S W
In the grand scheme of geological time scales, the past 800,000 years is actually rather short. Scientists believe that the Earth was formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago. Earth scientists like me are used to touching and observing rocks and sediment samples that are millions of years old. To us, they are not merely relics of  the past; they may also hold important scientific information about the present and the future, and as such are immensely valuable. For example, our study allows us to understand the natural variation of the environment and climate before humans began to populate the region.
   
The present-day lake must have undergone significant changes in terms of size and geochemistry due to geological and climatic changes. Based on our preliminary data from the field we now know that lake levels have varied. Drilling at some of our sites yielded some non-lake sections, such as river and peat units. As mentioned, the landscapes around Towuti have not always been filled by lush rainforests. During dry and more seasonal periods, we might have seen savannah-type ecosystems instead. You may picture a vast expanse of grasslands dotted with some trees, similar to present- day Nusa Tenggara [Lesser Sunda Islands], during dry periods. At the same time, the lake level must have been lower, and the lake was smaller. It was a very different picture indeed.

E T
Do you expect that the team might find evidence in these samples for a contribution to the Anthropocene debate? According to the Geologic Time Scale, the Holocene Epoch begins in 11,650 BC, precisely the timescale you are investigating. Is there any possibility that you could find evidence of anthropogenic ecological change in your samples? Or, perhaps even a Global Stratotype Section & Point (GSSA) demarcation candidate for the Anthropocene?

S W
Given the slow natural sedimentation rate in the lake (averaging 0.02 cm/year), it is a little difficult to find evidence of anthropogenic ecological change in our samples. Archaeological and pollen-based evidence suggest that there was little disturbance by humans until the last century, when humans started to actively alter the landscape around the lake. I believe that the deforestation rate around Lake Towuti has increased significantly in the last decade. Not only has logging for timber become more intensive, but land clearance for pepper farming is also increasingly widespread. Maybe in a few more decades the evidence of these activities will become clear in the sediment.