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Contacts : registration and pedagogical matters, Florence Tosca [email protected] international relations, diploma, Chafika Falguères, [email protected]
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INTERNATIONAL MODULE QP 11 “PREHISTORY OF SOUTHEAST ASIA”
The 2008 edition of the module will be coupled with the international conference about the oldest human settlements of Eurasia, out of Africa. The module itself will therefore offer the students the opportunity to attend complementary lectures whose topics are not thoroughly presented during the conference itself. The validation process of the Module will follow the classical way. Students will be asked to present the state of the art on a specific question, guided by distribution of reprints or books. This presentation can be either a commented poster or a short lecture of c. 10 mn. Students are most encouraged to prepare the presentation on a basis couple basis (= 2 students sharing the same topic). The module is worth 3 ECTS, validated in the frame of the International Master in Quaternary and Prehistory and associated institutions. The students will receive the related European Diploma Supplement and will have to fill both individual and collective evaluation form. Participation to the module and related activities are free of charge.
HUMAN ORIGINS PATRIMONY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
CPAS
Puslitbang Arkenas
With the help of
LIST OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE MODULE AND PARTICIPATING PhD STUDENTS Master Students
• Alexandre Amans France alexandre.amans.gmail.com • Mirza Ansyori (attends only) Indonesia [email protected] • Anna Iliana Casini Italy [email protected] • Ma Chunping China [email protected] • Aude Favereau France [email protected] • Manon Galland France [email protected] • Alik Huseynov Azerbaidjan [email protected] • Fatima Zohra Khaled Algeria [email protected] • Alice Leplongeon France [email protected] • Chidi Nwokeji Nigeria [email protected] • Ibrahim Nasrallah Lebanon [email protected] • Marie Pousset France [email protected] • Muhammad Ruly Fauzi Indonesia [email protected] • Sachipan Srikanlaya Thailand [email protected] • Sofwan Noerwidi Indonesia [email protected] • Hermine Xhauflair Belgium [email protected]
PhD Students • Matthieu Lebon (defence) France [email protected] • Antony Borel France [email protected] • Boris Brasseur France [email protected] • Han Fei China [email protected] • Andri Purnomo (attends only) Indonesia [email protected] • Kasman Setiagama Indonesia [email protected]
INVOLVED TEACHERS Dr. Marta Arzarello, Lect., Università degli Studi, Ferrara, Italy [email protected] Dr. Jean-Jacques Bahain, Sen. Lect., Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France [email protected] Dr. Antoine Balzeau, Res., Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France [email protected] Dr. Graeme Barker, Prof., Cambridge University, United Kingdom [email protected] Dr. Christophe Comentale, Sen. Cur., Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France [email protected] Dr. Jackie Despriée, Res., Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France Jackie [email protected] Dr. Florent Détroit, Lect., Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France [email protected] Dr. Eusebio Dizon, Prof., University of the Philippines Diliman [email protected] Dr. Tony Djubiantono, Sen. Res., National Research and Development Centre, Jakarta, Indonesia [email protected] Dr. Xavier Gallet, Res., Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris [email protected] Dr. Dominique Grimaud-Hervé, Prof., Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France [email protected] Dr. Christine Hertler, Sen. Lect., Johann-Wolfgang Goethe Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Germany [email protected] Dr. Sheila Mishra, Prof. Deccan College, Pune, India [email protected] Dr. Anne-Marie Moigne, Sen. Lect., Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France [email protected] Dr. Marie-Hélène Moncel, Res., Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France [email protected] Dr. Alfred Pawlik, Lect. , University of the Philippines Diliman [email protected] Dr. Odile Romain, Res., Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France, [email protected] Dr. Anne-Marie Sémah, Sen. Res., Institute for Research and Development, IRD, Bondy, France [email protected] Dr. François Sémah, Prof., Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France [email protected] Dr. Truman Simanjuntak, Prof., Centre for Prehistoric and Austronesian Studies, Jakarta, Indonesia [email protected] Dr. Pierre Voinchet, Lect., Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France [email protected] Dr. Harry Widianto, Sen. Res., Centre for Research and Development of the Sangiran site, Indonesia [email protected]
Contacts : registration and pedagogical matters, Florence Tosca [email protected] international relations, diploma, Chafika Falguères, [email protected]
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PROGRAM
Wednesday to Friday, November 26th-29th
International seminar on the oldest Human settlements in Eurasia
Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Grande Galerie de l’Evolution Together with three activities
Wednesday, November 26th, 11h00-11h45, Auditorium, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine 1- Introductory meeting to the module, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine,
• François Sémah and Christine Hertler
Friday, November 28th, 8h50-11h00 meeting at 8h50 in the ground lobby, Musée de l’Homme 2- Students’ visit of Asian prehistoric collections in the Musée de l’Homme
• Associated lecture by Christophe Comentale and Odile Romain 3- Students’ visit of Asian palaeoanthropological collections in the Musée de l’Homme
• Associated lecture by Florent Détroit, Insular Southeast Asia
Saturday, November 29th
Journey to Central France, Lower Palaeolithic sites
Jackie Despriée, Marie-Hélène Moncel, Pierre Voinchet
The oldest artefact bearing deposits in Central France and the expansion of Acheulian traditions
Sunday, November 30th
From Sunday, November 30th onwards lectures will be delivered at the auditorium, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine
Current research on Lower Palaeolithic sites and their environments
9h30-10h15 Tony Djubiantono and Xavier Gallet, Indonesia
10h15-11h00 Sheila Mishra, India and Southeast Asia, similar or different?
11h20-12h05 Jean-Jacques Bahain, Anne-Marie Moigne and Han Fei, China
14h00-14h45 Graeme Barker, Why were modern humans such successful colonisers? The Archaeology of the Niah caves, Sarawak – Learning to live in rainforest
14h45-15h30 Eusebio Dizon and Truman Simanjuntak, Recent developments in Austronesian studies
16h-16h45 Marta Arzarello, Eusebio Dizon, Florent Detroit The lithic assemblages of the Tabon cave, Palawan, Philippines
Monday, December 1st
9h00 – 10h30 Students’ presentations (poster or shorter seminars), discussion I 10h50-12h20 Students’ presentations (poster or shorter seminars), discussion II
Contacts : registration and pedagogical matters, Florence Tosca [email protected] international relations, diploma, Chafika Falguères, [email protected]
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Contacts : registration and pedagogical matters, Florence Tosca [email protected] international relations, diploma, Chafika Falguères, [email protected]
Presentation of current PhDs and discussion
14h00-14h45 Boris Brasseur, Characterization of sedimentation and pedogenetic dynamics in late lower and early middle Pleistocene layers in Sangiran, Java, Indonesia
14h45-15h30 Antony Borel, Towards a better understanding of the human behaviors of the early Holocene in island South-east Asia: shape study, experimentation, and usewear analysis of a flint industry.
16h00-16h45 Kasman Setiagama, Characterization of bone artefacts in island Southeast Asia
17h00-19h00 restricted meetings • Teachers’ meeting • Students’ meeting • e-learning meeting
Tuesday, December 2nd
Round tables about Present trends of research and patrimonial concerns in Southeast Asia [Short presentations and discussions]
9h00-9h45 Palaeoenvironments Christine Hertler, Anne-Marie Moigne, Anne-Marie Sémah
9h45-10h30 Palaeolithic Alfred Pawlik, Truman Simanjuntak and François Sémah
10h45-11h30 Palaeoanthropology Harry Widianto, Dominique Grimaud-Hervé, Florent Détroit and Antoine Balzeau
11h30-12h00 Evaluation of the module (feedback form teachers’ and students’ meetings)
12h00 Students’ diploma supplement awards, Prof. Truman Simanjuntak
14h30 – 18h00 Matthieu Lebon’s PhD defence, Characterization of heated bones in archaeological context by means of IR spectroscopy
18h00-20h00 Farewell party, Institut de Paléontologie humaine
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Students’ presentations Subjects Supervised by Students
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Subsistance means of the first islanders, positive and/or negative impacts on their vegetal environment
Anne‐Marie Sémah
anne‐[email protected]
Manon Galland
Ibrahim Nasrallah
[email protected] [email protected]
2 Meat eating in human evolution and its impacts on carnivore guilds
Christine Hertler
[email protected]‐frankfurt.de
Chidi Nwokeji
Marie Pousset
chidi@alice‐dsl.de [email protected]‐paris1.fr
3 The first lithic industries of Flores Island, debate and implications
Antony Borel
Alexandre Amans
4 The Hoabinhian Claire Gaillard
Aude Favereau
Anna Iliana
Casini
Sachipan Srikanlaya
[email protected] [email protected]
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The pneumatization of the temporal bone, variability among the hominids and characteristics of Homo erectus
Antoine Balzeau
Fatma Zohra Khaled
Ma
Chunping
[email protected] [email protected]
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Comparison of two analytic approaches in the frame of tephrostratigraphic studies of hominid fossils sites
Boris Brasseur
Alice Leplongeon
Alik
Huseynov
[email protected] [email protected]
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Archaeological research at the site of Kendenglembu (East Java, Indonesia)
Sofwan Noerwidi
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Contribution to the characterization of the upper Terus occupation layer (Song Terus cave, East Java, Indonesia) by the study of sedimentary matrix content
Muhammad Ruly Fauzi
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Use of stone tools in tropical environment: experimental use‐wear in the Philippines
Hermine Xhauflair
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Lectures abtracts
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Students' visit of Asian palaeoanthropological collections in the Musée de l'Homme Associated lecture: Insular Southeast Asia
Florent Détroit
This lecture aims at summarizing some of the major recent advances in insular Southeast Asian palaeoanthropology and, taking the opportunity of the visit of Asian palaeoanthropological collections kept at Musée de l'Homme in Paris, we will present and discuss several practical aspects of palaeoanthropological researches based on remote and/or scattered collections. Current researches in Southeast Asian archaeology and related scientific fields are nowadays basically based on international collaborations with several international partners from all around the world. But as far as collections of objects gathered during fieldworks are concerned, modern policies and current practices imply that they are managed and curated in their country of origin. With several Indonesian and Philippine palaeoanthropological examples, we will examine how modern technologies and related methodologies rapidly improved the way researchers can access, study and easily share data on their objects of interest. Over the last few years, the so-called “Virtual Anthropology” dramatically changed the classic way of studying fossil remains. Indeed, it is not mandatory anymore to handle an actual fossil to analyse it. A completely virtual 3D model of the fossil gives an exhaustive and exact access to its morphological features and measurements, and a CT-scan even gives access to hidden data that are not accessible through conventional examination of the original specimen. Comparisons of large numbers of specimens are made easier and more significant, and in decreasing the number and frequency of physical manipulations and transport of fragile and precious specimens, their preservation is also greatly improved.
