Tropical island rainforests have long been viewed as marginal environments for Late Pleistocene foragers, particularly during the climatic instability of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Preliminary archaeological evidence from the Inumaki Cave on Biak Island, Indonesian Papua, dating to before, during, and after the LGM provides insights into the timing and nature of human occupation in these environments. It also clarifies an important period of human expansion around northern Sahul and contributes to the sparse Pleistocene record of this region. The evidence consists of stratified faunal remains, marine shellfish, and lithic artefacts recovered from deposits spanning the Late Pleistocene to the early Holocene. The archaeological assemblage indicates episodic human occupation of the cave supported by a broad-spectrum foraging strategy integrating both forest and island resources. These included terrestrial mammals (cuscus and bandicoots, and possibly rats and bats) and reptiles (snakes and possibly lizards), and coastal shellfish. A single tooth from a forest wallaby, dating to after the Terminal Pleistocene, may also reflect translocation or the movement of bone ornaments from northern Sahul. Lithic artefacts made on local limestone reflect flexible responses to restricted access to raw materials in this small island environment. These findings demonstrate the capacity of Late Pleistocene populations to persist in tropical island rainforests during the LGM and refine our understanding of human ecological niche expansion during a period of globally significant climatic and environmental change.

OBJECTIVES:Although there has been copious research on the postcranial functional morphology of Homo floresiensis, there has been relatively little study of its pelvis and its implications for interpretations of H. floresiensis locomotion. Here we present the first comparative morphometric analysis of the pelvis of LB 1, the holotype of H. floresiensis, using data derived from high-resolution micro-CT scans and situated within a broad, Plio-Pleistocene hominin context. This includes a novel quantitative measure of iliac flare in hominins to assess the australopith-like qualities of the LB 1 pelvis described by previous studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS:In a sample of extant humans and African apes and 26 fossil hominin pelves, we quantified linear and angular pelvic traits, with a focus on features that should provide functional insights into H. floresiensis locomotor behavior, including ilium orientation angle and lower ilium length. Morphometric and allometric hypotheses were investigated using Kruskal-Wallis tests, principal component analysis, and least squares regression. RESULTS:Univariate analyses demonstrate that all pelvic features of LB 1 (except for ischium length) are within the ranges of variation exhibited by Homo sapiens. Multivariate analysis reveals that the H. floresiensis pelvis shares similarities with those of other Pleistocene Homo and some australopith individuals. DISCUSSION:Overall, our results suggest that the pelvis of LB 1 is more Homo-like than previously described. While the mix of primitive and derived traits in the postcrania of H. floresiensis makes functional inferences challenging, our results from the pelvis suggest a human-like form of terrestrial bipedalism in this species.

The modern custom of chewing betel nuts is practiced by around 1 in 10 people worldwide, yet the earliest beginnings of this widespread drug use habit are unknown. We report rare skeletal remains of two preagricultural foragers from Sulawesi (Indonesia), both displaying a dental pathology that we establish was caused by a hitherto unknown precursor to betel chewing: habitual sucking of whole betel nuts. Previous reports suggested that the main neuroactive alkaloid in betel nut, arecoline, is released by masticating the processed nut with slaked lime. However, our experiments demonstrate that simply keeping intact betel nuts in the oral cavity for prolonged periods releases arecoline. Biomolecular analysis of the ancient human teeth is also consistent with this early form of ingesting betel nut. With the earliest forager dating to 25 to 16 thousand years ago, our findings suggest the use of betel nut as a drug has more ancient origins than previously supposed.

OBJECTIVES:A largely undescribed Late Pleistocene Homo sapiens femur from Wajak, Java, Indonesia (minimum age, 36.5 ka) is reconstructed. In conjunction with data derived from other fossil specimens, we test whether ecogeographic rules relating body size and shape to climate apply to late Middle to Late Pleistocene East Asian Homo. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Preserved portions of the Wajak femur were micro-CT scanned and used to reconstruct the whole bone using a sample of modern human femora as a template. Body mass and stature were reconstructed from femoral head breadth and length. Similar data were derived from eight penecontemporaneous (40-28 ka) and five earlier (ca 260-112 ka) East Asian femora or tibiae, spanning a wide latitudinal range. Anthropometric data from 74 living Old World populations were also included in comparisons. RESULTS:Higher latitude individuals are heavier and relatively wider-bodied than lower latitude individuals in both fossil groups and among modern populations. There is also a temporal decline in body mass and relative body breadth in both latitudinal zones. Stature shows much weaker associations with both climate and time period. The Wajak femur is long (468 mm) and likely male, with an estimated stature of 170.5 cm but a relatively linear body shape, consistent with these patterns. DISCUSSION:Ecogeographic rules that relate surface area/body mass to temperature appear to apply to East Asian late Middle to Late Pleistocene Homo as well as modern humans. The temporal decline in body mass and breadth may be due to technological changes during the Late Pleistocene.

