Post by Sharon Faulkner on Sept 21, 2006 16:05:52 GMT -5
Fossils give clues about early human activity
Slamet Susanto
September 21, 2006
Gunung Kidul-The rocky and mountainous region of Gunungkidul is said to have been the center of a major indigenous civilization 13,000 years ago.
Experts are examining fossils discovered by a team of archaeologists from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta during a recent exploration of Tritis Cave in Tanjungsari district. "We found many fossils here. We will further analyze them at the lab to determine whether they are animal or human fossils," an archaeologist at the UGM's School of Archaeology, Daud Aris Tanudirjo, told The Jakarta Post.
He said the fossils, which are believed to date back 13,000 years, could show that ancient humans migrated from the mountainous area to low-lying areas or vice versa.
For example, fossilized marine animals, such as shellfish, sea urchins and turtles, were found at a depth of 120 centimeters during the excavation at Tritis Cave, which is located 4.5 kilometers from the coast. This is a sign that these "early" humans may have foraged for shore-based foods, especially shellfish. "Some of the fossils are of mammals. They were found at a depth of 45 cm," Daud said.
Archaeologists also discovered a number of utensils made from flat animal bones, believed to be knives.
However, due to funding constraints, the research has been suspended until further notice. "The carbon lab test alone costs between US$150 and $800 an item," Daud said.
An archaeology lecturer at UGM, Susetya, said studies carried out since 1998 suggested that many caves in Gunungkidul were used as shelters. "We have examined 130 caves so far and determined that 102 of them were the dwelling places of ancient human communes, each consisting of 25 to 30 people," Susetya said.
Eko Haryono from UGM's Mapping Study Center said the findings suggested a process of "landscape evolution" had taken place in Gunungkidul at that time.
He said that 26 million years ago, the area was under the sea, but due to the subduction of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates 1.5 to 2 million years ago, a section was raised above the sea, creating many rivers. "Riverbanks are believed to have been the main dwelling places of ancient man," Eko said.
The landscape evolution in Gunungkidul continued until the Pleistocene epoch, or 180,000 years ago. Areas were raised due to the movement of tectonic plates, creating mountains and lakes in what is now called Gunungkidul. "The landscape evolution affected the evolution of man. They moved from low-lying areas to mountainous regions. To be safe from the elements and animals, ancient man lived in caves," Eko said.
www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20060921.G06&irec=5
Slamet Susanto
September 21, 2006
Gunung Kidul-The rocky and mountainous region of Gunungkidul is said to have been the center of a major indigenous civilization 13,000 years ago.
Experts are examining fossils discovered by a team of archaeologists from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta during a recent exploration of Tritis Cave in Tanjungsari district. "We found many fossils here. We will further analyze them at the lab to determine whether they are animal or human fossils," an archaeologist at the UGM's School of Archaeology, Daud Aris Tanudirjo, told The Jakarta Post.
He said the fossils, which are believed to date back 13,000 years, could show that ancient humans migrated from the mountainous area to low-lying areas or vice versa.
For example, fossilized marine animals, such as shellfish, sea urchins and turtles, were found at a depth of 120 centimeters during the excavation at Tritis Cave, which is located 4.5 kilometers from the coast. This is a sign that these "early" humans may have foraged for shore-based foods, especially shellfish. "Some of the fossils are of mammals. They were found at a depth of 45 cm," Daud said.
Archaeologists also discovered a number of utensils made from flat animal bones, believed to be knives.
However, due to funding constraints, the research has been suspended until further notice. "The carbon lab test alone costs between US$150 and $800 an item," Daud said.
An archaeology lecturer at UGM, Susetya, said studies carried out since 1998 suggested that many caves in Gunungkidul were used as shelters. "We have examined 130 caves so far and determined that 102 of them were the dwelling places of ancient human communes, each consisting of 25 to 30 people," Susetya said.
Eko Haryono from UGM's Mapping Study Center said the findings suggested a process of "landscape evolution" had taken place in Gunungkidul at that time.
He said that 26 million years ago, the area was under the sea, but due to the subduction of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates 1.5 to 2 million years ago, a section was raised above the sea, creating many rivers. "Riverbanks are believed to have been the main dwelling places of ancient man," Eko said.
The landscape evolution in Gunungkidul continued until the Pleistocene epoch, or 180,000 years ago. Areas were raised due to the movement of tectonic plates, creating mountains and lakes in what is now called Gunungkidul. "The landscape evolution affected the evolution of man. They moved from low-lying areas to mountainous regions. To be safe from the elements and animals, ancient man lived in caves," Eko said.
www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20060921.G06&irec=5