[Article] Recently Discovered Prehistoric Site Already Sacred.

January 18, 2011 | Jakarta Globe by Aidi Yursal

Medan. A recently discovered megalithic site and a mass grave in South Sumatra is now regarded as sacred and the land on which it was found as holy ground by the villagers of Segayun in the Gumay Ulu district of Lahat.
The South Sumatra Archaeology Center has said it would first need to coordinate with the Segayun villagers, who are defending the site as their own protected land, before any excavation could begin or survey plans could materialize.
A researcher for the center, Kristantina Indriastuti, suggested on Tuesday that the site was a prehistoric residential area, judging by a statue of half a human body found 30 meters away from the grave.
“The site was discovered in the middle of a one-hectare coffee plantation owned by Segayun resident Thamrin,” Kristantina told the Jakarta Globe.
She confirmed that a team of researchers would soon be sent to study the site, adding that she believed the villagers of Segayun would never allow any harm to come it. 

[...Read the full article here...]

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[Article] Prehistoric Remains Found in Aceh Town.

September 27, 2010 | Jakarta Globe | Antara

Takengon, Aceh. Two archeologists from Medan have found evidence that a village in Central Aceh district had been inhabited by prehistoric humans.
Ketut Wiradnyana and Lucas Partanda Koestoro announced on Sunday that they had found artifacts such as a a square stone axe, a niche, pottery pieces and a human skeleton inside a cave near Danau Laut Tawar, a lake in Kampung Mendale.
“One of our latest discoveries is a human skeleton which we found in the Ujung Karang Kebayakan area, another excavation site near Kampung Mendale,” Ketut said.
The skeleton’s exact age has yet to be confirmed, since the excavation is still ongoing.
Ketut said the artifacts would have to undergo a carbon dating test at the National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan).
Last May, residents of Jayapura district in Papua Province found prehistoric relics at two different locations.

[...Read the full article here...]

[Article] Cave served as home of early human found.

September, 13 2010 | Viêt Nam News | by Le Huong

TUYEN QUANG -- A cave in Na Hang District in the northern province of Tuyen Quang is thought to have housed primitive humans during the Neolithic Era (7,000-8,000 years ago).
Tuyen Quang Museum's director Quan Van Dung said that experts from the museum and the Viet Nam Archaeology Institute discovered primitive human artefacts in the cave, which is known as Tham Choong Cave to the locals.
The archaeologists discovered more than 1,000 stone objects, including tools for cutting, chopping and grinding. The tools were handmade with stones that had been retrieved from a riverbed.

[Read the full article here]

[Article] Myanmar makes archaeological research to prove origin of Myanmar.

2010-07-07 | English.news.cn | By Feng Yingqiu | Editor: Lin Zhi

YANGON, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar archaeological experts have been making research in cooperation with international primate experts to prove the proposal -- "The origin of Myanmar is Myanmar ".

These experts have been working together yearly to find out the fossilized remains of Pontaung primates in Pontaung rock layers.

The findings of the primates on the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, gained from the archaeological research in Meiktila and Yamethin districts in Mandalay division over the past decade, stood some evidences for the Bronze Age and the Iron Age as well as for the Myanmar culture and history, according to research report.

Over the weekend, Myanmar's Ministry of Culture organized a paper reading session on archaeological evidences in Nay Pyi Taw with the belief that the findings through the archaeological research add to the Myanmar history.

The research paper reading session involved resources persons from Myanmar Historical Mission, National Culture and Fine Arts Universities in Yangon and Mandalay, Archaeology, National Museum and Library Department as well as a foreign academician.

[ ...Read the full article... ]

[Article] Prehistoric artefacts found in Dak Nong.

May, 27 2010 | Viet Nam News
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DAK NONG — A jar believed to be of prehistoric origin and other artefacts were found on Tuesday at the Nhan Co archaeological site in Dac R'lap District in Dac Nong Province in the Central Highlands.
The Dac Nong Museum team said 109 pieces of the terracotta jar were found. Another 36 items were also discovered, including 16 tools, three smaller jars and an assortment of rocks.
The team of archaeologists also found two hoes, three unidentified objects and 11 terracotta pieces along the stream near the archaeological site. The team, which has previously found historic artefacts in the same location, said the items were proof that people lived in the area during the Middle Stone Age and New Stone Age. — VNS
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[Article] UOW hobbit makes it big in Japan.