The Indonesian archipelago is host to some of the earliest known rock art in the world1-5. Previously, secure Pleistocene dates were reported for figurative cave art and stencils of human hands in two areas in Indonesia-the Maros-Pangkep karsts in the southwestern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi1,3-5 and the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat region of eastern Kalimantan, Borneo2. Here we describe a series of early dated rock art motifs from the southeastern portion of Sulawesi. Among this assemblage of Pleistocene (and possibly more recent) motifs, laser-ablation U-series (LA-U-series) dating of calcite overlying a hand stencil from Liang Metanduno on Muna Island yielded a U-series date of 71.6 ± 3.8 thousand years ago (ka), providing a minimum-age constraint of 67.8 ka for the underlying motif. The Muna minimum (67.8 ± 3.8 ka) exceeds the published minimum for rock art in Maros-Pangkep by 16.6 thousand years (kyr) (ref. 5) and is 1.1 kyr greater than the published minimum for a hand stencil from Spain attributed to Neanderthals6, which until now represented the oldest demonstrated minimum-age constraint for cave art worldwide. Moreover, the presence of this extremely old art in Sulawesi suggests that the initial peopling of Sahul about 65 ka7 involved maritime journeys between Borneo and Papua, a region that remains poorly explored from an archaeological perspective.

The Bumiayu sub-basin of western Central Java preserves an important Plio–Pleistocene transition from shallow-marine to increasingly marginal-marine and terrestrial environments along the southern margin of Sundaland. This study reconstructs the environmental evolution of the Kalibiuk–Kaliglagah succession using integrated sedimentary facies analysis, molluscan paleoecology, mangrove-associated indicators, and vertebrate taphonomic observations. The results document a systematic upward shift from storm-influenced shallow-marine deposits to estuarine, lagoonal, mangrove-influenced, and ultimately fluvio-deltaic settings. Quantitative analyses of molluscan assemblages, including diversity indices, ecological ratios, hierarchical clustering, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), show a coherent turnover from marine and brackish assemblages to increasingly freshwater-dominated communities. These trends are consistent with progressive reduction of marine influence under repeated transgressive–regressive oscillations, likely driven by the interaction of relative sea-level change, sediment supply, and local basin controls. Root traces, crustacean remains, and carbonate nodules indicate the development of vegetated intertidal flats and mangrove-related environments during sheltered phases of deposition. Two Bovidae specimens a humerus (BMY.25.GLG.32) and a femur (BMY.25.GLG.33) preserved above the lagoonal black clay provide additional evidence for the presence of terrestrial vertebrates within this coastal transition zone. Although the stratigraphic context of hominin remains from Bumiayu remains uncertain, the reconstructed succession provides an important paleoenvironmental framework for evaluating vertebrate habitats and regional environmental connectivity in western Central Java during the Plio–Pleistocene.

Ekstraksi sisa tumbuhan mikro yang dilakukan pada kalkulus gigi temuan rangka manusia Situs Plawangan mendapatkan sebuah butir pati. Analisis awal yang minim sampel referensi telah menduga bahwa butir pati tersebut sebagai bukti konsumsi tumbuhan sereal Triticeae berupa gandum atau barli pada awal Masehi. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk meninjau kembali butir pati yang diidentifikasi sebagai Triticeae tersebut. Butir pati Triticeae diidentifikasi kembali dengan analisis perbandingan secara deskriptif-kualitatif dan multivariat berupa LDA dan analisis kluster. Data yang digunakan yaitu sampel referensi butir pati gandum dan barli yang diekstraksi dari tumbuhan segar. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa butir pati dari kalkulus gigi bukan berasal dari tumbuhan Triticeae, khususnya gandum dan barli. Hal ini disebabkan perbedaan utama pada luas permukaannya. Hasil tersebut juga menggugurkan interpretasi awal yang menduga adanya aktivitas konsumsi gandum atau barli di Situs Plawangan pada awal Masehi.

