Analysis: TABON MAN

Read the excerpts below then do a comparative analysis.

 Robert B. Fox. The Tabon Caves: Archaeological Explorations and Excavations

Tabon Man - During the initial excavations of Tabon Cave, June and July, 1962,
the scattered fossil bones of at least three individuals were excavated, including a
large fragment of a frontal bone with the brows and portions of the nasal bones.
These fossil bones were recovered towards the rear of the cave along the left wall.
Unfortunately, the area in which the human fossil bones were discovered had
been disturbed by Magapode birds. It was not possible in 1962 to establish the
association of these bones with a specific flake assemblage. Although they were
provisionally related to either Flake Assemblage II or III, subsequent excavations
in the same area now strongly suggest that the fossil human bones were associated
with Flake Assemblage III for only the flakes of this assemblage have been found
to date in this area of the cave. The available data would suggest that Tabon Man
may be dated from 22,000 to 24,000 years ago. But, only further excavations in
the cave and chemical analysis of human and animal bones from disturbed and
undisturbed levels in the cave will define the exact age of the human fossils.

The fossil bones are those of Homo sapiens. These will form a separate
study by a specialist which will be included in the final site report for Tabon
Cave. It is important, however, because of a recent publication (Scott, 1969), that
a preliminary study of the fossil bones of Tabon Man shows that it is above
average in skull dimensions when compared to the modern Filipino. There is no
evidence that Tabon Man was “… a less brainy individual… “[Scott (1969) 36].
Moreover, Scott’s study includes many misstatements about the Tabon Caves,
always the problem when writers work from “conversations.”
  William Henry Scott, Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History
(Revised Edition) (Quezon City, 1984), pp. 14-15.

Tabon Man - The earliest human skull remains known in the Philippines are the
fossilized fragments of a skull and jawbone of three individuals who are
collectively called “Tabon Man” after the place where they were found on the
west coast of Palawan. Tabon Cave appears to be a kind of little Stone Age
factory: both finished tools and waste cores and flakes have been found at four
different levels in the main chamber. Charcoal left from cooking fires has been
recovered from three of these assemblages and dated by C-14 to roughly 7,000
B.C., 20,000 B.C., and 28,000 B.C. with an earlier level lying so far below these
that it must represent Upper Pleistocene dates like 45 or 50 thousand years ago….
Physical anthropologists who have examined the Tabon skullcap are agreed that it
belonged to modern man - that is, Homo sapiens as distinguished from those mid
- Pleistocene species nowadays called Homo erectus. Two experts have given the
further opinion that the mandible is “Australian” in physical type, and that the
skullcap measurements are mostly nearly like those of Ainus and Tasmanians.
What this basically means is that Tabon Man was “pre - Mongoloid,” Mongoloid
being the term anthropologists apply to the racial stock which entered Southeast
Asia during the Holocene and absorbed earlier peoples to produce the modern
Malay, Indonesian, Filipino, and Pacific peoples popularly - and unscientifically -
called, “the brown race.” Tabon Man presumably belonged to one of those earlier
peoples, but, if decently clothed in flesh, T-shirt, and blue jeans, might pass
unnoticed in Quiapo today, whatever his facial features are concerned, nothing
can be said about the color of his skin or hair, or the shape of his nose or eyes -
except one thing: Tabon Man was not a Negrito.

GUIDE QUESTIONS:
a. Which is the primary source and the secondary source between the two readings?

- Among the two studies I believe that the primary source between the two readings is
the book published by Robert B. Fox. This is because he was the first person to
discover the Tabon Man, as a result he has original and first hand information about
the discoveries of the Tabon Man.

b. Do a credibility analysis of the sources. Who between the two authors is more credible to
talk about the topic?

- Although Robert B. Fox is the primary source and was the first person to discover the
Tabon Man, The more credible author to talk about the topic is Willian Henry Scott.
This is because he has updated and revised information regarding the topic and has
provided more information about the Tabon Man.