The are the
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
humans known from many bones found in the
Yamashita limestone cave located on the grounds of the
Yamashita First Cave Site Park
is an urban park in Naha, Okinawa. The park was opened by the city in December 2015. An opening inauguration ceremony was held on January 8, 2016 in Yamashita Town, Naha. The park was created through private land purchases by the city which co ...
in
Naha
is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area i ...
,
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. The remains have been dated at 32,000±1000 years ago.
[
] The most important bones found in the cave in Yamashita are those of an approximately 6 to 8-year-old girl.
["The Paleolithic Age in Okinawa." Ryukyu Cultural Archive. Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education. http://rca.open.ed.jp/web_e/history/story/epoch1/kyusekki_3.html]
See also
*
Minatogawa Man
The Minatogawa man or Minatogawa specimens are the prehistoric population of Okinawa, Japan, represented by four skeletons, two male and two female, and some isolated bones dated between 20,000 and 22,000 years BCE. They are among the oldest skel ...
*
Pinza-Abu Cave Man
The is a prehistoric people known from bones found in the Pinza-Abu Cave, near Ueno in Miyako Island, southern Japan. The remains appear to have the modern man anatomical type and have been dated to about 30,000 years ago,
i.e. 25,800 ± ...
*
Shiraho Saonetabaru Cave Ruins
is a paleoanthropological site located on Ishigaki Island of the Yaeyama Islands in Japan. Shiraho Saonetabaru is a limestone cave.
It was discovered in 2007 when plans for the New Ishigaki Airport were being developed. Remains of human heads, ...
*
History of the Ryukyu Islands
This article is about the history of the Ryukyu Islands southwest of the main islands of Japan.
Etymology
The name "Ryūkyū" originates from Chinese writings. The earliest references to "Ryūkyū" write the name as 琉虬 and 流求 () in the ...
References
Archaeology of Japan
Upper Paleolithic Homo sapiens fossils
Peopling of East Asia
Paleolithic Japan
{{Asia-archaeology-stub