Human Origin Sites and the World Heritage Convention in Asia
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39 World Heritage papers39 World Heritage papers HEADWORLD HERITAGES 3 Human origin sites and the Human origin sites and the Heritage World in Asia Convention World Heritage Convention in Asia For more information contact: UNESCO World Heritage Centre papers 7, place Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP France Tel: 33 (0)1 45 68 24 96 Fax: 33 (0)1 45 68 55 70 E-mail: [email protected] http://whc.unesco.org World HeritageWorld Human origin sites and the World Heritage Convention in Asia Nuria Sanz, Editor Coordinator of the World Heritage/HEADS Programme Published in 2014 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France and the UNESCO Office in Mexico, Presidente Masaryk 526, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo, 11550 Ciudad de Mexico, D.F., Mexico. © UNESCO 2014 ISBN 978-92-3-100043-0 This publication is available in Open Access under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-SA 3.0 IGO) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/). By using the content of this publication, the users accept to be bound by the terms of use of the UNESCO Open Access Repository (http://www.unesco.org/open-access/terms-use-ccbysa-en). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors; they are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. Cover photos: top: Excavation of Gua Gunung Runtuh, Lenggong, Malaysia. © Zuraina Majid bottom (from left to right): Sino-Franco team during an excavation at Longgupo site in 2004 (from left: Y.M.Hou, C.Griggo, E. Boëda, M.Rasse). © Ya-Mei Hou; Frontal views of the Ryonggok #3 (left) and #7 (right) craniae that are stored in the Chungbuk University Museum, Republic of Korea. © Christopher J Bae; Exhibition Hall, the Jeongok Prehistory Museum, Republic of Korea. © Kidong Bae Photos and images presented in the texts are the copyrights of the authors unless otherwise indicated. Supervision, editing and coordination: Nuria Sanz, General Coordinator, World Heritage Thematic Programme HEADS and Director, UNESCO Office in Mexico Sarah Ranlett, UNESCO Office in Mexico Anjelica Young, UNESCO Office in Mexico Coordination of the World Heritage Papers Series: Vesna Vujicic-Lugassy, UNESCO Culture Sector Graphic design: Recto Verso – realization by UNESCO/MSS/CLD Cover design: Recto Verso – realization by UNESCO/MSS/CLD Printed in the workshops of UNESCO This printer is certified Imprim´Vert ®, the French printing industry´s environmental initiative. Printed in France This publication was made possible thanks to the ongoing support to the World Heritage Thematic Programme HEADS by the Government of Spain, the Jeongok Prehistory Museum and GyeongGi Cultural Foundation, Cultural Heritage Administration. Table of Contents Foreword Page 5 Kishore Rao, Secretary, World Heritage Convention Introduction Page 6 Nuria Sanz, General Coordinator of the HEADS Programme The Outstanding Universal Value of Human Evolution in Asia Page 9 Yves Coppens Scientific Perspectives: Asia and HEADS 2 Page 15 The evolution of modern behavior in East Asia Page 16 Nicholas Conard The Outstanding Universal Value of sites related to human evolution Page 24 in Asia: the Acheulean as a case study for cooperation Margherita Mussi The significance of archaeological research in South Korea for Page 35 human evolution: the case of Chongokni Paleolithic site, regional cooperative priorities in relation to research and conservation Kidong Bae Out of Africa and the evolution of human populations in Asia: Page 53 thoughts about the nomination of prehistoric sites to the World Heritage List Michael Petraglia Historical Overview 3 Page 67 The history of paleoanthropological research in Asia: reasons and priorities Page 68 for future cooperation in research and preservation of sites and collections John de Vos West Asia 4 Page 83 Palaeoanthropology in Pakistan and China: an ICOMOS perspective Page 84 Robin Dennell The Palaeolithic in the Indian Subcontinent: Page 106 its significance for understanding human evolution Sheila Mishra East Asia 5 Page 119 Human evolution sites in China: their significance Page 120 to the understanding of adaptations and dispersals, research priorities in the framework of the World Heritage Convention in Asia Ya-mei Hou Pleistocene cave sites in Korea: Importance to paleoanthropology? Page 145 Christopher J. Bae Modern hominids in the Japanese Islands and the early Page 156 use of obsidian: the case of Onbase Islet Akira Ono Southeast Asia 6 Page 165 The case of Phnom Teak Treang and Laang Spean: the potential for World Page 166 Heritage