‘Tiny people from Taiwan’: scientists prove existence of legendary cave people
‘Tiny people from Taiwan’: scientists prove existence of legendary cave people
Taiwan famously features an indigenous population of Austronesian people whose history on the island stretches back 5,000 years.But among these people, oral traditions have referred to another civilisation that seemed to be far older. They were often referred to as “pygmies” or tiny people and were described as having dark skin, curly hair and a diminutive stature.In early October, scientists proved they existed in Taiwan.Modern ethnically Negritos people living in the Philippines in 2003. Photo: Hsiao-chun HungAccording to a paper published in World Archaeology, a peer-reviewed journal, archaeologists analysing skeletons from a cave in southeastern Taiwan built a strong argument that those remains belonged to “Negritos”, an ethnic group that still exists in the Philippines, Malay Peninsula and Andaman Islands.