Worked to the Bone: Analyzing Osseous Implements from Sohoton I Cave, Samar, Philippines

Gabrielle Anne B. Gascon1,2*, Juan C. Rofes1,3, and Emil Charles R. Robles1

Bone tools are prevalent in the archaeological record of Pleistocene and Early Holocene sites across Island Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, however, the earliest appearance of bone implements is quite uncertain, either being absent or not identified as worked bones. In 2005, Teodosio summarized the records of bone tools across the country. In 2012, Rabett and Piper discussed the emergence of bone technologies across Southeast Asia. Yet, in the past decade, there has been a scarcity of studies conducting in-depth analyses or even descriptions of worked bones and bone tools from archaeological sites in the Philippines. At present, the oldest record of bone implements appears in Holocene sites in Luzon and possibly in Sohoton I Cave, Basey, Samar. However, its earliest instance is debatable, as available data do not clearly indicate whether the bone implements from the Hutterer excavations of Sohoton in the 1970s were also distributed throughout the lowest-dated layer, at about 10,500 BP. This paper presents the initiative to document, describe, and create a typology of the worked bones from the Hutterer excavation of Sohoton I Cave, Samar. This ongoing investigation aims to characterize its morphology, distinct types, and if there are samples from different stages of production. It also seeks to determine if there is evidence of use-wear that may indicate its utilization and possible functions. Identifying its taphonomic modifications may also provide insights into the chaîne opératoire of the worked skeletal elements. This analysis will contribute to the lacuna concerning osseous technological innovations by the prehistoric people of the Philippines.