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India and SE Asia: Contrasting Records?
Sheila Mishra Department of Archaeology, Deccan College, Pune, India 411 006
[email protected] sheila.mishra.googlepages.com/home (to download publications)
India and SE Asia: the movius line?
It is generally thought, following Movius, that during the Lower Palaeolithic India and South-east Asia belonged to different sides of the “movius line” with India a part of the region with Acheulian technology and SE Asia, part of the region with chopper chopping tool technology. This is surprizing, since the Pleistocene fauna of SE Asia, especially that associated with Homo erectus, is clearly related to the Indian Siwalik faunas. It is suggested in my talk that Movius was mistaken and that the contrast between Indian and SE Asian Lower Palaeolithic archaeology is due to different preservation of evidence. India has a large number of sites with thousands of stone tools at each site, but only one hominin fossil (Hathnora) while SE Asia has hundereds of fossils and only a few stone tools. The Nuebung assemblage however, closely resembles that of sites of similar age in India, such as Morgaon. During the Lower Palaeolithic, ecologically India and SE Asia were closely related, sharing a tropical grassland environment and frequent land connections, and the Lower Palaeolithic archaeology and associated humans were most probably also closely related. In SE Asia a major change in ecology is seen in the Late Pleistocene with the first evidence of “modern tropical rainforest” and migration of species more closely related to Southern Chinese mainland than the Indian sub-continent. During this period, there is a real contrast in the archaeological records. In the Indian sub-continent, the Late Pleistocene the stone tool technology is almost exclusively “microlithic” with a clear continuity to modern times, while in SE Asia, more amorphous industries collected under the terms of “Hoabinian” and “Pre-Hoabinian” are contemporary, to the Indian Pleistocene microlithic industries. Srilanka also has a number of dated Pleistocene microlithic industries. It is likely that the reality of the movius line is actually this contrast in the Late Pleistocene, rather than in the Middle or Early Pleistocene! This is really supported by fact that the Youngest Toba Tephra, which dates to 75 kyr, and is associted with a microlithic industry in India at Jwalapuram is also the type site for the “chopper chopping” tool industry of Malaysia at Kota Tampon. The Indian “chopper chopping” tool industry, the Soanian, is also Late Pleistocene and so not Lower Palaeolithic at all, as argued by Gaillard and Mishra (2001). It therefore seems that a real difference between the two regions in the Late Pleistocene was interpreted as a difference during the Middle and Lower Pleistocene by Movius and others following Movius. Some of the earliest fossil evidence for modern humans anywhere, is associated with these Late Pleistocene “chopper chopping” tools industries, so whatever this contrast means it is not due to the presence of different species or grades of ancient humans. Indian Palaeolithic: Lower and Middle Pleistocene
During the Lower and Middle Pleistocene India is unique in the areas occupied in the by early humans in the homogeniety and continuity shown in the stone age technologies. All the sites belong to the Acheulian tradition. The “Early Acheulian” closely resembles that of the earliest industries in Africa, rather than the Acheulian of NW Europe. The Indian Acheulian is “large flake acheulian”, with large cutting tools made on large sharp flakes detached from giant cores. The sharp edges are produced by deliberate intersection of dorsal and ventral flake scars, the classic example of which is seen in the cleaver edges. The innovation of the Early Acheulian, therefore is in the ability to handle very large cores and transport the tools so produced rather than in “shaping” of the nodules as in the European Acheulian, which is also much later in time. The evolution of the this Acheulian in India shows gradual refinement, increase in secondary retouch of artefacts, expansion of range of shaped small tools. A separate “middle palaeolithic” phase is difficult to separate from the last Acheulian in which middle palaeolithic tool types occur along with refined handaxes.
Although the term “Upper Palaeolithic” is used by Indian Prehistorians, it is not equivalent to that of Europe where the term was introduced. The Indian Upper Palaeolithic is microlithic. Dates for this microlithic industry go back to >42 kyr at Mehtakheri. In excavated rockshelters, like Bhimbetka and Adamgarh it directly follows the Late Acheulian in the stratigraphy. In alluvial sections also many examples of microlithic industries dating to the Late Pleistocene are found overlying Acheulian. In both the cases however a time gap of unknown duration between the two is possible.
Genetic studies of present day people living in the Indian sub-continent show that the present population has evolved insitu for around 60-70 kyr. Although there are no dates for microliths in India as old as this yet, it is possible that the changefrom Acheulian to microliths did occur at that time and might be a signature of out of Africa II. The industry associated with the Youngest Toba Tephra at Jwalapuram in India, dated to 75 kyr is probably microlithic, although the number of artefacts are perhaps too small to be certain. This makes the contrast in the archaeology between India and SE Asia at this time all the more intriguing. Indian palaeolithic therefore can be seen as two phases, the early palaeolithic is “large flake Acheulian”, which is very similar to that in Africa but not very similar to that in Europe. This industry is as early in India as it is in Africa and it shows clear development and continuity until it is replaced by microlithic industries. These microlithic industries, in turn probably originated at >70 kyr and represent the presence of the first
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modern humans in the Indian sub-continent. Microlithic technology is continuous and is only replaced by iron around 3 kyr. This interpretation of the archaeological evidence is very compatable with two significant replacement events during human evolution—the first earlier hominids by Homo erectus/heidelbergensis and the second of archaics by modern humans. During the earlier period there is a close similarity in ecology, and archaeology between India and SE Asia, while in the later period both ecology and archaeology are contrasting.
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Why Were Modern Humans Such Successful Colonisers? The Archaeology Of The Niah Caves, Sarawak – Learning To Live In Rainforest
Professor Graeme Barker
Director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge For further information, see www.mcdonald.cam.ac.uk/projects
The Niah Caves on the coastal plain of Sarawak were the focus of major excavations by Tom and Barbara Harrisson in the 1950s and 1960s. What brought their work to international attention was their discovery of the skull of an anatomically-modern human dated by the (then) new radiocarbon method on charcoal fragments found nearby to about 40,000 years ago. The Harrissons also found evidence for the use of the cave in succeeding periods, making the Niah sequence as the longest and most important ‘archaeological history’ in Southeast Asia, but because the work was never fully published there have been debates ever since about the reliability of the results, especially regarding the antiquity of the Deep Skull.
Since 2000 Professor Graeme Barker has been coordinating a new investigation of the caves’
archaeology by a team of about 40 archaeologists and environmental scientists, from a dozen universities in Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and the USA as well as the UK. We have shown that modern humans started visiting the cave probably about 50,000 years ago, a date that means that the expansion of modern humans eastwards out of Africa must have been very rapid. The climate and environment of Borneo (at that time joined to mainland Southeast Asia by low sea levels) were different from today, but there were certainly rainforests, which archaeologists and anthropologists have suggested would have been difficult for modern humans to colonise. The Niah work, however, has revealed the sophistication of the methods used by the people using Niah to exploit the landscape they encountered around the cave, including rainforest. The kind of forward planning, resourcefulness, and ingenuity to cope with living in unfamiliar environments that is displayed by the modern humans at Niah must have been a key factor in the successful colonization of Eurasia and the Americas in the late Pleistocene following modern humans’ expansion out of Africa.