27 Apr, 2010 | Illawarramercury.com | by Sam Hall

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For the first time, people in Japan have the chance to come face to face with the human "hobbit", a miniature species first discovered by University of Wollongong and Indonesian researchers in 2004.
And we could soon see a replica in the Illawarra.
The Homo floresiensis exhibit in Tokyo includes an anatomically correct model of the hobbit, a 1.1m tall female adult who existed on the Indonesian island of Flores until about 18,000 years ago.
Other discoveries exhibited at the National Museum of Nature and Science (NMNS) include a giant rat, similar in size to a household cat.
The reconstruction involved careful measurements of skeletal elements and the combined efforts of palaeoanthropologists, anatomists and artists.
The original findings were made during a nine-year period from 2001 to 2005 and 2007 to 2010, according to UOW professor in archaeology Mike Morwood.
"There have been several reconstructions done before but this time they went to extraordinary lengths to get it correct," he said.
Remains from the hobbit, and the other findings, were recovered from an 11m-deep excavation of the Pleistocene deposits of Liang Bua, a limestone cave on the Indonesian island of Flores.
"There was also a giant (Malibu) stork bird, a pygmy elephant (Stegodon), a Komodo dragon and a giant rat around the size of a cat," Prof Morwood said.
The reconstruction featured variations to some of the original estimates from the hobbit.
"The brain is 420 cubic centimetres and the nose is a little broader ... The face is accurate in bone structure as far as they're concerned," Prof Morwood said.
Prof Morwood arrived back in the Illawarra yesterday, after giving a series of lectures at the opening of the exhibition.
He said he would consider approaching UOW to buy a replica of the reconstruction, at a cost of about $13,000.
"It cost the museum well over $100,000 to make that model so if we can get a replica at a fraction of the price, it would be great," he said.

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See on You Tube "The Mysterious 'Hobbit of Flores' " (5 videos).

[Article] Dig site to open study centre.

Ban Chiang village in Udon Thani to showcase pottery tradition, prehistoric past.

March 27, 2010 | Bangkok Post | Writer: Naowarat Suksamran.

Ban Chiang, a popular archaeological site in Udon Thani, will soon become a research and study centre where tourists and members of the public can learn more about the prehistoric settlement.
The planned development of Ban Chiang in Udon Thani's Nong Han district, listed as World Heritage Site No. 359, follows advice given by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn during her visit to the site early last month.

The Princess was interested in archaeological studies and wanted to see the conservation of national treasures.

Fine Arts Department director-general Kriangkrai Sampatchalit put his deputy, Sahawat Naenna, in charge of the project to develop Ban Chiang as a study centre.

Ban Chiang village dates back to the Bronze Age and is built on the site of an ancient cemetery. The earliest grave dates from about 2100 BC.

Mr Sahawat said he had consulted archaeological experts, historians and academics about the establishment of the centre at Ban Chiang.

If the project proves successful, it would be expanded to other archaeological sites nationwide, he said.

Once it is developed as a research and study centre, Ban Chiang will attract visitors interested in items excavated at the site, including ancient artefacts, human skeletons, and historic pottery. The site would also serve as a learning centre for those interested in the patterns of painted earthenware in prehistoric cultures, and painting techniques used on pottery and other utensils that showcase ancient technology, said Mr Sahawat. [...]

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn looks at ancient objects displayed at the Galyani Vadhana Building at the Ban Chiang National Museum in Udon Thani on Feb 9 after presiding over the opening of the building.

Photo Courtesy of Udon Thani Public relations Office.

Read the full article here.

[Article] China Ready To Assist Malaysia In Studying Lembah Bujang Archaeological Site.

March 26, 2010 | From Newmond Tibin | Bernama.com

PAMPANGA (The Philippines), March 26 (Bernama) -- China is prepared to assist Malaysia in studying the history of the Lembah Bujang archaeological site in Kedah, which is believed to be among the earliest human civilisation sites in Malaysia.

Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said China had also indicated interest in training Malaysia's human resources in the field of cultural industry.

"I will follow this up with the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur so that the project can take off as soon as possible.

"We will invite universities in China to have a look at the Lembah Bujang site and carry out research as well as providing the necessary technical assistance," he said.

He was speaking to Bernama and Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) journalists here after attending the final session of the 4th Asean Ministers of Culture and Arts (AMCA) meeting and the AMCA+3 (China, Japan and South Korea) meeting on Friday.

Rais said Malaysia welcomed such assistance as China had vast experience in the field of archaeology and cultural industry.

In this regard, he said, Malaysia would take part in the Beijing arts festival this year to further strengthen cooperation in the field of cultural industry.

Rais also said that Asean members and the plus three dialogue partners, China, Japan and South Korea, welcomed proposals by Malaysia including on enhancing training and interaction among member countries.

This, he said, was to ensure that countries requiring technical assistance from the plus three partners were able to benefit from such initiatives.

"In specific terms, the three countries, which have vast experience in the field of archaeology, can provide assistance in studying archaeological sites and I have asked Asean partners and the dialogue partners to assist Malaysia with regard to the discovery of early civilisation in Lembah Bujang," he said.

