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pg 49 Shutler and others believe that there is sufficient evidence to clearly demonstrate that the Pleistocene hominid cultural development in SEA (and mainland Asia) was markedly different but not inferior, to that of Africa and Europe (Pope 1994:532). The Movius line, is a geographical boundary, extending through northern India, that separates the Western Acheulean hand-axe tradition from the chopper-chopping tools of East Asia. \bMyanmar\b \iHomo erectus\i suggested at 500,000 years BP (Maw 1993:72) pg 50 \bThailand\b Oldest known artefacts are found in Lampang (Pope, Nakbunlang, and Pitragool 1987:749) at 730,000 BP provides a minimum age for hominids in mainland SEA \iLang Rongrien Rockshelter\i possibly the first appearance of \iHomo sapiens\i in SEA, the first plant domestication in the area, and the beginning of sedentary life on the Malay Penninsula, as interpreted from a core,utilized flakes, and possible bone and antler tools in the lower levels (Anderson 1990:54). \bVietnam\b \iHomo erectus\i and \iGigantopithecus\i found at the Tham Khuyen site in Lang Son province (Ciochon and Olsen 1987) 250,000 BP \bMalay Penninsula\b Kota Tampan (Shutler 1988), 35,000 BP (Majid 1988) pg 51 \bJava\b potassium-argon dating of 1.9+0.4my for the Modjerto skull at Perning. Has provenience problem though and not widely accepted (Jacob and Curtis 1971) In 1994 re-dated at 1.81+0.4my If either of these dates are correct then the current thinking on the major models of the appearance of \iHomo erectus\i in Africa, and their movement to Asia would have to be revised. The oldest \iHomo erectus\i in Africa is 1.6my. So far all \iHomo erectus\i fossil finds have come from secondary deposits, thus none of the artefacts found have been conclusively associated. However it is unlikely that \iHomo erectus\i forgot how to make tools on his way from Africa to Java. Hutterer (1977) does suggest that \iHomo erectus\i may not have produced any technology. see Jacob, et al (1975:885) for mid-Pleistocene lithics which include a chopper, retouched flake, and a skull pg 52 \bIndonesia\b Wadjak I and II These have been extensively studies morphological as to relation to Europe, to the eariest \iHomo sapiens\i in SEA and the first Australians. Recently dated though at 6560+140 BP, thus if true, would have no bearing on early hominid evolution in SEA. The earliest radiocarbon dated occupation site in Sulawesi is Leang Burung 2, a cave located in the Maros region in the southwest peninsula dated between 31,000-19,000 BP (Glover 1981) Relatively advanced stone working techniques were practised in the Pleistocene of Sulawesi
a reduction in flake size, and incorporation of new tool types, demonstrate a continuity in the use of materials, flake and tool production methods and many tool forms from 30,000-4,000BP This site appears to be the best understood cultural sequence in the late Pleistocene of SEA pg 53 \bPhilippines\b Tabon Cave at 30,500+years BP (Fox 1970) By far the most informative site is Leang Burung 2 as far as interpreting cultural evolution is concerned. Chopper-chopping tools appear to have present 700-800,000 BP at two localities, Ban Mae Tha and Ban Don Mun, Lampang Province Pope (1989:53) suggests that the "answer to the lack of standardized stone tools in the Far East, and the apparent cultural retardation is that bamboo was used extensively for tools in the Pleistocene."
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