Nitrogen and Carbon Stable Isotope Analysis of Holocene Pigs from Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia)

In this study, pigs from Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia) are examined using nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes to explore possible changes to their diet over the past ~5,000 years. This temporal period is of particular interest because major changes occurred at Liang Bua during this time and these changes are thought to be related to the dispersal of Austronesian people and/or culture. Most importantly, this research attempts to address whether pig diet changed in relation to the onset of farming activities in the area surrounding Liang Bua ~3 ka and, if so, in what ways. Stable isotope values (δ 13C and δ 15N) were obtained for 57 (39 bone, 18 tooth) pig specimens from Liang Bua that spanned in age from ~4,300 until ~400 years ago, and one horse and seven human samples from the site were used to provide a comparative context. Results of this study show that the δ 13C values of pigs and humans changed at Liang Bua after the onset of farming ~3,000 years ago, as did the δ 15N values of pigs. Changes in δ 13C values suggest that beginning after ~3,000 years ago, one or more types of C4 plants were consumed by pigs and humans, leading to more enriched δ 13C values compared with earlier populations. Foxtail millet, a C4 plant long associated with the dispersal of Austronesian people throughout island Southeast Asia, is the most likely candidate for a C4 plant used as an agricultural crop around Liang Bua during that time. Changes in the δ 15N values of pigs suggest that after ~3,000 years ago, the diet of some of the Liang Bua pigs was restricted, resulting in lower δ 15N values than observed among any pigs from earlier time intervals. Furthermore, these ‘captive’ pigs did not have access to the newly available C4 resources. The custom of keeping domesticated pigs in small enclosures and provisioning them with mostly C3 plants, practiced by Indigenous Manggarai people living around Liang Bua today, is the most likely explanation of these results

Penyelesaian Tindak Pidana Kealfaan Yang Menyebabkan Kecelakaan Lalu Lintas Dan Matinya Orang Lain Yang Dilakukan Pengemudi Kendaraan Bermotor

Pembahasan adalah tentang “Penyelesaian Tindak Pidana Kealfaan Yang Menyebabkan Kecelakaan Lalu Lintas Dan Matinya Orang Lain Yang Dilakukan Pengemudi Kenderaan Bermotor” (Studi Kasus Pengadilan Negeri Kisaran) di bawah bimbingan Bapak Taufik Siregar, SH.M.Hum, sebagai Pebimbing I, dan Bapak Ridho Mubarak, SH. MH, sebagai Pembimbing II. Permasalahan yang diajukan adalah : Apa unsur-unsur kelalaian (kealfaan) pengemudi yang bisa di pidana; dan bagaimana bentuk pertanggungjawaban pengemudi kendaraan karena kelalaiannya (kealfaan) dalam kecelakaan lalu lintas. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui penerapan hukum pidana materil dalam perkara kasus kecelakaan lalu lintas menggunakan kendaraan bermotor yang menyebabkan matinya orang lain dan menyebabkan orang lain mengalami luka sedemikian rupa dan untuk mengetahui pertimbangan hakim dalam menjatuhkan putusan terhadap kasus kecelakaan lalu lintas dalam perkara putusan Studi Kasus Putusan Nomor 494/Pid.Sus/2016/PN. Kis. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di Instansi Pengadilan Negeri Kisaran. Untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut penulis menggunakan teknik pengumpulan data berupa penelitian pustaka, penelitian lapangan dan selanjutnya data yang diperoleh secara deskriptif. Penerapan hukum pidana dalam putusan Nomor 494/Pid.Sus/2016/PN. Kis. belum sesuai dengan ketentuan, Mengingat ilmu hukum mengenal adanya asas yang menyatakan bahwa peraturan yang lebih khusus diutamakan dari peraturan yang umum sifatnya (lex spesialis degorat lex generalis), dalam artian Undang-undang Lalu Lintas dan Jalan Raya Nomor 22 Tahun 2009 (lex spesialis) mengenyampingkan KUHPidana (lex generalis). Dalam Kasus ini Pasal 310 Undang-Undang Lalu Lintas dan Angkutan Jalan mengenyampingkan Pasal 359 dan Pasal 360 ayat (2) KUHPidana. Namun hakim menetapkan Pasal 359 dan 360 ayat (2) KUHPidana. Adapun dalam kasus ini seharusnya tuntutan hukum yang dibuat penuntut umum dalam bentuk surat dakwaan pada tindak pidana yang karena kesalahannya/ kelalaian yang menyebabkan matinya orang dan melanggar Pasal 310 Undang-Undang Nomor 22 Tahun 2009 tentang Lalu Lintas dan Angkutan Jalan. Hakim menjatuhkan pidana penjara terhadap terdakwa mempunyai banyak pertimbangan dengan terpenuhinya unsur-unsur sesuai dengan pasal yang di dakwakan dan tidak ada alasan pembenar, dan hal-hal yang meringankan dan memberatkan serta yang diperkuat dengan adanya keyakinan hakim, pidana penjara selama 1 (satu) bulan 10 (sepuluh) hari, dan membebankan kepada terdakwa untuk membayar biaya perkara sebesar Rp. 5.000,- (lima ribu rupiah