site nomination in Cambodia, the significance of the site for human evolution in Asia, and the need for international cooperation Heng Sophady Island Southeast Asia and human evolution heritage Page 184 François Sémah The archaeological heritage of the Lenggong Valley: a UNESCO World Heritage site Page 211 Datin Paduka Zuraina Majid The Niah cave in Malaysia: potential for World Heritage nomination, justification Page 220 of Outstanding Universal Value, conditions of integrity and authenticity, and guidelines for optimal protection and management of the site Graeme Barker Human ethological perspectives on prehistoric adaptation and Page 235 dispersal in the Central Highlands of New Guinea Wulf Schiefenhövel Conclusion and way forward 7 Page 255 New paleoanthropological paradigms to explore Human Evolution in Asia Page 256 within the framework of the World Heritage Convention Nuria Sanz Foreword Prehistoric sites are the cornerstone for research into the origins of humanity, its evolution and social development – but they are underrepresented in the UNESCO World Heritage List. We are all familiar with iconic prehistoric sites in Africa, Latin America and Europe but less so with such sites in Asia. This must change, as Asia holds a wealth of data, which includes some startling challenges to traditional archaeological paradigms of the emergence and dispersal of modern humans. What is more, Asia hosts several renowned World Heritage sites, including the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian in the Peoples’ Republic of China and the Sangiran Early Man Site in Indonesia. This issue of World Heritage Papers tackles these questions head-on – exploring recent research programmes, ideas and debates that are lifting the profile of Asia in human evolution studies, while addressing the practical issues of site protection and management. The result is a fascinating compendium that reflects the international and interdisciplinary approach that inspires all work under the World Heritage Convention. Following the lead of the HEADS Thematic Programme for World Heritage, this issue builds on the vibrant archaeological research presented at the conference, entitled 'Human Origins Sites in Asia and World Heritage Convention,' held at the Jeongok Prehistory Museum in the Republic of Korea in September 2012. This was a ground-breaking conference for human evolution studies in Asia and across the world. Together, we seek to ensure that Asian archaeological human origins sites are recognized, appreciated, and safeguarded for future generations of researchers. For this, we need scientific rigour, methodological innovation, public outreach along with site protection and, most importantly, international cooperation. This issue of World Heritage Papers brings all of this together, and is another step to enhancing the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in this crucial area. Kishore Rao Secretary of the World Heritage Convention 5 Introduction The book which the reader has in hand provides a comprehensive account of how Asian geography compelled the mobility of populations and the diversification of adaptations for a wide range of singular niches to ensure the survival of humanity since its earliest stages in Asia. The Asian continent and geography as a whole were determined as the obligatory follow-up to the publication World Heritage Papers 33: HEADS 2: Human origin sites and the World Heritage Convention in Africa, as this area is considered to have been, despite several scientific disputes, the first step out of Africa to be taken in human migration. This publication documents one of the fundamental purposes of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre HEADS Thematic Programme outlined in the HEADS Action Plan, as it represents the development of the awareness of the importance and specificity of the earliest heritage related to Human Evolution and the origin of our cultural diversity. It does this through its illustration of what is known today about the first human migrations out of Africa and the subsequent evolutionary processes that are manifest in Asia. The works in this volume familiarise the reader with other, lesser-known, geographical areas that present novel cases of evolutionary particularism in the dispersal of humans to the Far East. The subject of the first egress from the African continent continues to inspire academic research as scientific experts conduct research, striving to answer questions and fill empty spaces in scientific inquiry. These pages illuminate this scientific discourse surrounding the role of Asia in the dispersal. New discoveries have significantly pushed back the