This article returns to the question of the & Sacute;aiva deities of the points of the compass in premodern Central Java in the light of archaeological and epigraphical evidence, namely the recently excavated, ca. 9th-10th century ritual deposits of Candi Kimpulan and Ringinlarik, which include most notably a golden lotus and inscribed gold foils laid within stone caskets. By comparing these new findings with relevant Old Javanese inscriptions and transmitted literature, as well as similar material and textual evidence from the wider Indic world (i.e., South and Southeast Asia), the authors will describe the system of twenty-four plus two protective deities surrounding the central deity (& Sacute;iva) that appears to have been prevalent in Central Java, and which largely agrees with the one hypothesized by Acri and Jordaan (2012) on the basis of the analysis of the reliefs of Candi & Sacute;iva in Loro Jonggrang, Prambanan. Further, the results of an analysis of the material component of the gold foils are discussed.

This study represents the first investigation into the materiality of pigment samples from the rock art of Teluk Berau, Fakfak, West Papua, employing a suite of analytical techniques including optical observation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. This comprehensive analysis provides nuanced insights into the material composition and cultural significance of these prehistoric artworks. The findings reveal that hematite is the primary component in red, brown, and purple pigments, while goethite is used for yellow pigments. Additionally, naturally occurring minerals such as quartz and clay minerals are also present in the pigments. The study further investigates the microstratigraphic layers of the rock surfaces, identifying a base of limestone composed of calcite, followed by gypsum layers, anthropogenic pigment layers, and surface crusts predominantly made of gypsum. The research also identifies the potential formation of whewellite on the rock art. XANES analysis sheds light on the oxidation states and chemical speciation of iron minerals, suggesting a complex interplay between iron oxides and/or iron oxy-hydroxides in the pigments. This study also indicates a similar pattern of the pigment utilization across Southeast Asia and affirm the continuity of pigment-use traditions, particularly the use of ferruginous minerals such as hematite and goethite throughout the region. The study enhances our understanding of iron oxide and iron hydroxide variability, providing new insights into prehistoric pigment characterization that have not been previously detailed. However, the source of the pigment materials used by prehistoric artists in the West Papua region remains unclear, highlighting the need for further field studies to pinpoint potential local sources and their relationship with the surrounding landscape. Overall, this research deepens our understanding of hematite and ochre use in prehistoric societies, reflecting their broader cultural and symbolic significance within the context of prehistoric West Papuan communities.

Eastern Asia yielded a rich fossil record of Pleistocene hominins, ranging from Homo erectus and the diminutive island species Homo floresiensis and Homo luzonensis, to post-erectus grade late archaic Homo (including Denisovans), and finally to anatomically modern humans. The Sunda Shelf played an important role in the dispersal and evolution of hominin populations. The shelf has been widely exposed during most of the Pleistocene, forming a landmass known as Sundaland. Today, the area holds the world’s largest shelf sea. Thus far, hominin fossils from submerged Sundaland were not available. Here we report on the finding of two hominin cranial fragments from the submerged Sunda Shelf, retrieved during a dredging work in the Madura Strait, off the Java coast. The specimens derive from the sandy fill of a late Middle Pleistocene submerged valley of the Solo River and consist of a frontal fragment and a parietal fragment. Metric and morphological comparisons with Pleistocene skulls from the Asian mainland, Java and Flores point to a relation with the late Homo erectus of Java, in particular with the crania from Sambungmacan. The Madura Strait hominins were probably part of an MIS6 population that lived along the Solo, which in this period continued eastward over the exposed shelf area of the Madura Strait. Probably, the large perennial rivers of Sundaland offered good living conditions for Homo erectus, in a late Middle Pleistocene climate setting that was relatively dry.

In southern China and Southeast Asia (collectively, Southeastern Asia), Terminal Pleistocene and Early to Middle Holocene (ca. 12,000 to 4,000 cal. BP) hunter-gatherer burials feature tightly crouched or squatting postures, sometimes with indications of post-mortem dismemberment. Such burials contrast strongly with the extended supine burial postures typical of subsequent Neolithic inhumations in these regions. Their contorted postures, often with traces of burning, present interpretive challenges. This study uses multiple techniques, including X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, to investigate 54 pre-Neolithic burials from 11 archaeological sites located across Southeastern Asia. The findings confirm that many of these pre-Neolithic flexed and squatting burials were treated by an extended period of smoke-drying over fire, a process of mummification similar to that recorded ethnographically in some Australian and Highland New Guinea societies. Some of the analyzed archaeological samples represent the oldest known instances of such artificial mummification in the world.