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Recent Developments In Austronesian Studies In Indonesia
Truman Simanjuntak National Research and Development Center for Archaeology
Center for Prehistoric and Austronesian Studies (CPAS)
Indonesia lies in a strategic position for revealing many issues relating to Austronesian-speaking people and their cultures. From the geographical point of view, Indonesia has potentially rich data, considering the vast area it covers and its location in the centre of the Austronesian diaspora. More than 60% of about 350 million Austronesian speakers live within this area with their varied cultures. The existence of non-Austronesians enclaves in Moluccas, Lesser Sunda and Papua is very important for understanding the interaction processes within the Austronesian group. These conditions make research on Austronesia very promising and intriguing: where did Austronesian speakers come from, which area was first inhabited by them, how did they spread and develop, why are the physical aspects of the speakers varied, etc., are several issues that still require unraveling.
In general, the Austonesian-speaking people emerged in Indonesia about 4,000 years ago. Its emergence, as shown by their neolithic cultural remains, was part of the Pan-Austronesian movement, which covers more than half the globe between Madagascar in its west tip and Easter Island, the Pacific in its east tip. The origin of the Austronesian-speaking people itself is still in debates. There are a number of places proposed as the origin (Continental Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Archipelago Southeast Asia, and so forth), but not a single one accepted unanimously. It is worth noticing that thus far Peter Bellwood’s “Out of Taiwan” theory, which is based on archaeological and linguistic data, is the most prominent theory amongst the others.
Austronesian studies developed rapidly during the last decade in Indonesia. Events like national dan international seminars and researches were carried out more intensely; likewise are publications of articles and books. Furthermore a non-government research institution – Center for Prehistoric and Austronesian Studies – was established for the advancement of the Austronesian studies.
In the field of research, the available archaeological data, which was supported by ethnographical data, portrays the life of prehistoric Austronesians in Indonesia. It is characterized by sedentary life, initiated by habitation in caves as the adaptation and interaction processes with the existed native Australomelanesid, followed by living in open spaces. Sedentary life was the trigger of a variety of changes in lifestyle. The time saved because they no longer travel much has allowed them to develop agriculture, domesticate animal, and make stone tool and adornment (adzes, axes, bracelets, etc.), pottery, and bark cloth. To remind, water navigation is one of the outstanding technologies mastered by the Austronesian-speaking people, which enable them to spread in a vast islands area in relatively short period of time.
So far, Sulawesi island gives more convinced data on the emergence and development of the Austronesian culture. Based on the site distribution, which is mostly situated in the western and northern parts, it seems that the peopling of this island was from the northern and western coasts (Sulawesi sea and Macassar strait) moving through rivers into the upland. In river bank settlements, they exploited natural resources (hunting, fishing, and food gathering) and developed lithic technology.
Based on the oldest neolithic sites, it seems that the early Austronesian-speaking people had occupied Sulawesi about 3600 BP or even older. The oldest date by AMS method on charcoal sample from Minanga Sipakko is 3446 ± 51 bp (cal. 3834-3572 BP) (Wk-14651). The occupation that occurred until 2570 ± 110 BP (P3G-1997) at this site showed the development of neolithic in 2 phases. The early occupation (c.3,500 BP – 3,000 BP), was characterized by the prominent presence of red slipped potteries, small bone points, and obsidian tiny flakes. In the late occupation (c. 3,000 BP – 2,500 BP), red slipped potteries and bone tools were no longer existed, substituted by decorated, low fired potteries, and ornaments from different materials. Lithic tools (especially stone adzes of different types) and animal remains (dominated by Sus celebensis) were presence throughout both phases.
The available dates of neolithic sites in Indonesia indicate so far that Sulawesi is the oldest habitation area for the Austronesian and gradually become younger eastward (the Moluccas and the Pacific), southward (Lesser Sunda Islands), and westward (Java, Sumatra). The similarities of certain neolithic cultural elements (pottery, lithic tools, etc.) with those from surrounding areas proved that this island linked to the regional prehistoric Austronesian dispersal. In other words, the emergence of the Austronesian culture in Sulawesi was a part of the regional-global Austronesian diaspora in prehistoric times.
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The lithic assemblages of the Tabon Cave, Palawan Philippines
M. Arzarello*, E. Dizon** & F. Détroit***
* Dipartimento di Biologia ed Evoluzione, Università degli Studi di Ferrara. [email protected] ** National Museum of the Philippines. [email protected]
*** Muséum national d’histoire naturelle de Paris. [email protected]
The Tabon Cave is located on the southwest coast of the Palawan Island. The site has been thoroughly studied during the 1960s by Robert Fox from the National Museum of the Philippines (Fox, 1970).
Human occupation layers have been identified in the cave over a period dated between about 30 500 and 9000 years BP (series of 14C datings on charcoals: Fox, 1970 and see Corny 2008 for the analysis of spatial repartition). Lithic industries recovered from these layers consist in abundant flake tools of various size and shape, mainly scrapers and sometimes denticulate scrapers. Fox proposed to name Tabonian this lithic assemblage, but some doubts have been raised regarding the specific characters of this assemblage, as compared to other insular Southeast Asian lithic industries from the same time period (Forestier, 1998). Faunal remains, including for instance Cervus sp. and Sus sp., are too scarce to depict precisely the faunal assemblage likely to be hunted by the Tabon cave dwellers during Upper Pleistocene times.
A series of new human remains attributed to Homo sapiens has been recovered during the 2000 excavations (Détroit et al., 2002 & 2004).
A new analysis of the lithic collections from Tabon cave was undertaken in 2005-2006 by Clyde Jago-on from the National Museum of the Philippines (Jago-on 2006) and in 2008 by an international research group from the Erasmus Mundus Consortia and the National Museum.
The lithic assemblage is characterized by the presence of numerous methods of debitage that attests a volumetric exploitation but also a surface exploitation.
The more exploited raw materials was principally Jasper and chert but the utilization of quartzite and limestone is also attested. The raw material was collected principally in secondary position and in the neighboring areas, but some exogenous contributions are also attested (Schmidt, 2008).
The lithic collections coming from the assemblage II and III (>22,000 B.P.; 23,000+/-1000; Fox, 1970) attest an almost complete reduction sequence for the major part of applied methods, and more particularly for the discoid method. Only few types of rather rare raw material do not show a complete reduction sequence and attest the importation of finished products in the site.
From a general point of view, the utilized pebbles were open in two parts and one part of the debitage was made in the éclat d’entame, and the other in the residual core.
The exploitation methods (fig. 1) were principally the centripetal (frequently on flake-cores), the discoid, the SSDA and the laminar method. This last method shows a clear volumetric exploitation but the technical flakes are very rare: the morphology of the core was playing a very important role because the prehistoric artisans were probably looking for an elongated morphology with natural convexities in order to start the debitage, without a longitudinal convexity preparation by a lame à crête.
The discoid method is very representative, and it is finalized to obtain triangular and quadrangular thick flakes that are sometimes retouched in side scrapers. The discoid debitage can be bifacial and unifacial depending on the morphology of the raw material.
The most representative method is the SSDA that attests different types of algorithms showing the utilization of 3 to 5 striking platforms orthogonal between them.
In conclusion, the Tabon Cave lithic collection, and more precisely the assemblages II and III, show a very important and diversified lithic production that can reflect an important human occupation and also an important differentiation of activities made in the site.
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Fig. 1: Tabon Cave - reduction sequences summary
BIBLIOGRAPHY
J. Corny (2008).Les restes humains de la grotte de Tabon (Palawan, Philippines. Rèpartition spatiale et ètude d’une collection d’ossements inédite) . Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Master thesis, 98 p.
F. Détroit, E. Dizon, (2002) New discoveries and new studies of Upper Pleistocene Homo sapiens from the Tabon cave (Palawan, the Philippines) (Abstract) in : 17th Congress of the IPPA. Session 2: Settling the Islands, Human settlement of the Indo-Pacific and Australasian islands in the Pleistocene, Taipei, Taiwan. Détroit, F., Dizon , E., Falguères, C., Hameau, S., Ronquillo, W., and Sémah, F. (2004). Upper Pleistocene Homo sapiens from the Tabon cave (Palawan, The Philippines): description and dating of new discoveries. Comptes Rendu PALEVOL 3, 705-712. H. Forestier (1998), Technologie et typologie de la pierre taillée de deux sites holocènes des Montagnes du Sud de Java (Indonésie), thèse, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France, 526 p. R. Fox (1970), The Tabon Caves, Monograph of the National Museum, Manila, 197 p. Jago-on, S. C. B. (2006). Analysis of the Lithic Materials Recovered During the 2000-2001 Archaeological Excavations of Tabon Caves, Palawan Island, Philippines. Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Master thesis, 66 p.