Locomotion in Homo floresiensis: reconstructing foot use from the internal bone structure of the metatarsals of LB1

The enigmatic Homo floresiensis displays a unique combination of cranial and post-cranial morphology [1-3], distinguishing it from other species of the genus Homo. Although its skeletal anatomy shows clear adaptations for terrestrial bipedalism, it also retains a suite of features conducive to arboreal behaviours. Thus, exactly how the locomotor behaviours of H. floresiensis compare with those of other hominins remains an important research question. The foot of the holotype (LB1) is long relative to its femoral length, has a longer forefoot than hindfoot, long phalanges relative to the non-hallucial metatarsals (Mts), and a short Mt1 relative to the other Mts [3]. However, it also possesses a human-like Mt head morphology and relative robusticity pattern [2-3]. Here, we assess the internal morphology of the Mts of LB1 to further assess foot functional morphology and locomotor kinematics in H. floresiensis. Using high resolution micro-CT scans of the Mts of LB1 and a comparative sample of Homo sapiens (N=10), Pan troglodytes (N=15), Pan paniscus (N=15), Gorilla spp. (N=10) and Pongo spp. (N=9), we conducted a cross-sectional geometric analysis at mid-shaft and analysis of trabecular bone distribution in the Mt head. As the head was only fully preserved for the right Mt5 of LB1, trabecular analysis was limited to this element.Cross-sectional geometry of the Mts at mid-shaft distinguishes between ape-like and human-like biomechanics, with greater loading of the Mt2 and Mt3 in apes compared with more lateral loading in humans [4]. The Mts of LB1 are internally robust, having a high cross-sectional area relative to bone length. Results show that the relative strength of the Mts, based on the internal structure, differs from the previously reported human-like pattern, which was based on external measurements of midshaft circumference [2-3]. We find that, after scaling by total bone length, the robusticity pattern for the left Mts of LB1 is 1>2>5>3>4 for CSA and Z, and 1>5>2>4>3 for J. Although there is some variation among humans, in general the Mt3 and Mt2 have lower measures of robusticity than the Mt4 and Mt5 [4]. In LB1, the Mt2 is consistently more robust than is expected in humans, with the pattern being 1>2/5>3/4 compared to 1>4/5>2/3 in humans. The distribution of trabecular bone in the Mt5 head distinguishes between locomotor groups. In H. sapiens, where the foot is loaded in dorsiflexion there is a dorsal concentration of bone, which is asymmetric in extending dorsomedially. In African apes, where the toes are positioned dorsally during knuckle-walking and disto-plantarly during climbing (depending on substrate size) the distribution of trabecular bone extends dorsally to plantarly on the metatarsal head. In Pongo, trabecular bone is distributed distally and plantarly reflecting a grasping foot. The distribution of trabecular bone in the Mt5 of LB1 is located dorsally and distally but does not extend plantarly. This distribution pattern differs from humans in being centrally located, rather than medially, and in extending further distally. This suggests that the metatarsophalangeal joint in LB1 was loaded in a more a neutral position than in humans.Together, the results suggest that loading of the foot of H. floresiensis differed from modern humans. First, the distribution of load across the foot was likely higher in the Mt2, a feature that could relate to higher loading of the second ray in a foot with a relatively short first ray. Secondly, the trabecular pattern suggests loading of the Mt5 head more distally than in humans, and with less asymmetric loading. This differing position of the metatarsophalangeal joint could be related to the long, curved phalanges of LB1. Future research exploring whole-bone cortical and trabecular structure of the metatarsals will shed new light on the kinematics of locomotion in H. floresiensis

