Portable art from Pleistocene Sulawesi

Langley, Michelle C.; Hakim, Budianto; Oktaviana, Adhi Agus; Burhan, Basran; Sumantri, Iwan; Sulistyarto, Priyatno Hadi; Lebe, Rustan; McGahan, David; Brumm, Adam

doi:10.1038/s41562-020-0837-6

Cited by 17 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The limestone caves of Maros and Pangkep are rich in parietal ochre paintings, and while these were initially assumed to be Toalean [ 16 , 37 ], recent dates obtained from multiple paintings have all returned Pleistocene origins [ 38 – 41 ]. Similarly, archaeological excavations at the Late Pleistocene site of Leang Bulu Bettue have revealed several examples of portable ‘art’ [ 34 , 42 , 43 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A standardised classification scheme for the Mid-Holocene Toalean artefacts of South Sulawesi, Indonesia

et al. 2021

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The archaeology of Sulawesi is important for developing an understanding of human dispersal and occupation of central Island Southeast Asia. Through over a century of archaeological work, multiple human populations in the southwestern region of Sulawesi have been identified, the most well-documented being that of the Mid- to Late Holocene ‘Toalean’ technological period. Archaeological models for this period describe a population with a strong cultural identity, subdivided into groups living on the coastal plains around Maros as well as dispersed upland forest dwellers, hunting endemic wildlife with bow-and-arrow technology. It has been proposed that the Toaleans were capable of vast water-crossings, with possible cultural exchange with northern Australia, Java, and Japan. This Toalean paradigm is built almost exclusively on existing interpretations of distinctive Toalean stone and bone artefact technologies, constructed on out-dated 19th and 20th century theory. Moreover, current definitions of Toalean artefact types are inconsistently applied and unsystematic, and the manufacturing sequence has historically been poorly understood. To address these problems in existing artefact models and typologies, we present a clarified typology of the Toalean artefacts of South Sulawesi, and describe the technical aspects of artefact production. This typology provides a tool for standardising research and will facilitate more meaningful assessments of material culture repertoires and more reliable assessment of spatial and temporal changes for the region.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A standardised classification scheme for the Mid-Holocene Toalean artefacts of South Sulawesi, Indonesia

et al. 2021

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“…The find consists of etched ochre, pendant and beads from bone of endemic animal of Sulawesi, as well as two flats of engraved stone interpreted as portable art. Several engraved flakes on cortex were also found at this site (Brumm et al, 2020(Brumm et al, , 2017Langley et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Perkembangan Teknologi Artefak Serpih Batu Pada Paruh Awal Holosen di Leang Batti, Sulawesi Selatan

et al. 2020

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Penelitian yang intensif di gua-gua prasejarah Sulawesi Selatan telah menunjukkan kemampuan kognitif penghuni Sulawesi yang mungkin jarang dimiliki populasi lain di Wallacea. Pada paruh awal Holosen kemampuan yang diperlihatkan adalah memodifikasi alat serpih yang dikenal dengan tekno-kompleks Toalean. Namun demikian, gambaran perkembangan teknologi artefak batu pada masa antara sebelum hingga awal perkembangan tekno-kompleks Toalean masih jarang diteliti secara intensif. Situs Leang Batti adalah situs hunian yang dapat mengisi kekosongan informasi melalui studi teknologi artefak serpih. Artefak berjumlah 1376 buah diklasifikasi dan dianalisis pada serpih dengan mengamati dinamika morfometrik dan teknologi tipe alat antara Holosen Awal hingga Tengah. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pada Holosen Awal, teknologi yang dominan adalah serpih yang digunakan sebagai alat secara langsung tanpa dimodifikasi. Pada fase Holosen Tengah, ukuran serpih mulai mengalami perubahan karena pengaruh Toalean dengan karakter teknologi serpih yang dimodifikasi mulai masuk dalam konsep dasar sipembuat alat, namun tidak terlalu kuat.

