Prehistory of Indonesia, a brief synthesis

The prehistory of Indonesia covers a very long period of time, over 1.5 million years, punctuated by major events that highlight major changes in the evolution, adaptation and culture of human groups. These events are generally manifested by the dispersal of humans and the dissemination of cultural traditions to and within the archipelagos, including encounters between newcomers and indigenous populations. Other natural events have also impacted these movements and contacts, such as paleographic changes linked to sea level changes during the Quaternary. The compilation of interdisciplinary studies makes it possible to identify seven major stages, from the arrival of Homo erectus in the archipelagos until the protohistoric period marked by the presence of cultures linked to metal and megaliths a few centuries before our era. Indonesia then entered its historical period, notably with the introduction of Hindu-Buddhist influence around the 4th/5th centuries AD. (c) 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.