Early ground axe technology in Wallacea: The first excavations on Obi Island.

The first excavations on Obi Island, north-east Wallacea, reveal three phases of occupation beginning in the terminal Pleistocene. Ground shell artefacts appear at the end of the terminal Pleistocene, the earliest examples in Wallacea. In the subsequent early Holocene occupation phase, ground stone axe flakes appear, which are again the earliest examples in Wallacea. Ground axes were likely instrumental to subsistence in Obi's dense tropical forest. From ~8000 BP there was a hiatus lasting several millennia, perhaps because increased precipitation and forest density made the sites inhospitable. The site was reoccupied in the Metal Age, with this third phase including quadrangular ground stone artefacts, as well as pottery and pigs; reflecting Austronesian influences. Greater connectivity at this time is also indicated by an Oliva shell bead tradition that occurs in southern Wallacea and an exotic obsidian artefact. The emergence of ground axes on Obi is an independent example of a broader pattern of intensification at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in Wallacea and New Guinea, evincing human innovation in response to rapid environmental change

Island migration and foraging behaviour by anatomically modern humans during the late Pleistocene to Holocene in Wallacea: New evidence from Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Maritime migration and island adaptation by anatomically modern humans (AMH) are among the most significant issues in Southeast Asian anthropology and archaeology, and directly related to their behavioural and technological advancements. A major research hotspot is Wallacean islands located between the past Sunda and Sahul continents during the late Pleistocene. The gaps between the Wallacean islands and both landmasses are very likely the major factor for the relative scarcity of animal species originating from Asia and Oceania and the high diversity of endemic species in Wallacea. They are also considered as a barrier for hominin migration into Wallacean islands and Sahul continent. We report new archaeological research on the eastern coast of Sulawesi, which could have been the most potential location for the early AMH migration by sea crossings from the Maluku Islands along the northern routes towards Sahul. Based on the new findings, we discuss the evidence and timeline for migrations of early modern humans into the Wallacean islands. This includes an overview of the excavated stone and bone artefacts and faunal remains in the region in the context of changes in human foraging behaviour as well as the technological and cognitive aspects of human adaptation as a response to rapidly changing ecological conditions during the late Pleistocene to Holocene periods

Inferring Human Activities From the Late Pleistocene to Holocene in Topogaro 2, Central Sulawesi Through Use-Wear Analysis

Recent excavations in Topogaro 2 Cave, Central Sulawesi produced an archaeological sequence beginning c. 29 ka. The site is located along the eastern coast of Sulawesi, a key location for prehistoric movements from mainland Southeast Asia to Sahul through Wallacea during the Late Pleistocene. In this paper, we test our hypothesis that prehistoric activities associated with hunter-gatherers can be identified through the study of microscopic traces on stone tools and their functions. We report on the use-wear analysis on lithic tools from the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene. Our results indicate that a variety of activities were conducted at the site throughout its occupation. While most of the artefacts with use-wear traces were unmodified flakes typical for this region, a number of retouched tools provided indication of specialised functions and certain traits of modern behaviour such as the possible use of hafted projectile implements. Plant processing, an activity associated with the development of tool assemblages from Island Southeast Asia supporting the ‘Bamboo Hypothesis’, was also identified. The results contribute to our understanding of technology and behaviour in the Late Pleistocene in Wallacea, an important geographical region to discuss island adaptation and human migrations