Human Skeletal remains of Homo sapiens from Fa-Hien Lena: An Analysis Based on Excavations Conducted between 1986 to 2012

Fa-Hien Lena rockshelter, located in the southwestern wet zone of Sri Lanka, has yielded some of the earliest and most significant evidence for anatomically modern Homo sapiens in South Asia. Archaeological excavations conducted between 1986 and 2012 revealed a long, well-stratified sequence of human occupation spanning from the Late Pleistocene to the mid-Holocene. Within these deposits, fragmentary and more complete human skeletal remains were recovered, providing critical insights into early human biology, behavior, and adaptation to tropical rainforest environments. The earliest skeletal evidence, dated to approximately 35,000 years before present, confirms the presence of modern humans during the Late Pleistocene and represents some of the oldest securely dated Homo sapiens remains in the region. Later excavations documented intentional burials dating to the terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene, including relatively complete skeletons associated with cultural materials such as stone and bone tools, faunal remains, and ochre. Osteological analyses indicate anatomically modern morphology and offer information on health, age, and mortuary practices of prehistoric rainforest foragers. The Fa-Hien Lena human skeletal assemblage demonstrates early and sustained occupation of tropical rainforest environments by Homo sapiens, challenging earlier models that viewed such habitats as marginal for Pleistocene hunter-gatherers and contributing significantly to the understanding of early human dispersals in South Asia.