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“…It is important to note that one of the plaquettes from Sulawesi had a water buffalo design (Langley et al 2020). It is fascinating that Torajas from South Sulawesi used carved coffins that resemble the water buffalo (https://www.bowers.org/index.php/collection/collection-blog/toraja-coffin).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further support for the antiquity of the solar motif in Island Southeast Asia was discovered in 2018. Across Makassar Strait, east of Hoerman's study area of the APT in Borneo, two plaquettes, one displayed an endemic species of a water buffalo, and the other one show a rayed-circle, were excavated in Sulawesi, Indonesia dating to 26,000 to 14,000 years ago and argued to be portable art (Langley et al 2020). Although the authors did not put forth an explicit interpretation for the rayedcircle, they argued that indigenous communities from Australia and Africa would have interpreted the rayed-circle as a sun/star or starfish.…”

Section: Archaeological Evidence From Island Southeast Asiamentioning

confidence: 99%

A local discourse on the early belief system from the Philippines using evidence from the Guthe Collection | Isang diskursong lokal sa sinaunang kosmolohiya sa Pilipinas gamit ang Guthe Collection

Barretto-Tesoro

2020

SPJ

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Previous research on foreign ceramics recovered from Philippine archaeological sites focused on their presence, quantity, origins, and interpreted them as status markers. These studies overlooked designs on ceramics which will be investigated in this paper. It is proposed that designs were symbols of a local belief system. This work builds on the local discourse on past cosmology in the Philippines further providing material evidence of a tripartite universe practiced in Southeast Asia. The main source of archaeological evidence are ceramics and other artefacts excavated in central Philippines by Carl E. Guthe in the 1920s, which are now stored at the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology. Using a contextual approach, drawing data from archaeology, ethnohistory, ethnography, and oral literature, the significance of decorations, namely the sun, bird, and reptile motifs is inferred. Analysis confirms that artefacts with these design elements were commonly recorded in burial contexts across the archipelago. This suggests that during the pre-16th century trade between the Philippines and Southeast Asian and Chinese merchants, early inhabitants actively acquired specific designs on ceramics because they were relevant to their belief system which could have been the basis of wealth and status in later periods. Hence, the proposal that local cosmology influenced the acquisition of imported goods.Ang mga naunang pag-aaral sa mga seramik ng ibang bansa na makikita sa mga archaeological sites sa Pilipinas ay nakatuon sa dami at ang pinanggalingan ng mga ito kung saan ang pagpapaliwanag ay nakatali sa katayuan sa lipunan ng mga gumamit nito. Ang mga unang pag-aaral ay hindi nabigyang pansin ang mga disenyo sa mga seramik. Ang papel na ito ay isang ambag sa diskurso sa sinaunang kosmolohiya ng Pilipinas upang magdagdag ng higit na katibayan ng tatlong bahagi ng sansinukub na pinapaniwalaan sa Timog Silangang Asya. Ang katibayan mula sa arkiyolohiya ay nagmula sa mga seramik at ibang liktao na nahukay sa gitnang bahagi ng Pilipinas ni Carl E. Guthe noong 1920s, na ngayon ay naka-imbak sa Pamantasan ng Michigan Museo ng Antropolohikal Arkeolohiya. Gamit ang kontekstuwal na lapit, kaalaman mula sa arkiyolohiya, kasaysayan, etnographiya, at kwentong-bayan ay nagpapakita ng kahalagahan ng mga dekorasyon ng araw, ibon, at reptilya na kasalukuyang makikita din sa mga liktao. Ang mga seramik at ibang liktao na may taglay ng disenyong nabanggit ay naitala sa mga libingan sa iba’t-ibang pulo. Pinapahiwatig ng pag-aaral na ang sinaunang Pilipino ay masugid na pumipili ng seramik mula sa Timog Silangang Asya at Tsina. Ang pagpili ng seramik ay dahil angkop ito sa kanilang sinaunang paniniwala na maaaring naging batayan ng yaman at katayuan sa mga sumunod na panahon. Samakatwid, ang panukala na ang pag-angkat ng kalakal ay maaaring hinikayat ng sinaunang paniniwala

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Portable art from Pleistocene Sulawesi

Cited by 17 publications

References 27 publications

A standardised classification scheme for the Mid-Holocene Toalean artefacts of South Sulawesi, Indonesia

A standardised classification scheme for the Mid-Holocene Toalean artefacts of South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Perkembangan Teknologi Artefak Serpih Batu Pada Paruh Awal Holosen di Leang Batti, Sulawesi Selatan

A local discourse on the early belief system from the Philippines using evidence from the Guthe Collection | Isang diskursong lokal sa sinaunang kosmolohiya sa Pilipinas gamit ang Guthe Collection

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