Traces of Ancient Austronesian Tribes in the Heart of Borneo

Abstract

Traces of past human life and living tradition, which continuously practiced in a number of places in the Indonesian Archipelago, are important data for history writing and determining the local culture identity. In 1970s the Indonesian archaeology was enriched by the discovery of a Neolithic open-site in Kapuas Hulu in West Kalimantan, the Nanga Balang. It is suggested that the archaeology of Nanga Balang indicate relative parallel dating between Kalimantan, Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei i.e. a prehistoric life during 2,500 BCE until the beginning of the Common Era. On the other hand, human remains found in the interior of Ceruk Bukit Tahapun, present significant information on Austronesian occupation in the heart of Kalimantan. This research aims to identify the potency and characteristic of Nanga Balang and the nearby area of Bukit Tahapun.
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Published in: Wahyu (ed.). 2006. Journal of Archaeological Research News. Banjarbaru: Centre for Archaeology, Banjarmasin. No. 17: 1-14. ISSN 1410-3443