The hindlimb skeleton of the holotype (LB1) of Homo floresiensis is relatively complete and includes both fibulae, which despite being well preserved have yet to be subject to a quantitative comparative analysis with other hominids. A new distal fragment of a fibula has also been recovered from the H. floresiensis-bearing sediments at Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia). In this study, we used 3D geometric morphometrics (3DGM) to quantify detailed aspects of the external shape and articular facet morphology of the proximal and distal ends of these H. floresiensis fibulae. The comparative sample included fibulae from 57 extant great apes (Pongo, Gorilla, and Pan), 41 recent and fossil Homo sapiens, five Australopithecus afarensis, and five Neandertals. Shape variation was analyzed using principal component analysis of Procrustes coordinates, and mean differences among taxa were tested using a Procrustes ANOVA with a randomization procedure. Size comparisons were made using centroid size and tested via correlations with principal component scores. Results demonstrate that H. floresiensis fibulae possess the absolute smallest mean linear dimensions and mean centroid sizes among our comparative sample. The proximal and distal fibular ends of H. floresiensis exhibit four key features adapted for obligate bipedalism while also displaying a suite of plesiomorphic traits shared with extant great apes and A. afarensis that, compared with that of H. sapiens and Neandertals, suggest a more versatile ankle joint with a greater range of motion and enhanced load-bearing capabilities of the fibula. Our results are consistent with other aspects of the H. floresiensis lower limb, such as long feet relative to the femur and a long forefoot relative to the hindfoot, that together suggest an australopith-like locomotor repertoire that included both obligate bipedalism and climbing.

In the context of small, resource-rich islands, environmental governance is often dominated by state-corporate regimes that marginalize indigenous knowledge systems. This article examines Tyarka , an indigenous oral tradition on Masela Island, Eastern Indonesia, as a form of community-based environmental governance. Using the frameworks of political ecology and indigenous governance, the study analyzes how Tyarka functions as a normative ecological system that regulates human-nature relations through moral authority, ritual performance, and collective memory. Based on ethnographic fieldwork involving participant observation, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with indigenous leaders and local communities, the findings indicate that Tyarka operates as an oral environmental governance mechanism that articulates ecological ethics, enforces social control, and legitimizes community-based conservation practices. However, the expansion of the Masela LNG extraction project has created a power imbalance that undermines the recognition of oral governance systems, resulting in knowledge exclusion and environmental injustice. This article argues that recognizing oral traditions as environmental governance is crucial for addressing sustainability challenges in resource-rich small island regions. By conceptualizing Tyarka as oral environmental governance, this study contributes to political ecology debates on indigenous power, knowledge, and resistance, while offering policy-relevant insights for integrating indigenous governance into environmental decision-making.

Following the discovery of hominin fossils at Trinil (Java, Indonesia) in 1891 and 1892, Eugène Dubois named a new species, now known as Homo erectus. Although the main historical events are well-known, there appears to be no consensus regarding two important aspects of the naming of the species, including what constitutes the original publication of the name, and what is the name-bearing type specimen. These issues are addressed in this paper with reference to original sources and the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Our review confirms earlier studies that cite the published quarterly fieldwork report covering the 3rd quarter of 1892 as the original publication naming the species erectus. However, until recently, the correct publication year of 1893 has consistently been cited as 1892, and it has rarely been recognized that the author of the publication was anonymous, even though the author of the species is specifically named. Importantly, Dubois assigns all three hominin fossils found at Trinil up to that moment to the new species, explicitly stating that they belong to a single individual. The three fossils, a molar, a calotte, and a femur, therefore jointly constitute the original holotype. However, the femur most likely derives from younger strata than the other hominins and shows fully modern human-like morphology, unlike subsequently discovered H. erectus femora. Moreover, there is no consensus over the affinities of the molar, and if it is H. erectus rather than an extinct ape, there is no evidence that it belongs to the same individual as the calotte. Excluding these two fossils from the holotype, the calotte is the appropriate fossil to retain the role as name-bearing specimen.