Rais said the meeting also affirmed its commitment and had included a point in the AMCA communique with regard to the proposal by Malaysia for Asean to come up with projects for implementation and not merely discuss policy matters.

He said Malaysia also suggested that programmes to introduce Asean members through cultural events be held for common benefits.

Malaysia also suggested that Asean countries take turns to host programmes such as the Best of Asean Performing Arts programme hosted by Jakarta annually.

On the proposal to eliminate tariff on the sale of books among Asean members, Rais said the meeting here did not discuss the matter.

The issue, however, might be discuss at the bilateral level, particularly between Malaysia and Indonesia, which had a combined population of nearly 300 million using similar language, he said.

Singapore will host the next AMCA in 2012.-- BERNAMA

[Article] How a hobbit is rewriting the history of the human race.

Robin McKie* | The Observer, Sunday 21 February 2010 

The discovery of the bones of tiny primitive people on an Indonesian island six years ago stunned scientists. Now, further research suggests that the little apemen, not Homo erectus, were the first to leave Africa and colonise other parts of the world, reports Robin McKie.

It remains one of the greatest human fossil discoveries of all time. The bones of a race of tiny primitive people, who used stone tools to hunt pony-sized elephants and battle huge Komodo dragons, were discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2004.
The team of Australian researchers had been working in a vast limestone cavern, called Liang Bua, in one of the island's remotest areas, when one scientist ran his trowel against a piece of bone. Carefully the group began scraping away the brown clay in which pieces of a tiny skull, and a little lower jaw, were embedded.
This was not any old skull, they quickly realised. Although small, it had special characteristics. In particular, it had adult teeth. "This was no child, but a tiny adult; in fact, one of the smallest adult hominids ever found in the fossil record," says Mike Morwood, of Australia's University of Wollongong and a leader of the original Flores expedition team.
The pieces of bone were carefully wrapped in newspaper, packed in cardboard boxes and then cradled on the laps of scientists on their journey, by ferry and plane, back to Jakarta. Then the pieces of skull, as well as bones from other skeletons found in Liang Bua, were put together.
The end result caused consternation. These remains came from a species that turned out to be only three feet tall and had the brain the size of an orange. Yet it used quite sophisticated stone tools. And that was a real puzzle. How on earth could such individuals have made complex implements and survived for aeons on this remote part of the Malay archipelago?
Some simply dismissed the bones as the remains of deformed modern humans with diseases that had caused them to shrink: to them, (...full article here...).

*Robin McKie is the science editor of the Observer.

Illustration by Peter Brown (Image of LB1 "Hobbit" skull, as compared to a modern human skull).

Iron Age discovery uncovers prehistoric burial customs in Laos [The Earth Time / MMAP]

Vientiane, Laos - The discovery of Iron Age human bone fragments in Laos has shed new light on the region's prehistoric burial customs, state media reports said Friday. A team of Lao and foreign archeologists foundthe fragments last week in a burial ground believed to be about 2,000 years old when South-East Asia was in the Iron Age, the Vientiane Times reported.

The discovery was made during a dig known as the Middle Mekong Archaeological Project, which is a joint effort between Laos' Department of Heritage and the University of Pennsylvania Museum in the United States.

"Last week, we unexpectedly found two skulls and a fragment of a third, a baby, along with some body bones," said Joyce White, associate curator at the University of Pennsylvania Museum. "It is quite a significant discovery of Lao archaeology."
Also among the items found was a burial pot containing human bones, which was the first such example of a secondary burial, or the custom of dismembering a corpse and removing all flesh so the bones could be placed in a container.
Although the practice was common in neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam, this was the first evidence of a secondary burial in what is now Laos.
The project is funded by the Henry Luce Foundation.

22 jan 2010 - Copyright DPA

Read more

On Middle Mekong Archaeological Project's blog : see the article.

Congrès de l'IPPA - Hanoi - Court "compte rendu".

19th Congress Of The Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association

Organised in collaboration with the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology.

Sunday 29 November to Saturday 5 December 2009

Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences Conference Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam.

November 30, 2009 | Indo-Pacific pre-historians meet in Hanoi

The 19th congress of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association (IPPA) opened in Hanoi on November 29, attracting more than 400 scientists from 35 countries.

At the week-long conference, the first hosted by Vietnam, Vietnamese scientists will make presentations on Sa Huynh culture and Thang Long ancient citadel.

A large number of reports will be presented at the congress, which is held every four years by the 80-year-old organistion.

A topic of interest is how to get the community involve in the protection of archaeological relics, with scientists from China and Thailand to share their experiences in this area. (VNA)

Program : http://arts.anu.edu.au/arcworld/ippa/IPPAsessions.htm

More informations : http://arts.anu.edu.au/arcworld/ippa/19thcongress.htm