More than 1,300 stone and bone tools were found at Bianfu Cave in sediment layers indicating hominin occupation of the site between 70,000 and 190,000 years ago.
Notes on verification
Confirmed by original Nature paper and multiple independent, high-quality secondary sources (CNN, Live Science, Science News, National Geographic, John Hawks). Minor variation in exact tool count (1,300-1,366) but consistent overall figures and date range. [cascade flags: aggregator_dropped_primary_exists | tier=silver indep_score=0.97 clusters=5 claim_tier=notable | framework convergence=single on Two companion Nature papers (2026) reporting excavation, luminescence/uranium-series dating, and proteomic analysis of Bianfu Cave (upstreams: Nature papers by Ruan et al. and Rao et al. (2026), Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), University of Wollongong dating team (Bo Li)) — publishers independent, evidence may not be | kind=empirical eligibility=high]
Sources
- Scientists Find a Trove of Denisovan Fossils and Tools in Southwest ... (seed:science_and_space)
- https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/09/science/china-denisovan-fossil-discovery (corroboration)
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10997-4 (corroboration)
- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/new-fossils-denisovan-secrets-china (corroboration)
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/denisovans-forearm-bone-china (corroboration)
- https://www.johnhawks.net/p/new-denisovans-from-chinas-southwest (corroboration)