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Pleistocene human remains from Shiraho-Saonetabaru Cave on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan, and their radiocarbon dating

RYOHEI NAKAGAWA, NAOMI DOI, YUICHIRO NISHIOKA, SHIN NUNAMI, HEIZABURO YAMAUCHI, MASAKI FUJITA, SHINJI YAMAZAKI, MASAAKI YAMAMOTO, CHIAKI KATAGIRI, HITOSHI MUKAI, HIROYUKI MATSUZAKI, TAKASHI GAKUHARI, MAI TAKIGAMI, MINORU YONEDA

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RYOHEI NAKAGAWA
Faculty of Education, Aichi University of Education, Kariya
Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa
NAOMI DOI
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara
YUICHIRO NISHIOKA
Phylogeny and Systematics Section, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama
SHIN NUNAMI
Department of Geology and Mineralogy, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto
HEIZABURO YAMAUCHI
Okinawa Caving Association, Yaese
MASAKI FUJITA
Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum, Naha
SHINJI YAMAZAKI
Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum, Naha
MASAAKI YAMAMOTO
Okinawa Prefectural Archaeological Center, Nishihara
CHIAKI KATAGIRI
Okinawa Prefectural Archaeological Center, Nishihara
HITOSHI MUKAI
Center for Global Environmental Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba
HIROYUKI MATSUZAKI
Department of Nuclear Engineering and Management, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo
TAKASHI GAKUHARI
Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa
MAI TAKIGAMI
Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa
MINORU YONEDA
Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa

Corresponding author

Keywords:Late Pleistocene,Palaeolithic,Ishigaki,Minatogawa,Okinawa

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2010 Volume 118Issue 3Pages 173-183

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase.091214

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Published: 2010Received: December 14, 2009Available on J-STAGE: December 21, 2010Accepted: January 26, 2010Advance online publication: March 27, 2010Revised: -

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Article overview

Abstract

Nine human remains were recovered from Shiraho-Saonetabaru Cave on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, between 2007 and 2009. Six of the nine samples produced well-preserved biogenic collagen, which was submitted to radiocarbon dating by accelerator mass spectrometry. Three human samples (Nos. 2, 4, and 8) from the fossil chamber were dated to between 16 and 20 ka BP, and can clearly be assigned to the Late Pleistocene. One animal bone from the same chamber which was treated and measured for radiocarbon independently was also of great antiquity (c. 12 ka BP). These dates are the first concrete evidence of human occupation on the Ryukyu Islands during the Pleistocene, based on the direct radiocarbon dates of human remains. It is expected that more human remains and archaeological objects of the Pleistocene will be recovered from Shiraho-Saonetabaru Cave and the surrounding region by future intensive collaborations between anthropologists, archaeologists, and speleologists.

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