If the remains were in a context suggesting death in place, the interpretation would be different.

Whatever the specific circumstances of Shuká Káa’s presence in the cave, the fact that his remains survived there for 10,300 years reflects the specific preservation environment of the cave.

The limestone geology, the cool and relatively stable temperatures, the protection from direct weathering — all of these contributed to a preservation environment that maintained bone and teeth through the deep time that separates the early Holocene from the present.

The Karst Landscape and Its Archaeological Potential