Callao Cave, Show cave in Peñablanca, Philippines
Callao Cave is a show cave in northeastern Peñablanca, formed by seven chambers that receive daylight through natural openings in the limestone. The openings create shafts of light that reach into the interior, illuminating the rocks and formations inside.
Archaeologists unearthed fossils of Homo luzonensis in the deposits in 2007, a species that lived on the island around 67000 years ago. These finds provided new insights into the early settlement of the Philippines and showed that the region was inhabited long before modern humans.
In the first chamber, residents from surrounding villages hold religious ceremonies, as the natural openings let light in and create space for worship. Pilgrims and believers use this part as a place for devotion, since the mood invites prayer.
Visitors climb 184 concrete steps to reach the entrance, with the path being steep and potentially slippery after rain. It is advisable to wear sturdy footwear and to arrive early in the day when humidity is lower.
In the deeper layers, stone tools and animal bones have been found that show people returned here repeatedly over more than 70000 years. These finds document one of the longest continuous human uses of a single cave in Southeast Asia.
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