Revised age for Mojokerto 1, an early Homo erectus cranium from East Java, Indonesia

Dates of around 1.8 Ma have been claimed for a hominin cranial vault excavated near Mojokerto City in East Java, Indonesia. Such an early date for presumed Homo erectus in East Asia would require a major revision of the general model for timing of initial hominin dispersal 'Out of Africa'. Instead, our field study and redating of two pumice horizons at the site indicate that the age of the Mojokerto cranial vault is less than 1.49 Ma. Furthermore, we argue that a basic understanding of site and regional depositional processes is fundamental for assessing the significance of any radiometric date.