 24,000 years old ]

Japan Update ^ | Friday, December 2, 2011 | unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

Archaeologists are ecstatic as they study a 24,000-year-old human bone fragment that's been discovered on Ishigaki Island in southern Okinawa Prefecture. The Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum is among those poring over the bone piece found in the Shirahosaonetabaru cave. Officials believe the bone fragment is part of a rib. The bone's already been tested using direct dating, and scientists now say the latest bone discovery is 4,000 years older than any other bone found in Japan. The testing, using radiocarbon dating, is being supervised by archaeologists at the University of Tokyo to determine the age of the piece from the Paleolithic Period which ran from 2 million B.C. to 10,000 B.C. Being studied are some 300 pieces of human bone, as well as animal bones, found in the cave. One piece was identified as being from a wild boar. The cave is located in the construction site for a new Ishigaki Airport.

[SunkenCiv]

ishigaki cave image search:

Google

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

Packrats. Literally.

[COBOL2Java]

Helen Thomas’ first husband?

[mountainlion]

Some of these scientists use the term human to describe any creature that walked upright on two legs.

[freedumb2003]

>>Some of these scientists use the term human to describe any creature that walked upright on two legs.<<

It is a loose term, but is used more in journalism than science. I can’t tell from the article if they are saying this is post Cro-Magnon (which slightly alters current timelines) or just that it is a finding of early Cro Magnons in an area previously thought to be barren at the time.

[colorado tanker]

Well, that’s a first for me. Never saw a limestone cave with a Christmas light display before.

[frithguild]

The cave is located in the construction site for a new Ishigaki Airport.

Future site of China Airlines?

[ExCTCitizen]

Debbie Wasserman Schultz just announced that he will be voting for O.

[dog breath]

These bones are not ancestral to the majority of Japanese. The ancestors of most Japanese apparently came from the Korean peninsula at some point, but they might be ancestors of the Ainu, who are descended from earlier peoples, and those Japanese who picked up some of their genes through the centuries of contact. Somewhat similar in a sense to how the American population has absorbed some American Indian bloodlines into the larger population.

[maddogtiger]

evidence of cannalblism?

[jmax]

WOW.....way cool.

I was just telling my wife the other day that we should go visit the Ishigaki Island caves. Afterall, we've been to Movrnerrryhp Island and Derrwsxliyefcjkl Island caves every year since 1973 and never saw a Cromagnum Man. But, we did see a Bagyouchaxq Woman, her three children, their French Poodle and a cool International Orange Condor on our last trip to Bswoperippyqr Island.

Hellooooooooo, TWA........book us for 2 in First Class on your next flight to Ishigaki.

[smokingfrog]

How do they know it’s a human bone, if it is a fragment they can’t event determine what kind of bone it is?

[SunkenCiv]

Name one.

[SunkenCiv]

That's why it's best left up to people who have training, education, and experience:

Being studied are some 300 pieces of human bone, as well as animal bones, found in the cave. One piece was identified as being from a wild boar.

[SunkenCiv]

Too young for that. The bone I mean.

[MD Expat in PA]

How do they know it’s a human bone, if it is a fragment they can’t event determine what kind of bone it is?

They do science, and not unlike what forensic scientists (the real CSI folks) do to determine that bone fragments are human remains not something like chicken bones thrown out in the trash.

[mountainlion]

Not all scientists use the same words to mean the same thing. What a socialist considered human would not necessarily be human to an Archaeologist.

[blam]

"I was just telling my wife the other day that we should go visit the Ishigaki Island caves."

Itchycoo Park

[jmax]

LOL.......... Got a feeling Arlo Guthrie was thinking of Itchycoo Park when he stood on the stage at Woodstock, looked out at the audiance and said “Lotta Freaks” .