P. Schmidt (2008). Caractérisation et provenance géologique de la matière première en jaspe utilisée pour les débitages lithiques à Tabon Cave, Philippines. Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Master thesis.
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Characterization of sedimentation and pedogenetic dynamics in late lower and early middle Pleistocene layers in Sangiran, Java, Indonesia
Boris Brasseur
The Lower-Middle Pleistocene boundary is marked by severe palaeogeographical and climatic changes in Southeast Asia. The Sangiran dome, in the axial depression of the Java Island, recorded changes of sedimentation which occurred and a series of volcano-tectonic events linked to the activity of the inner volcanic Sunda arc. We report the preliminary results from a study of the sedimentary environments between ca. 1 and 0.7 M.a. that comprise the upper Pucangan (or Sangiran) layers, the transitional Grenzbank (boundary layers) and the famous Kabuh (or Bapang) beds known for abundance of Homo erectus fossils (and by places of associated occupation floors). The series reflects: (1) a folding event which affected, north and south of the depression, the Kendeng Hills and the Southern Mountains of Java and related to erosional processes on Sangiran dome. (2) the climatic and eustatic changes correlated with a faunal turnover and (3) an obvious change in the pace of the regional volcanic activity. Stratigraphic correlations, micro-facies study using MPol, environmental SEM, mineralogical and geochemical analyses are combined to characterize the well preserved paleosoils and their erosional products. The lower Kabuh sequences show: (a) at the bottom, high energy alluvium deposition alternating with hydromorphic clay paleosoils; (b) cut and fill floodplain with long term drying, occasional catastrophic high-energy flooding and incipient soil development; (c) an obvious increase in the intensity of the regional volcanic activity correlated to the abundance of coarse-textured deposits of andesites, carbonates nodules, hardened-clay gravels with displaced blocks of burnt soils and scattered archaeological materials suggests mass-flow following a burning-event. Such observations are related to (at least) regional important changes in environmental disruption and landscapes changes. The first islander’s remains are located in the stratigraphically lowest layers of sedimentary series described above.
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Towards a better understanding of the human behaviors of the early Holocene in South-east Asia:
shape study, experimentation and usewear analysis
Antony Borel [email protected]
PhD student, CNRS-UMR5198, Département de Préhistoire, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
PhD title: Shapes and functions of lithic artifacts of the end of the Pleistocene and the beginning of the Holocene in South-east Asia: a new contribution to the understanding of the human behaviors.
South-East Asia, where continent meets archipelagos, has undergone substantial paleo-bio-geographical changes during the Quaternary. The different sea level variations permitted the formation and the sinking of land bridges which implied diverse population waves. This variability makes this area particularly culturally rich but difficult to characterize especially concerning the lithic industries. Indeed, we didn’t find any facies which can show a geographical or chronological continuity.
The Song Terus cave, which has been chosen for this work, is located in the South-East of Java
(Indonesia), in the karstic area of the Gunung Sewu. Its stratigraphic sequence is divided in 3 stages (Keplek, Tabuhan and Terus), all of them concern periods which took place before Neolithic. The upper stage, Keplek, is related to Holocene. It has yielded an extensive lithic and bone industry as an AMH sepulture dated, by 14C technique, from 9 300 ± 90 years B.P.
The typo-technological studies
which have been carried out on this Holocene collection showed that those industries have no connection with already identified facies, like Hoabinhian, Toalian or Sampungian. This industry is characterized by flake abundance, simple reduction sequence, hard stone direct percussion and artifacts quite elongated, mostly cortical and with a thick section (Fig. 1). The assemblage contains hammerstones, cores, flakes and artifacts retouched as tools. It also revealed that some cores have probably been used as tools and that the artifacts with notches and those used in a raw state have a particular and significant status. Also, a large number of those pieces show fire traces.
Figure 1: Flint artifacts from the layer Keplek (Early Holocene) of Song Terus cave (South-east Java, Indonesia).
A morpho-funcional approach, including a detailed study of the shape of the artifacts and their use, is
of a great interest as complementary to those works to progress in the point of view of the characterization of those assemblages and the understanding of the relationship between human and lithic raw material which is so particular in this geographic area.
The morphological data have been gathered from 3 719 pieces and macroscopic observations have been carried out on 2 392 of them. A preliminary data processing permitted to give a broad outline of the characteristics of this collection and to find out some tendencies concerning the location and the morphology of the retouched edges.
It’s then in this framework that a series of experimentations have been carried out in Java. They have been realized with usewear analysis in mind in order to make out a set of references concerning the local materials which could have been accessible for the men of the early Holocene. The working raw material used was a local flint coming from the site of Ngrijangan (around 6 km from Song Terus) and quiet similar with the flint found in Song Terus cave. First, a set of flakes have been produced from 4 different blocs. To stay as close as possible to what could have done the prehistoric men of Song Terus, we manufactured flakes of similar characteristics with the archaeological ones. After having listed the local materials which would be interesting to work with, we decided on the objectives (Table 1).
Before starting the experimentation, a drawing of each of the stones and a silicon print of the selected rims have been done. Then, for each activity, one stone have been used until it became inefficient
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or until the objective was reached. Another one was used during half of the time of use of the first one in order to have two different steps of the usewear generating process.
The first usewear analysis test on archeological artifacts showed that some pieces have been used,
particularly to scrap graminae for one of them.
Activity Worked material Objective Action
Bamboo work
Small bamboo
Cross cut bamboo - transverse sawing Groove bamboo - sawing in the direction of the fibers Carve bamboo - scraping
Make holes - drilling Split bamboo - penetration by percussion Scrap bamboo - scraping
Big bamboo Notch bamboo - transverse sawing
Groove bamboo - sawing in the direction of the fibers Flatten bamboo - scraping
Coconut work
Coconut down Peal the coconut - sawing, scraping
Coconut Drink the coconut water - drilling
Saw the coconut in 2 pieces - sawing Hollow out the coconut to eat - scraping
Palm work
Palm trunk Notch the trunk - transverse sawing
Palm leaf Cut palm leaves - sawing
Remove the small leaves - sawing, scraping Scrap palm leaves - scraping
Acacia work Acacia branch
Cross cut the branch - transverse sawing Remove the bark - scraping Carve the branch - scraping forward
Create a hafting cone - drilling Pandanus work Pandanus leaf Cut leaves of Pandanus - sawing
Shell work Shell Remove a part of shell - sawing
Make a pendant - drilling
Carcass exploitation
Skin (+ meat and bones) Remove the skin - cutting
Meat and tendons (+ bones) Desarticulate - cutting, scraping
Meat (+bones) Emaciate - cutting, scraping
Meat Cut meat pieces - cutting
Bones
Clean the bones - scraping
Carve the bones - scraping
Groove the bones - sawing transverse
Make holes - drilling
Make an incision in the bones - sawing
Skin Clean the skin - scraping
Pierce the skin - sawing, drilling
Table 1: Activities and objectives of the experimentation carried out with local flint material at Song Terus (South-east Java,
Indonesia). Bibliography BYRN L., OLLÉ A. and VERGÈS J. M., 2006: Under the hammer: residues resulting from production and
microwear on experimental stone tools. Archaeometry, Vol. 48, n°4, pp.549-564. FADJAR K.S., 2006 : L’industrie osseuse de l’horizon Keplek holocène de la grotte de Song Terus, Punung,
Java est (Indonésie). Mémoire de MASTER européen d’Erasmus Mundus, spécialité «Quaternaire et Préhistoire». Paris, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, vendredi 16 juin 2006, 78 p.
FORESTIER H., 2000: De quelques chaînes opératoires lithiques en Asie du Sud-Est au Pléistocène supérieur final et au début de l'Holocène. L'Anthropologie, Vol. 104, pp. 531-548.
FORESTIER H., PATOLE-EDOUMBA E., 2000: Les industries lithiques du Paléolithique tardif et du début de l'Holocène en Insulinde. Aséanie, Vol. 6, p. 13-56.
KEELEY L. H., 1980: Experimentation determination of stone tool uses, a microwear analysis. Prehistoric archaeology and ecology series, 226 p.
SALA R., 1997: Formes d'us i criteris d'efectivitat en conjunts de mode 1 y mode 2. Anàlisi de les deformacions per us dels instruments litics del Plistocè inferior (TD6) i mitjà (TG11) de la Sierra de Atapuerca. Doctorat, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona.
SÉMAH F., SÉMAH A.-M., FALGUÈRES Ch., DÉTROIT F., GALLET X., HAMEAU S., MOIGNE A.-M., and SIMANJUNTAK T., 2004: The significance of the Punung karstic area (eastern Java) for the chronology of the Javanese Palaeolithic, with special reference to the Song Terus cave. Modern Quaternary Research in South-East Asia, Vol. 18, pp. 45-62.
