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NEWS NATURE|Vol 437|13 October 2005

Forbidden cave: without permits, the discoverers of the hobbit are unable to continue digging at Liang Bua cave. C. TURNEY, UNIV. WOLLONGONG UNIV. TURNEY, C.

More evidence for hobbit unearthed as diggers are refused access to cave

Even as researchers uncover more details The study of the bones that have so far been about the ancient ‘hobbit’ people of Indonesia, recovered has already been hindered, the they fear that they may never return to Liang researchers complain. Last winter, after hold- Bua cave, where the crucial specimens were ing the remains for about four months, Jacob found in 2003. returned them to the discovery team with “My guess is that we will not work at Liang some bones broken or shattered. The bones Bua again, this year or any other year,” says may have been damaged when casts were team leader Michael Morwood, an archaeolo- attempted or during transport. Today’s article C. TURNEY, UNIV. WOLLONGONG UNIV. TURNEY, C. gist at the University of New England in was delayed by at least six months, the authors Armidale. say, because the bones were not available The latest findings from the cave reveal, for follow-up studies. The newly described among other details, that the metre-tall jaw, for instance, was broken in half between humans, known as Homo floresiensis, lived on the front teeth, and the break has obliterated the island of Flores as little as 12,000 years ago certain key structures. (see page 1012). But continued exploration at “It’s an outrage,” says team anthropologist Liang Bua is being blocked, the researchers say, Peter Brown, also based at the University of because the discovery of miniature humans New England. “It is now impossible for future runs counter to the theories of Indonesia’s scholars to verify my work. The pelvis was senior palaeoanthropologist — and national whole; now it is 100 crumbs.” icon — Teuku Jacob. Stone tools could provide clues about the cultural Today’s report, which details evidence of Based at Gajah Mada University in habits of the human species discovered on Flores. nine H. floresiensisindividuals found at Liang Yogyakarta, Jacob contends that the bones are Bua throughout 2004, is likely to convince any of a genetically deformed Homo sapiens. A Government officials will not issue explo- remaining sceptics that a new species of condition called microcephaly, which can ration permits that might prove Jacob wrong, human has been identified (see page 957). cause dwarfism, could explain the miniature scientists say. Neither Jacob nor the officials The two jaw bones found are virtually iden- brain, he says (see Nature434,432–434; 2005). involved could be reached for comment. tical even though their owners lived 3,000

years apart. “You can’t have a colony of micro- Disputes over palaeoanthropology dig sites cephalics going through time,” says Brown. are not uncommon — there has been consid- “That’s crazy.” erable squabbling over the control of hominid The new bones also turned up features that sites in Africa. But it is unprecedented to close are not found in modern humans. In particu- down such a spectacular site. “Liang Bua is the lar, both of the jaws unearthed lack a chin crown jewel of the caves,” says Brown, adding structure; chins are a distinguishing feature of that only a small percentage of it has been H. sapiens. The researchers also found arm excavated so far. “This is where the team bones from two individuals. “They are spec- should be focusing.” tacularly long,” says Brown, adding that the Morwood says that during explorations this limb proportions are reminiscent not of summer at other sites on Flores and neigh- H. sapiensbut of Lucy, the 3.2-million-year- bouring islands, the team has found promising old Australopithecus afarensis found in hints about the origin of H. floresiensis, but no Ethiopia in 1974. new hominid bones. Work in the Soa Basin, But there are still many questions to answer, for example, suggests that hominids were pre- including how and when the species evolved, sent on Flores significantly earlier than when it arrived on the island, and what its 840,000 years ago, the earliest date previously lifestyle was like (see ‘The life of a hobbit’). reported (M. J. Morwood et al. Nature392, Early this year, archaeologist Tony Dju- 173–176; 1998). biantono, director of the Indonesian Centre “That’s what you might expect in the con- for Archaeology in Jakarta, told Naturethat text of some of the very primitive traits of digging in Liang Bua would proceed in the H. floresiensis,” says Morwood. “Historically summer. But he never issued the permits. the emphasis for early hominid studies has Djubiantono, a co-author on today’s paper, been Java. This may change.” could not be reached for comment. But But without access to Liang Bua, the mys- sources say he is reluctant to challenge Jacob teries of the ancient ‘hobbit’ people will prob- and his allies in the upper echelons of the ably remain secret for the forseeable future.■ Indonesian government. Rex Dalton The life of a hobbit The latest archaeological at Liang Bua are finds from Flores shine separated from the older further light on how life material by a layer of ash might have been for the from a volcanic eruption tiny inhabitants of this that occurred at about Pacific outpost. The that time. evidence suggests that “But it will take only one Homo floresiensiswas a tooth from a modern

C. TURNEY, UNIV. WOLLONGONG UNIV. TURNEY, C. decent butcher and cook, human found below the but not much of an artist. Stone tools on Flores may have been left ash for the theory to be Workers digging at by H. floresiensisor by modern humans. rewritten,” Stringer says. Liang Bua on Flores found The same goes for the bones of a dwarfed form of the step to have a barbecue.” stone tools found at Liang Bua, elephant-like species Stegodon Other experts urge caution in says Harvard University alongside the tiny humans. inferring cultural activities such anthropologist Daniel “There are cut marks on the as cooking from an assortment Lieberman. The relatively Stegodonbones, so we can of bones and stones. “The finds unsophisticated implements infer that H. floresiensiswas might be due to modern could have been made by not vegetarian,” says Bert humans,” comments Chris either H. sapiensor Roberts, a geochronologist at Stringer, who studies human H. floresiensis, he says. Proving the University of Wollongong, evolution at the Natural History that it was the latter will Australia, one of the latest Museum in London. require uncovering a site study’s authors. So far, no modern-human where tools have been Some of the bones are remains have been found at deliberately buried with tiny charred, he adds, which Liang Bua from earlier than human remains. suggests cooking. “There are 12,000 years ago, the time H. The site contains no also circular clusters of burnt floresiensisis thought to have evidence of pigment use or stones, akin to ‘hearth’ died out. This suggests that bone carvings, suggesting that arrangements,” he adds. “If the two species might not painting and crafts did not play you go to the effort of making have lived directly side by a big part in the life of H. a tidy fireplace, it’s not a huge side. Homo sapiensartefacts floresiensis.Michael Hopkin