A deep excavation in Indonesia has uncovered evidence that modern humans and an older hominin species used the same cave, possibly within overlapping periods. The finding comes from a long-running dig on the island of Sulawesi, where researchers have reached archaeological layers dating back roughly 200,000 years. The site shows a clear change in tool use, food remains, and symbolic objects around 40,000 years ago, a point widely associated with the arrival of Homo sapiens in the region. Below that level, the cave preserves signs of an earlier population whose identity remains uncertain. Together, the layers offer a rare record of transition and raise the possibility that two human species may have encountered each other in the same place.
A deep cave in Indonesia shows humans and extinct human species might have been living side by side
Sulawesi lies near the centre of the Indonesian archipelago. It is the fourth largest island in the country and the largest landmass between mainland Southeast Asia and the region known as Sahul, which includes Australia and New Guinea. Because of this position, it likely served as a stepping stone for ancient populations moving east.This makes Sulawesi all the more significant to archaeologists. Any evidence preserved there can help trace how different human groups moved, adapted, and possibly met as they travelled through the region.
Leang Bulu Bettue has been excavated for over a decade
On the southern part of the island, the Leang Bulu Bettue cave has been under active excavation since 2013. In 2023, researchers completed a dig reaching about 26 feet deep. Each layer represents a different period of occupation, stacked over tens of thousands of years.The deepest levels date back close to 200,000 years. According to a recent study, “A near-continuous archaeological record of Pleistocene human occupation at Leang Bulu Bettue, Sulawesi, Indonesia”, published in PLOS ONE, a sharp shift appears in the archaeological record around 40,000 years ago.
Older tools point to an extinct hominin population
Below the 40,000 year mark, the cave contains simple stone tools known as cobble and flake implements. These were made by striking river stones to produce sharp edges. Some appear to have been used as picks or cutting tools.Alongside these tools, researchers found monkey bones. This was unexpected. Hunting agile animals like monkeys requires planning and skill. Such behaviour is not usually linked to very early hominins, suggesting this group may have been more capable than previously assumed.No fossils of the toolmakers have been found so far. Scientists suggest several possibilities, including Homo erectus, Denisovians, a dwarfed relative of Homo erectus, or an entirely unknown hominin.
Human arrival brought visible cultural change
Around 40,000 years ago, the material record changes noticeably. Above this level, the cave contains jewellery, portable stone art, and more refined tools. The types of animals butchered also shift, pointing to different hunting and food practices.These elements are widely associated with Homo sapiens. Their appearance suggests humans arrived on Sulawesi at this time and altered how the cave was used. Whether this arrival overlapped with the earlier hominin population remains uncertain. But the sequence of layers places them close enough in time to raise that possibility.
The site offers a rare chance to study overlap
Researchers say Leang Bulu Bettue offers one of the best chances anywhere to identify a meeting point between human species. Adam Brumm of Griffith University noted that Australia lacks this depth of history, as it was only inhabited by modern humans.Sulawesi, by contrast, hosted hominins for hundreds of thousands of years before Homo sapiens arrived. Digging deeper increases the chance of finding direct evidence of overlap.
Excavation is expected to continue
The team believes more archaeological layers remain below the current excavation level. Further work could uncover additional tools or even fossils.Such discoveries would not only reshape understanding of Sulawesi’s past but also add to a broader picture of how different human species moved through and shared the ancient world. For now, the cave continues to offer fragments rather than answers, quietly holding its deeper history in place.
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