OLLÉ A., 2003: Variabilitat i patrons functionals en els sistemes tècnics de mode 2. Anàlisi de les deformacions d'ús en els conjunts lítics del riparo esterno de grotta paglicci (rignano garganico, foggia), áridos (arganda, madrid) i galería-tn (sierra de atapuerca, burgos). Thesis Doctoral. Tarragona, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Facultat de lletres, departamento d’història i geografía, February 2003, 289 p.
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Palaeobotanical and palaeoclimatic perspectives in South Pacific islands, relationships with the Southeast Asian records
Anne-Marie Sémah
Le climat du passé et les environnements qui y sont liés, sont naturellement intervenus dans les migrations successives des hominidés anciens et le choix de leur mode de vie.
Durant le Pliocène supérieur et le Pléistocène inférieur, les conditions environnementales étaient hostiles, forêt tropicale humide, mangroves, marécages et volcanisme actif.
Les Homo erectus les plus anciens que l’on y retrouve (Sg 31, Sg 6a..), n’ont pu arriver jusqu’à Java que durant une période glaciaire (ponts terrestres). Sont ils arrivés vers 2 My BP, avec la faune la plus ancienne (Bumiayu), ou ne sont ils arrivés que vers 1.5 My ? La sortie d’Afrique, estimée à ce jour à 1.8 My, irait dans le sens de la seconde hypothèse. Pourtant, la forme très archaïque des plus anciens Homo erectus de Java, conviendrait à la première hypothèse. Arrivés alors à l’ouest de Java, ils auraient rejoint la partie centrale (Sangiran) à l’occasion du recul de la mer.
La forme dite classique du second groupe d’Homo erectus, a vécu dans un environnement ouvert, jusqu’à une forme de savane.
Les données paléoenvironnementales, en botanique, montrent que le Pléistocène supérieur a lui aussi connu des conditions climatiques sèches et plus fraîches que de nos jours. C’est au cours de l’Holocène que l’amélioration climatique a vu l’expansion des Homo sapiens. Ce changement climatique peut il expliquer la disparition des Homo erectus et la venue d’Homo sapiens ?
Il ne faut pas exclure les nombreuses possibilités de migrations de et vers le continent asiatique, qui ont pu avoir lieu à l’occasion de chaque glaciation importante.
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Seminar “Microscopic use-wear analysis”
Alfred F. Pawlik University of the Philippines
Traditional analysis of lithic assemblages used Typology mainly as an instrument for their chronological and regional classification. The presence of apparently characteristic and recognisable “tool types” in stratified layers of different archaeological sites helped to link these sites and their stratigraphy to cultural units, and consequently to define prehistoric periods. On the other hand, Typology responded to the question of tool use with a very subjective view from a far distance in time rather than to recognize the actual intention of the prehistoric tool makers and tool users. Furthermore, typologists simply disregarded a wide range of artefacts not belonging to a type category. Amorphous assemblages with few or absent types remained ambiguous.
Lithic Technology as method succeeding Typology is as well focussing mainly on the morphological features of lithic artefacts in order to receive information about their raw material procurement, manufacturing and curation, the so-called “chaîne operatoire”. However, a closer look into the function of lithic artefacts as the actual reason for their production is not a prime target of Lithic Technology. It thus seems to be rather a complement to Typology than a new approach for understanding stone tools.
A somewhat more realistic characterization of stone tools should reflect their actual uses and purposes. This is the field of microscopic use-wear analysis. Investigating wear features on artefact surfaces by using optical light microscopy, microprobes and scanning electron microscopy, microwear analysis is the instrument for the functional interpretation of lithic artefacts. With it, we can identify if and how those artefacts were used. It does neither require Typology nor Lithic Technology to function, although the microwear analyst needs to be acquainted with those methods.
If we consider the question for the missing types in Southeast Asia’s Palaeolithic assemblages a typological problem, then perhaps it could be solved through the functional approach. In this case, a “New Typology” would be based on use-wear analysis. Not only would we be able to receive information about the use of artefacts in general, but also identify “tool-function types”, even in assemblages where “typological types” are few or missing. Such seemingly simple or “primitive” lithic assemblages would then hopefully receive more attention and consequently deliver more information to the prehistoric life, technology and subsistence of their makers and users. Address:
Prof. Dr. Alfred F. Pawlik Lithic Studies Laboratory Archaeological Studies Program University of the Philippines Palma Hall Basement Quezon City 1101 Philippines [email protected] www.upd.edu.ph/~asp
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Students’ presentations abstracts
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Subsistence means of the first islanders, positive and/or negative impact on vegetal Environment
Manon Galland et Ibrahim Nassrallah
During late Holocene, Homo sapiens expanded into new territories namely in South-East Asia where many groups colonized new islands (Sumatra, New Caledonia, Indonesia). Archeological data, stratigraphic analysis, radiocarbon dating, charcoal analysis and pollen diagrams are used to reveal the subsistence means of the first islanders and eventually to highlight the impact on the environment. However, conclusive results are almost impossible since the environmental alteration can be provoked as much by man as by climatic change which is quite frequent throughout the Holocene.
These changes might be hard to interpret; however, the settlement of modern man is accompanied by drastic changes in the vegetation, the decrease of some taxa from pollen registers, but the biodiversity is not truly affected.
The following articles aim at reconstructing and following the evolution of the local environment of three different sites colonized and affected by modern man as well as the effect of climatic change during the entire Holocene era.
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The first lithic industries of Flores Island, debate and implications
Alexandre Amans et Benjamin Pagès
L’île de Flores se situe dans l’archipel Indonésien, à l’est des îles de Java et de Bali. Homo florensiensis, retrouvé en 2003 et daté dans une couche à 12 ka (la puissance stratigraphique permet de remonter jusque 80 ka), a renouvelé les problématiques paléoanthropologique et culturelle de la région. La grotte de Liang Bua, qui a donné l’holotype de ce nouvel homininé (LB1), a aussi livré des artefacts lithiques. La chaîne opératoire établie lors de l’étude de ces restes, se rapproche de celle mise en avant sur le site de Mata Menge, daté de 880-800 ka et distant d’une cinquantaine de kilomètres à peine, mais exempt de restes humains : l’utilisation d’une matière première en roches volcaniques locales, d’un débitage bifacial et centripète, la taille des éclats produits…
Au regard de la faune (endémique ou continentale), nous pouvons discuter de la cohérence du matériel retrouvé, et de son calage chronologique dans son contexte environnemental. Les rapports stratigraphiques des séquences, entre deux gisements si éloignés dans le temps, ainsi que les méthodes de datation utilisées, seront soulignés.
Enfin, notons l’importance ténue des restes archéologiques lithiques sur lesquelles repose l’étude comparative (à peine 500 pièces pour Mata Menge), et l’absence sur le site le plus ancien de restes d’homininé, qui invitent à s’interroger sur les méthodes utilisées pour autoriser la comparaison de ces gisements.
Peut-on définir un techno-complexe concernant les industries anciennes au regard de la conservation différentielle due à la taphonomie des assemblages, de leur contexte et de leur datation ? Peut-on établir une continuité reposant sur la technologie entre des industries très anciennes et plus récentes et mieux connues de l’île, qui sous-tend in fine une continuité anthropologique et une survivance culturelle sur une telle période?
Ces interrogations sur le matériel et les méthodes seront mises en avant.
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Hoabinhian: Equipment and lifestyle
Anna Iliana Casini, Aude Favereau, Sachipan Srikanlaya The term Hoabinhian (Vietnamese: Văn hóa Hòa Bình) was first used by French archaeologists
working in Northern Vietnam to describe Holocene period archaeological assemblages excavated from rock shelters. It has become a common term to describe stone artefact assemblages in Southeast Asia that contain flaked, cobble artefacts. The term was originally used to refer to a specific ethnic group, restricted to a limited time period with a distinctive subsistence economy and technology. More recent work uses this term to refer to artefacts and assemblages with certain formal characteristics.
Most Hoabinhian sites are identified simply by the presence of “Sumatraliths”, oval to rectangular
shaped stone artefacts made by unifacial flaking around the circumference of a half cobble (obtained by splitting or flaking). Besides this typical tool, the Hoabinhian is characterised by tools often worked only on one face, by hammer-stones, implements of sub-triangular section, discs, short axes and almond shaped artefacts with an appreciable number of bone tools. The chronology of Hoabinhian artefacts was first assumed to be Holocene (from 11800 to 4000 BP) because of the present fauna found in the assemblages and the absence of extinct fauna but further excavations in Northern Vietnam shows that it started during the Late Pleistocene (around 22000 BP). The hunting, fishing and collecting patterns reflect in the faunal and botanical components of Hoabinhian sites. Deposits are rich with molluscan and mammalian fossils, sites usually refer to a large shell midden, and plant remains are good indicators for the climate at this time.
