Culture History of the Toalean of South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

This paper reviews the current evidence on typologically specialized tools assigned to the Toalean tradition of the southwest Sulawesi peninsula. Bone points and a range of stone points appeared across the peninsula in the early Holocene; this probably occurred as part of the expansion of archery and improved spear technology in Island Southeast Asia at the time. The technologically most specialized Toalean tools, namely backed microliths and Maros points, were evidently confined to the southwest of the peninsula. Backed microliths occur in contexts spanning some six millennia, but Maros points were largely restricted to the immediately preceramic period, approximately 5500 to 3500 B.P. The distribution of these tool types closely matches the area where late Holocene pottery in the ornate "Sa Huynh-Kalanay" tradition has been recorded, and where Makasar languages are spoken today. Sulawesi's southwest peninsula may have effectively been an island throughout much of the Holocene, and its southwest fringe runs hard against a major cordillera. Thus, physiographic constraints laid the basis for the division of the peninsula into two "social landscapes" that display long-term continuity throughout the Holocene, notwithstanding fundamental changes in subsistence patterns and technology.

The human occupation record of Gua Mo’o hono shelter, Towuti-Routa region of Southeastern Sulawesi

“…Maros points, with their distinctive isosceles triangular shape, denticulate or biface edges and hollow base (Glover and Presland 1985) were not found in the Gua Mo'o hono assemblage. The absence of these forms of stone artefacts from this site lends some support to the claim by Bulbeck et al (2000) that the Toalean assemblages may have been made only by a group localised to the southwest of the South Sulawesi peninsula and perhaps culturally and linguistically distant from communities occupying other parts of Sulawesi including the occupants of Gua Mo'o hono. Artefact 12(a) from Spit 9 is retouched around the entire perimeter of the piece.…”

“…Notches and beak-like retouch are present on scrapers but rare. Notable absences from the Gua Mo'o hono assemblage are the geometric microliths and other backed artefacts that characterise the Toalean assemblages of South Sulawesi (Bulbeck et al 2000). Maros points, with their distinctive isosceles triangular shape, denticulate or biface edges and hollow base (Glover and Presland 1985) were not found in the Gua Mo'o hono assemblage.…”

Dental perspectives on the population history of Southeast Asia

“…Later, Turner (1990) regarded the Leang Codong teeth to be of Mesolithic antiquity, and classified them as members of the sundadont dental complex, together with other early samples from the Malay archipelago. Most recently, Bulbeck (2000b), who claims this series is from the early Metal Age, found a similarity with Northeast Asians in his nonmetric dental study. The results of the present study also suggest that the Leang Codong sample derives from a northern source.…”

Artefak Litik Di Kawasan Prasejarah Batu Ejayya: Teknologi Peralatan Toalian Di Pesisir Selatan Sulawesi

“…Pengambilan sampel pertanggalan dari kerang juga dilakukan di perkampungan Bone-bone (tidak jauh dari Situs Bukit Bikulung) dan menghasilkan umur 5990-6390 cal. BP (ANU-5925) (Bulbeck, 1992;Pasqua, 1995;Bulbeck, Pasqua dan Di Lello, 2000).…”