Indigenous input revealed early hints of fiber making in the tropics
To decipher marks on ancient stone tools, researchers turned to the Philippines’ Palaw’an people
![A photo of three ancient stone artifacts from the island of Palawan in the Philippines on a black background.](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/063023_lmz_ancientfibers_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
An analysis of markings on ancient stone artifacts (a selection shown) from the island of Palawan in the Philippines suggest the stones were tools used to make plant-based fibers and other textiles.
© The National Museum of the Philippines