Since the term was first used to describe assemblages from sites in Vietnam, many sites throughout
mainland and island Southeast Asia have also been described as having Hoabinhian components. The apparent concentration of more than 120 Hoabinhian sites in Vietnam reflects intense research activities in this area rather the location of a centre of the prehistoric Hoabinhian activity. Archaeological sites in Sumatra, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia have been identified as Hoabinhian, although the quality and quantity of descriptions vary and the relative significance of the Hoabinhian component at these sites can be difficult to determine. Beyond this core area some archaeologists argue that there are isolated inventories of stone artefacts displaying Hoabinhian elements in Nepal, South China, Taiwan and Australia.
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Comparison of two analytic approaches in the frame of tephrostratigraphic studies of hominid fossils sites
Alik Huseynov et Alice Leplongeon
Koobi Fora Formations (northern Kenya) and Shungura formations (southern Ethiopia) both lie in the Lake Turkana Basin (East Africa) studied by an american team, and Sangiran Formations (central Java, Indonesia) studied by a japanese team are Quaternary hominid-bearing sites. These sites are characterised by volcanic ash deposits, which are an excellent tool to replace the fossils into their chronological context. The main purpose of both studies is to determine relative and absolute ages of fossiliferous layers by tephrostratigraphic studies. In this order, several methods have been used. The american team has chosen electron microprobe analysis and X-Ray fluorescence on glass of pumice. Indeed, because of reworked ash deposits (and abrasion in particular), glass shards of tuffs are not homogeneous and so, cannot be studied, on the contrary of pumice. In the case of Sangiran area, petrographic analyses, like the use of lithofacies, mineral assemblage and refractive index of phenocrysts and glass, to determine the minor elements contained in glass of some samples, have been preferred by the japanese team. These methods are at little use in case of african sites because of tuffs' erosion which make minerals not easily recognisable. Wondering if Sangiran Formations are reworked, if so, american techniques could be appropriate to use, as it seen in african sites. However, both works have helped toward understanding better the tephrostratigraphy of the sites and in case of african sites, toward establishing correlations between tuffs, probably producted during the same eruption.
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La variabilité de l’os temporal chez l’Homo erectus en Asie
Fatma Zohra Khaled et Ma Chunping
L’os temporal est utilisé fréquemment pour identifier les affinités taxinomiques chez le genre Homo.
Une analyse morphologique et quantitative transversale chez des fossiles asiatiques attribués à Homo erectus, des Néandertaliens et des Hommes anatomiquement modernes est faite dans le but d’argumenter les causes et modalités de la pneumatisation de l’os temporal chez ces Hominidés. L’objet de cette étude c’est de décrire la disposition et l’extension de la pneumatization de l’os temporal. Pour étudier la morphologie de l’os temporal, on utilise le système de 3D (cette méthode est utilisée pour ne pas abimer le crane qui est en général minéralisé) On prend des dimensions pour calculer le volume de l’os temporal ( X,Y,Z ) de chaque individu. X : l’extension maximale de la pneumatisation dans l’orientation coronale. Y : l’extension maximale antero-postéro dans l’orientation parasagitale. Z : l’extension maximale dans l’orientation verticale. Une fois on a prit les mesures, on utilise le logiciel Past 1-40 Software pour enregistrer les données et afficher les résultats. L’évolution de cette pneumatisation est très complexe : l’extension et la répartition de la pneumatisation sont particulières chez les fossiles de Zhoukoudian car ils présentent certaines spécifitées morphologiques des partie nasales de la voute crânienne. Les fossiles de Ngandang, Sambabungmacan et les Néandertaliens se rapproche avec les Hommes anatomiquement modernes. Pour les Néandertaliens ; très peu de données sont disponibles au sujet de la pneumatisation de cette région anatomique. Après une étude de comparaison sur plusieurs échantillons Néandertaliens, comprenant de nombreux spécimens d’âge individuel et chronologique différents. Les résultats d’étude montrent qu’il existe chez les Néandertaliens un modèle adulte de distribution de la pneumatisation de l’os temporal, qui est très majoritairement localisé dans la région Pétro-mastoïdienne. Aucune propagation des cellules pneumatiques n’a été observée dans les parties squameuses et tympaniques de l’os temporal ou en arrière du processus mastoïdien. Les implications phylétiques des caractéristiques de cette pneumatisation restent limitées parce que les variations peuvent être importantes au sein d’une même espèce. Le développement des cellules pneumatiques de l’os temporal n’a pas d’implication fonctionnelle et que ce phénomène est lié à l’espace disponible à la morphologie et la position relative des lobes cérébraux et des structures osseuses.
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Meat eating in human evolution and its impacts in carnivore guilds
Marie Pousset et Chidi Nwokeji
Our presentation is about meat eating in human evolution and its impacts in carnivore guilds. It relies on two articles presenting two different methods and approaches of the evolution of these guilds during Pleistocene, namely: C. Hertler, R. Vollmer, “Assessing prey competition in fossil carnivore communities – a scenario for prey competition and its evolutionary consequences for tigers in Pleistocene Java“ and M.E. Lewis, L. Werdelin, “Patterns of change in the Plio-Pleistocene carnivorans of eastern Africa.”
In a first time, we will detail the materials and the different methods of both articles. Thus we will insist on the interest of each study leaded in two geographical areas but covering a –approximately- same period of time and almost the evolution of hominids on at least two taxons: Homo erectus and Homo sapiens. Then we will describe the two different methods, both relied on carnivores body mass. The first article shows origination and extinction rates as well as species richness of eastern African carnivores during the last 4,5 million years; the other exposes a quantitative 'competition index' which illustrates, using pairwise comparisons, to which degree a species competes with another species over prey.
On a second time, we will present the results and the discussions about the “eastern African” article whose subject is totally directed in a hominid evolutionary way. Thus we will describe the big peaks and drops of eastern Africa carnivores species richness evolution, and the possible explanations of these shifts. We will briefly draw the painting of encounters between traditional carnivores and humans; and we will deduce the place that hominids could take in this scheme of carnivores guilds evolution according to their own evolution.
Finally we will study the second article where tigers and their body mass shifts are used as a vital lead, and are explained by the hypothetical presence of an important prey competition. Thus we will see what kind of carnivores could lead tigers to increase their body mass. And even if this article does not clearly mention a hominid impact, we will open on these questionings: can we imagine a similar pattern in Eastern Africa than in Java? Has the dietary human evolution impacted the carnivore guilds?
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Contribution to The Characterization of The Upper Terus Occupation Layer (Song Terus Cave, East Java, Indonesia)
by The Study of The Sedimentary Matrix Context
Mohammad Ruly Fauzi
Terus Layer is one of the cultural layers found in Song Terus Site, East Java Indonesia. This site located in a wide karstic area called Thousand Mountains, which is administratively belongs to East Java, Center Java and Yogyakarta province. Song Terus Site is became a part of intensive research conduct by Centre of Archaeological Research and Development Jakarta together with MNHN Paris since 1994 until present time. Song Terus site give us information about at least three stages of cultural sequences. The first stage is Terus Culture, continues with Tabuhan Culture and the youngest one Keplek Culture, which arbitrary divided by the characterization of its findings. Terus Layer is the oldest cultural layer found in the cave on this area (Simanjuntak, 2004; Sémah et al. 2004). The main problem is the matrix of this cultural layer which is generally consist of sandy clay or even sequences with black river sand which showing us that Song Terus cave was a river by this period. This condition also showed by large amount of rolled stone artifacts occurs in this layer. The Terus layer can be found at more than 390 cm deep and continue until 500 cm deep on the regular excavation square. From the test pit, we can see that large amount of archaeological finds in this layer is still occurs until 800 cm deep (Sémah et al. 2004). The recent absolute dating result by using U/Th method from stalagmites found in the upper Terus layer is closely to 80-120.000 BP (according to personal communication with Prof. DR. François Sémah). Large amount of fresh and rolled artifacts occur in this layer. Those kinds of artifacts indicate two conditions, which is very different one and another. Rolled artifacts give us information about the natural transformation process by means of running water (see Goodyear, 1971). In the other way, fresh artifacts found in this layer showing us that these artifacts deposited in primary context. Fresh artifacts found in primary context will show the possibility for us to found the oldest cave occupation floor in Thousand Mountain area, East Java. A deep surveys and quantification to all of the fresh artifacts such as stone artifacts, macrofauna bones with the alteration caused by human activity, and burnt limestone found in Terus layer showing a possibility to find occupation floor located on the upper part of Terus layer. Those archaeological finds indicates human activity on the spot, exclusively the fresh stone artifacts and alterated macrofauna bones. This conclusion is also support with microenvironment variable such as microfauna bones and stalagmites that can be found in the upper part of Terus layer. Microfauna bones which have a small size and very light weight can be an indicator for the dry cave deposit because it’s physical characteristics makes it can be easily washed out by streaming water. The large amount of microfauna bones occur in this layer indicates that there is no water stream flooded on the cave floor. Stalagmites also indicate that there is no disturbance by water stream when calcite deposition process on the floor of the cave occurs. Those findings indicate that the cave floor was dry and can be a comfortable place for human to do their activity. With a holistic quantification and contextual approach applied to all of the remains which found in fresh condition lead us to the conclusion that the upper Terus layer is a proof of the oldest human occupation floor in Thousand Mountain area. Association within indicators of human activity on the spot and dry cave deposit lead to the conclusion that prehistoric man was already use Song Terus cave as a location for some of their activity by this period. In spite of this conclusion, further research to those archaeological findings towards the characterization of cultural deposition process in this layer is still strongly needed.
