The first fossil find, a hominin skull dubbed 'TPL1', was recovered at a depth of 2.35 m (7 ft 9 in) in December 2009. A mandible, 'TPL2', was found the following year at a depth of 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in). Radiocarbon and luminescence dating of the sediments established a minimum age of 51,000 to 46,000 years, and direct uranium-thorium dating of the fossils indicated a maximum age of 63,000 years. TPL1 includes the frontal, partial occipital, right parietal, and temporal bone, as well as the right and left maxillae and a largely complete dentition. It was identified as belonging to an anatomically modern human with distinct Sub-Saharan African features. As of 2016, it provides the earliest skeletal evidence for the presence of Homo sapiens in mainland Southeast Asia. The TPL2 mandible was found lower down in the same stratigraphic unit as TPL1, and represents a mature adult that combines archaic human features such as a robust mandibular corpus and small overall size, with modern human traits like a developed chin.
For more information, click here. Or, Try these sources:
- "Anatomically modern human in Southeast Asia (Laos) by 46 ka" (PDF). National Academy of Sciences. July 23, 2012. Can be read here.
- Shackelford, Laura. "Finding a Home for the Bones of Tam Pa Ling". Illinois News Bureau. University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign. Can be read here.
- "Ancient Human Fossils from Tam Pa Ling, Laos". Anthropology Net. April 11, 2015. Can be read here.