Prehistoric Sites of the Cagayan Valley Basin

April 2019 was an exciting moment for Philippine archaeology - the classification of Callao Man as a separate and therefore new species of human called Homo luzonensis, whose first remains were discovered in 2007. 

Before its discovery, most (if not all) focus were on Tabon Man (discovered in 1962) and the Lipuun Cave complex in Palawan, as far as early Philippine human remains are concerned. The Callao Man's third metatarsal bone was said to be 67,000 years old, and much older than the Tabon Man; thus likewise the possibility of the north-to-south movement of ancient humans across the archipelago, instead of the opposite.

The elevated entrance of the Callao Cave provides a glimpse of the Cagayan Valley (see photo) - the home of the Luzon's prehistoric humans.