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Archaeological Research Of Kendenglembu Site, East Java, Indonesia
Sofwan Noerwidi
The surface survey activity was funding by Balai Arkeologi Yogyakarta and the excavation work by Anthony Granucci Fund via Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association lead by Peter Bellwood.
Introduction
Java Island is the densest island in the Indonesian Archipelago. From genetic and linguistic perspective, presently in majority Java Island is occupied by Mongoloid gene affiliation people, who speak Austronesian language. But, reconstruction of the colonization process of Java Island by those people is still a mystery case. At present, the most widely accepted explanation for the dispersal of Austronesian speaking people is Blust-Bellwood model build by composite of historical linguistic comparison and archaeological data. Their theory called as Out of Taiwan or Express Train from Taiwan to Polynesia, proposes Austronesian expansion from Taiwan about 5.000 BP to Island of Southeast Asia via Filipina, Island of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, which is rapidly spread just in one millennium. Before that time, Taiwan colonized by a group of agriculture population from South Cina via Peng Hu Island (Pescadores) about 6.000 BP caused by demographic pressure (Tanudirjo, 2006: 87).
From linguistic perspectives, Robert Blust (1984/1985) argued that there are Java-Bali-Sasak language group which have closed connection with Malayo-Chamic language and Barito language in South Borneo (including Madagascar). He has hypotheses, that language has been spoken in Southeast Kalimantan approximately in 1000-1500 BC. That separated process of the language was took place around 800-1000 BC. From archaeological evidence, “package” of material culture which is associated with distribution of early Austronesian community from Taiwan such as; millet agriculture, domestication of dog and pig, pottery with red slipped decoration, stamped, incised, and cord marked pottery, spindle whorls of baked clay, rectangular polished stone adze, artifact from slate (point) also nephrite (accessories), bark beater stone, and notched net sinker stone. Several of these categories, especially red slipped pottery moved into eastern Indonesia entering Oceania in form of Lapita cultural complex (3.350-2.800 BP) (see Bellwood, 2002: 313 and 2006: 68). However, that archaeological evidence which can test Blust’s linguistic hypothesis is very rare found in Java, therefore causes reconstruction of the process of early Neolithic colonization of Java Island by Austronesia speaking people is still be a mystery case.
A number of Neolithic habitation sites was found in Indonesia, and several of those have conducted an intensive research, such as; Tipar Ponjen, Purbalingga (1.180-870 BP), Nangabalang, West Kalimantan (2.871 BP), Minanga Sipakko, West Sulawesi (2.570 BP) and Punung, Pacitan (2.100-1.100 BP) (Simanjuntak, 2001). However, there are only Kendenglembu site which is one of only two (just found) pure Neolithic habitation site in Indonesia based of chronology (not tradition) determination. The other similar are sites along Karama River, Kalumpang in West Sulawesi, started from Tasiu, Sikendeng and Lattibung in downstream until Minanga Sipakko, Kamassi and Tambing-tambing above (see Simanjuntak 2006). Significance development of Kalumpang research makes necessary to doing also a systematic research on Kendenglembu site was hypotheses as early Austronesian habitation site in Jawa, as ancestral or Javanese people in this Island. This research is aim to understanding early Austronesian colonization and Neolithic culture in Java, with special reference from Kendenglembu and Kalitajem site.
Former Research
The first Neolithic dwelling settlement discovered in Java is Kendenglembu site, reported by W. van Wijland and J. Bruumun in 1936. This site is located in a Rubber Estate in Karangharjo Village, lying south of Glenmore half-way between Jember and Banyuwangi. H.R. van Heekeren started systematic excavation in 1941, but after a few days he had to stop the work when the Japanese invasions of the Pacific in World War II. Unfortunately, artifacts and field notes from his research ware destroyed during the Japanese occupation of Java (Heekeren, 1972: 173).
The second research was lead by R.P. Soejono from the Prehistory Department of the National Archaeological Institute of Indonesia in January 15 to February 4, 1969. Based from this research, there are two main cultural layers in Kendenglembu site, namely Historic period for upper layer and Neolithic period for the lower layer. The Historic period contained remains of bronze coin (kepeng), sherds of wheel made pottery, fragments of brick, and fragments of porcelain. The Neolithic materials including several polished adzes, a fair amount of Neolithic plank, pounding stone, grinding and polishing stone, stone anvils, a large number of chips and flakes, some particular shape flake and blade implements, and sherds of coarse red burnished pottery (Heekeren, 1972: 175-179, Soejono, 1984: 176). However, absolute dating does not yet support interpretation about the chronology of this site occupation. So far, Soejono reported the stone adze
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were all of the four cornered (rectangular type), the pottery was simple and utilitarian, but the result are not yet fully work out (Heekeren, 1972: 184).
The letter researches in Kendenglembu site lead by Goenadi Nitihaminoto from the Archaeological Office of Yogyakarta into two phase of research in February 19 - 28, 1986 (first phase) and continued in October 1 - 13, 1986 (second phase). The same with Soejono’s research, Nitihaminoto found two cultural layers in Kendenglembu site, there are Historic layer and Neolithic layer. This two phase research produces many same artifacts with the former research. Besides that, this research has not yet produced absolute dating about chronology of site occupation, which is the same to the first research. In Sector XIX (in the top of hill), they found the most complete data with high density. Horizontally, distribution of the artifact indicated the north-east direction from Sector XIX is the centre of ancient activity. Based on local resident’s information, Nitihaminoto also carried out a survey in Kalitajem site, located about 3 kilometers southwest of Kendenglembu site. In this survey, he found several plank, chips and sherds of coarse pottery above land surface (Tim Ekskavasi, 1986/1987: 7). After more than two decades, there has never been any systematic research conducted in Kendenglembu and Kalitajem site, until now.
Environmental Condition
Geographically (see Sunarto, 1987), Kendenglembu located on southern slope of Mount Raung (3332 m). This site located at S 8° 21’ 37.6” and E 114° 01’ 20.7” on elevation 203 m above sea level. Average temperature of this location is 25° Celsius and average annual rain fall is 2507 mm with arid month is 62 mm. Climate type based from Koppen system is Af means tropical rain forest with wet and moisture condition. Environment condition of Kendenglembu is influence by volcanic activity. Volcanic structure located on the north of site that is Mount Raung, and intrusive structure located on surrounding area that is Mountain Merawan. Lithology of mountain circumference that site is old andesite formation (Miocene) and hornblende granite intrusive. There are three types soil on Kendenglembu site are alluvial soil near river side, regosol soil originally come from tuff and latosol soil from lava located above the terrace sediment. Landform of Kendenglembu site is fluvio-volcanic fan by characteristic of volcanic lithology especially lava and tuff material with high porosity and permeability. Land use of surrounding area dominates for rubber and cacao plantation. Another minority land use for rice field, dry field, village and factory.
Survey
Surface survey in Kendenglembu and Kalitajem site was conducted to search the most potential area for opening the excavation box. Surface finding show the most strategic location to open test pit in the sector of Kendenglembu are on the top of a little hill near van Heekeren and Soejono location and the flat of southern slope of Gunung Kambang Hill. For the sector of Kalitajem, the most strategic location is on the top of hill and the eastern slope of that hill. We select three locations to open three test pits at the sector of Kendenglembu (KDL) and we choose top of the hill to located one test pit at sector of Kalitajem (RJS) (Noerwidi, 2008a).
Besides of that, surface survey was also conducted surround Kendenglembu and Kalitajem site in order to seek other potential Neolithic sites for further research. Surface survey also covers all of area along the main stream of Kali Baru River, from Kendenglembu Basin (Sub-district of Glenmore) until downstream of the river at coastal area of Indian Ocean (Sub-district of Siliragung). At least, we found 19 sites along Kali Baru River which have different character, from pre-Neolithic until historic phase. There are 6 sites positively indicated Neolithic habitation and workshop sites, including 4 quarry locations of sources raw material for green-grey silicified clay stone artifact and 3 other sites not yet clear (Noerwidi, 2008b).
