Victor Paz

Forest contraction in north equatorial Southeast Asia during the Last Glacial Period

Today, insular Southeast Asia is important for both its remarkably rich biodiversity and globally significant roles in atmospheric and oceanic circulation. Despite the fundamental importance of environmental history for diversity and conservation, there is little primary evidence concerning the nature of vegetation in north equatorial Southeast Asia during the Last Glacial Period (LGP). As a result, even the general distribution of vegetation during the Last Glacial Maximum is debated. Here we show, using the stable carbon isotope composition of ancient cave guano profiles, that there was a substantial forest contraction during the LGP on both peninsular Malaysia and Palawan, while rainforest was maintained in northern Borneo. These results directly support rainforest “refugia” hypotheses and provide evidence that environmental barriers likely reduced genetic mixing between Borneo and Sumatra flora and fauna. Moreover, it sheds light on possible early human dispersal events.

A long record of environmental change from bat guano deposits in Makangit Cave, Palawan, Philippines

We present the first record of Holocene and Pleistocene environmental change derived from the chemical and stable-isotope composition of a tropical cave guano sequence from Makangit Cave in northern Palawan (Philippines). The 180 cm sequence of guano, derived predominantly from insectivorous bats and birds, consists of two distinct units. An upper section of reddish-brown oxidised guano to 110 cm was deposited since the mid-Holocene while a lower section of black, reduced guano was deposited through the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to >30 000 BP. Carbon-isotope (δ13C) values in guano deposited during the LGM are as high as -13·5‰ indicating that a C4-dominated grassland existed in the area around the cave at this time. Guano δ13C values of -25‰ to -28‰ suggest that this open vegetation was replaced by C3-dominated closed tropical forest, similar to that of the present, by the mid-Holocene. The results suggest that the climate of northern Palawan was substantially drier at the LGM than is currently the case.

Terminal Pleistocene to mid-Holocene occupation and an early cremation burial at Ille Cave, Palawan, Philippines

Excavations at a cave site on the island of Palawan in the Philippines show occupation from c. 11000 BP. A fine assemblage of tools and faunal remains shows the reliance of hunter-foragers switching from deer to pig. In 9500-9000 BP, a human cremation burial in a container was emplaced, the earliest yet known in the region

Late Quaternary Sea-Level Changes and the Palaeohistory of Palawan Island, Philippines

ABSTRACT Palaeogeographic reconstructions of Palawan Island using Geographic Information Systems based on present-day bathymetry show extensive changes in land area with respect to sea-level fluctuations during the Late Quaternary. Our analysis shows that a lowering of at least 135 meters from present-day levels is needed in order to expose a narrow land connection between Palawan and Sundaland. This most likely last occurred during OIS 12 (ca. 440 Ka) and probably OIS 16 (ca. 630 Ka), facilitating overland colonization between the two islands. The reconstructions further illustrate the extent of land exposed, which was likely covered by open savannah vegetation during the LGP and inhabited by several large mammal species now extinct on the island. Sea-level rise at the end of the Pleistocene caused the inundation of shallow shelves of Palawan, and this, accompanied by a conversion to closed rainforest environments, was probably responsible for the disappearance of most of the large mammal fauna of Palawan. Coastline reconstructions demonstrate that the appearance of mid-Holocene shell middens in the Philippine archaeological record is due to the formation and proximity of mangrove forests during sea-level high-stand, rather than a consequence of changes in human subsistence strategies.

Cut not smashed: a new type of evidence for nut exploitation from Sulawesi

In archaeology the recovery of ‘nuts’ means the recovery of any hard-shelled fruit or seeds, further qualified as those eaten by people. Recent analysis of environmental samples from Leang Burung-1 in the Maros district of Sulawesi (FIGURE 1) led to the recovery of a charred, almost intact nut, in deposits with an age range of 1430±600 BC (ANU-390) (Bulbeck 1997; Mulvaney & Soejono 1970). The nut has a clear cut mark starting from the tapered end, running along the long axis. The cut was established as an incision and not a taphonomic feature based on observations under light microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy, where the cut could be seen scraping the outer tissue (FIGURE 2). The cut was probably made before charring, using a sharp tool to cut deep enough for the instrunent to pry open one of the locules to get to one of three kernels. Based on the associated materials recovered from the site, the cut probably was made using one of several flaked tool types recovered from the area, such as a levallois point — part of the Maros region blade assemblage (FIGURE 3).

An Outlined History of Philippine Archaeology and Its Periodization

The Philippines are the northernmost cluster of islands within what is now considered to be Island Southeast Asia. It is comprised of over 7000 islands under the control of the nation-state called the Republic of the Philippines. What may be considered the contemporary practice of archaeology on these islands started in the early twentieth century. However, the discipline took much longer than expected to grow to maturity. The study of archaeology in the Philippines can be divided into five periods: Pre-archaeology, practiced up to the late nineteenth century; Accidental Archaeology, from the late nineteenth century to the early 1920s; Committed Archaeology, from the early 1920s to the mid-1960s; Directed Archaeology, from the mid-1960s to the late 1990s; and Reflective Archaeology, from the late 1990s to the present. This periodization aligns with the transforming ethical practices of the discipline, and tracks the changes in the mentality and infrastructure that led to a more effective practice in the twenty-first century (Paz in Proc Soc Archaeol Philippines 7:1–16, 2009).

Accessing Past Cosmologies through Material Culture and the Landscape in the Philippines

This chapter presents an argument on how we can access past cosmologies through an appreciation of archaeological context. The possibility of tracking down continuities that link past cultures to contemporary ones will be presented. The chapter will define, for example, what makes specific caves relevant to the spirituality/cosmology of a people, and also argue that it is possible to understand and track down the continuity of cosmological components. This may be done through the study of material-culture left behind by people from past cultures, and by studying people from living cultures in a common landscape. Supporting data come mostly from the archaeology of Palawan Island, Philippines, where the author has done a decade of research. Information from the archaeology of Island Southeast Asia will also be drawn into the discussion.