Result of this surface survey (see Noerwidi, 2008b), the spatial distribution of Neolithic site along the main stream of Kali Baru River located on two different geographic cluster, they are “cluster of Kendenglembu Basin” and “cluster of coastal area”. Accessibility of both cluster connected by Kali Baru River, which beginning at Mount Raung and down to Indian Ocean at southern coast of Java. The sites on “cluster of Kendenglembu Basin” are:
1. Pagergunung 2. Treblasala-Rejosari 1 3. Panuwunmukti 4. Kampung Anyar 5. Sukobumi 6. Sukobumi Kampung
The sites on “cluster of coastal area” are: 1. Senepolor 2. Seneposari 3. Seneposepi 4. Tanggul Arum 5. Manyarejo
Excavation
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We have excavated 4 sectors on Kendenglembu site, there are; 3 of Test Pit in Afdelling Besaran (sector of Kendenglembu) and 1 test pit in Afdelling Rejosari (Kalitajem). The TP I of Kendenglembu (KDL) located on the top of a little hill, near Van Heekeren and R.P Soejono location. We found the same archaeological character with their research result in this box. Evidence of Neolithic settlement also produced from this sector. The TP II KDL opened on the flat slope of Gunung Kambang Hill. We found indication of stone artifact workshop activity in this sector. The TP III KDL located between TP I and TP II on a flat hill. In this sector we found only historic layer, without prehistoric layer. And the TP I of Rejosari (RJS) opened on the top of a hill near the border of Kendenglembu Estate and Treblasala Estate. In this sector we found only prehistoric layer, without historic layer (Noerwidi, 2008a).
The Historic layer contained sherds of wheel made pottery (Majapahit type), terracotta, and fragments of iron. The Neolithic artifacts are including a large number of debris, chips and flakes, some core, flake and blade implements, and sherds of coarse red slipped pottery. From the excavation result, we found an indication about spatial arrangement by Neolithic people in Kendenglembu site. Artifacts which are produce by TP I KDL represented of habitation mark such as a village. In the other hand, TP II KDL represented of workshop activity. The nearest location of raw material sources for green-grey silicified clay stone artifact located in the Sawojajar River at Kampung Anyar, about 1.5 Km north of Kendenglembu site (Noerwidi, 2008a).
We collect three samples dating from Neolithic layer of Kendenglembu, Historic layer of Kendenglembu and Neolithic layer of Rejosari. We send those samples to Greg Hodgins at the University of Arizona, USA and the dating will be finished in the late of January 2009. Sediment analysis of Starch and Phytolith is in progress doing by Dr. Mahirta from Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, for answer the question about early millet agriculture in Java.
Austronesian Colonization in Kendenglembu Site
Where did they come from? From linguistic evidence, (see Blust, 1985) proposed that there are Javanese language sub-group comes from Southeast Kalimantan at downstream of Barito River approx. in 1000-1500 BC. That separated process of those people was took place around 800-1000 BC. The nearest place from Southeast Kalimantan is northern coast of Java and Madura Island. Austronesian people cannot pass north coast of Java to reach Kendenglembu, because of natural barrier there is volcanic chain (Mount Raung). They must turn right around from Java sea via Bali strait and then landing at downstream of Kali Baru River at eastern south coast of Java. Austronesian people colonized interior Java by “string of pearl model”, from coastal area of Indian Ocean until Kendenglembu Basin through along Kali Baru River. This case was similar to Austronesian colonization of West Sulawesi through Karama River, from Tasiu, Sikendeng and Lattibung at coastal area until Minanga Sipakko, Kamassi and Tambing-tambing at upper course (see Simanjuntak, 2006). Maybe there is no direct Austronesian migration come from southeast Kalimantan into north coast Java, because it is a complicated process.
Why they choose to colonize Kendenglembu and several locations near Kali Baru River Basin? From geographic perspective (Sunarto, 1987), Kendenglembu site located on a little hill with extreme low relief type (5 m), slope modus of gently sloping (6%-12%), near of water sources (river, seepage and spring) and location of raw material sources. Landform of site is fluvio-volcanic fan by characteristic of volcanic lithology especially lava and tuff material with high porosity and permeability, also stable and fertile. Based from these geographic conditions, Kendenglembu and Kali Baru River Basin are a strategic and comfortable place for human occupation.
Where did they move furthermore? Several possibilities are; when Austronesian people try to sail periphery of Indian Ocean, maybe they will also effort to explore coastal land along southern Java Island. A lot of habitation sites come from proto-historic period (2000 BP) found along southern coast of Java starting by Jatiagung and Panggulmlati (Jember) in the east, Meleman and Tempursari (Lumajang), Panggul (Trenggalek), Krakal (Gunung Kidul), Gunungwingko (Bantul), Wingkosigromulyo (Purworejo, until Ayamputih (Kebumen) in the west (Nitihaminoto, 2004). Then, when they already to sail across open ocean, maybe they will sail across Indian Ocean into several island on the Indian Ocean, such as; Northern Territory of Australia, Christmas Island, etc until eastern coast of Africa and Madagascar. It is a long journey, to test these hypotheses are need an intensive and comprehensive inter regional research on the future.
Implication
Based from significance result of this research, we would to continue of the research at Kendenglembu and its surrounding area. Systematic excavation should conduct at new discovered sites which very closed and in danger by development of southern side road of Java, such as Pagergunung site and Treblasala-Rejosari 1 site. Surface survey activities still require to covers all Neolithic site lateral distribution along Kali Baru River. The further survey should conduct on the river fork of Kali Baru River, such as; Kali Tengah River, Kali Lele River, Kali Senepo River and another old river near Kali Baru River, such as Lembu River dan Karangtambak River.
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Reference Bellwood, Peter 2000 Prasejarah Kepulauan Indo-Malaysia, Edisi revisi, Jakarta: PT. Gramedia Pustaka Utama.
2006 “The Early Movement of Austronesian-speaking-peoples in the Indonesian Region”, dalam Truman Simanjuntak, dkk. ed, Austronesian Diaspora and the Ethnogeneses of People in Indonesian Archipelago, Jakarta: LIPI Press. hlm. 61-82.
Blust, Robert 1984/1985 “The Austronesian Homeland: A Lingustic Perspective”, Asian Perspectives No. 26 (1),
pp. 45-68. Heekeren, H.R. van 1972 “The Stone Age of Indonesia”, Verhandelingen van het Koninklijk Instituut voor Tall-,
Land-, en Volkenkunde, 61, Revised Edition, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff Nitihaminoto, Goenadi 2004 “Desa-desa Kuno Pantai Selatan Jawa”, Berkala Arkeologi Tahun XXIV Edisi No.1/Mei,
Yogyakarta: Balai Arkeologi Noerwidi, Sofwan 2008a “Report of Archaeological Research on Kendenglembu Site, East Java”, Report for Anthony
Granucci Fund and Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association, Unpublished 2008b “Distribusi Spasial Situs-situs Neolitik di Sepanjang Aliran Sungai Kali Baru, Kab.
Banyuwangi, Jawa Timur”, Laporan Penelitian Arkeologi, Yogyakarta: Balai Arkeologi (In Prep)
Simanjuntak, Truman 2001 Gunung Sewu in Prehistoric Times, Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press. 2006 “Advance of Research on the Austronesian in Sulawesi”, Truman Simanjuntak, dkk. ed,
Austronesian Diaspora and the Ethnogeneses of People in Indonesian Archipelago, Jakarta: LIPI Press. pp. 223-231.
Soejono, R.P 1984 Sejarah Nasional Indonesia I, Jakarta: Balai Pustaka Sunarto 1987 Penelitian Geomorfolgi pada Situs Arkeologi Kendenglembu, Jawa Timur, Yogyakarta:
Fakultas Geografi, Universitas Gadjah Mada Tanudirjo, Daud Aris 2006 ”The Dispersal of Austronesian-speaking-people and the Ethnogenesis Indonesian People”
dalam Truman Simanjuntak, dkk. ed, Austronesian Diaspora and the Ethnogeneses of People in Indonesian Archipelago, Jakarta: LIPI Press. pp. 83 - 98.
Tim Ekskavasi 1986/1987 Laporan Kerja Ekskavasi Kendenglembu II, Yogyakarta: Balai Arkeologi Yogyakarta
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Use of stone tools in tropical environment: experimental use-wear in the Philippines
Hermine Xhauflair
What the lithic artefacts have been used for? Use-wear analyses try to answer to this question for a few tens years. During my mobility in the Philippines, I began to make a referent of the micro traces produced by tool using on contact materials specific of this tropical region.
After producing stone tools by knapping chert, experiments have been conducted at University of the Philippines, some of them in collaboration with other students in the context of interdisciplinary projects. I chose a part of the contact materials according to archaeological remains, thus known to have been worked by Humans during the Pleistocene or the Holocene. Other ones have been selected because of their current use among native populations which allow us to think that they have also possibly been utilized during prehistoric times.
The experimental tools have then been analysed with stereomicroscope and reflected light microscope. The results are satisfying, showing different patterns related to activities such as fish proceeding or shell drilling and could help to understand the origin of some micro-wears on archaeological artefacts of the region.
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