TIKUS SEBAGAI SUMBER KALORI BAGI MANUSIA PURBA LIANG BUA, FLORES BARAT, NUSA TENGGARA TIMUR

Liang Bua Cave reserved evidences of human evolution in form of different species hominins called Homo floresiensis, lived by hunting and gathering. This study aims to describe the utilization of rats as the source of calories for Homo floresiensis. The data in this study are gathered through literature review, observation of the excavation result, and interview. Analysed by qualitative analysis method and zooarchaeology analysis. Ecological theory and subsistence theory are used as the rationale for reviewing how the utilization of environmental resources was done by human in the past. These rats remains are discovered on the same layer as Homo floresiensis and associated with lithic artifacts. Therefore, it is assumed that Homo floresiensis hunted these faunas to sustain its life. A giant rat is the most possible consumed species due to its size which is smaller than the hominins, yet considerably big to fulfil the needs of calories of the hominin. Situs Liang Bua menyimpan bukti-bukti evolusi manusia dalam bentuk temuan hominin dari spesies yang berbeda yaitu Homo floresiensis, yang hidup dengan berburu dan mengumpulkan makanan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan pemanfaatan tikus sebagai sumber kalori oleh Homo floresiensis. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan kajian pustaka, pengamatan hasil ekskavasi, dan wawancara. Analisis menggunakan metode kualitatif dan zooarkeologi. Teori ekologi dan teori subsistensi digunakan sebagai dasar pemikiran mengenai pemanfaatan sumber daya lingkungan untuk sumber makanan manusia di masa lalu. Temuan tulang tikus ditemukan pada lapisan yang sama dengan Homo floresiensis dan berasosiasi dengan artefak litik sehingga diasumsikan bahwa Homo floresiensis melakukan perburuan terhadap tikus dalam rangka memenuhi kebutuhan hidupnya. Temuan tulang dari jenis tikus besar paling mungkin dijadikan hewan buruan untuk dikonsumsi karena ukurannya yang lebih kecil dari Homo floresiensis namun cukup besar untuk memenuhi kebutuhan kalori hominin tersebut

Faunal Remains From Diang Mahang In Kalimantan: Taxonomic Identification And Their Archaeological Context: Sisa Fauna dari Diang Mahang di Kalimantan: Identifikasi Taksonomis dan Konteks Arkeologinya

Faunal remains, both vertebrates and invertebrates, are important discoveries in archaeological research. Such proxy may provide information on the identity of animal species which may associate with human at a site. This research aims to understand the existence of faunal remains in the rockshelter of Diang Mahang to further comprehend the interaction of humans and their environment in the past. No research involving animal remains in this region has been conducted before. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a taxonomic identification of the faunal remains related to human activities in the past in Diang Mahang. This study applies a qualitative-analytic method with inductive reasoning. The analysis was performed by observing the diagnostic characteristics of a bone to determine its taxonomic identity. Results of diagnostic characteristics showed that vertebrate remains comprise three main classes, i.e., Mammals, Reptiles, and Pisces. The remains of the invertebrate consist of Molluscs and Arthropods. Marine Cypraeid also existed but was not of the edible variety. Contextually, faunal remains are associated with lithics and pottery, indicating a micro-scale activity in Diang Mahang related to humans’ daily life in the rockshelter

Revised age and stratigraphy of the classic Homo erectus-bearing succession at Trinil (Java, Indonesia)

Obtaining accurate age control for fossils found on Java (Indonesia) has been and remains challenging due to geochronologic and stratigraphic uncertainties. In the 1890s, Dubois excavated numerous faunal fossils—including the first remains of Homo erectus—in sediments exposed along the Solo River at Trinil. Since then, various, and often contradictory age estimates have been proposed for the Trinil site and its fossils. However, the age of the fossil-bearing layers and the fossil assemblage remains inconclusive. This study constructs a chronostratigraphic framework for the Trinil site by documenting new stratigraphic sections and test pits, and by applying 40Ar/39Ar, paleomagnetic, and luminescence (pIRIR290) dating methods. Our study identifies two distinct, highly fossiliferous channel fills at the Trinil site. The stratigraphically lower Bone-Bearing Channel 1 (BBC-1) dates to 830–773 ka, while Bone-Bearing Channel 2 (BBC-2) is substantially younger with a maximum age of 450 ± 110 ka and an inferred minimum age of 430 ± 50 ka. Furthermore, significantly younger T2 terrace deposits are present at similar low elevations as BBC-1 and BBC-2. Our results demonstrate the presence of Early and Middle Pleistocene, and potentially even late Middle to Late Pleistocene fossiliferous sediments within the historical excavation area, suggesting that Dubois excavated fossils from at least three highly fossiliferous units with different ages. Moreover, evidence for reworking suggests that material found in the fossil-rich strata may originate from older deposits, introducing an additional source of temporal heterogeneity in the Trinil fossil assemblage. This challenges the current assumption that the Trinil H.K. fauna –which includes Homo erectus-is a homogeneous biostratigraphic unit. Furthermore, this scenario might explain why the Trinil skullcap collected by Dubois is tentatively grouped with Homo erectus fossils from Early Pleistocene sediments at Sangiran, while Trinil Femur I shares affinities with hominin fossils of Late Pleistocene age

Revised age and stratigraphy of the classic Homo erectus-bearing succession at Trinil (Java, Indonesia)

International audienceObtaining accurate age control for fossils found on Java (Indonesia) has been and remains challenging due to geochronologic and stratigraphic uncertainties. In the 1890s, Dubois excavated numerous faunal fossils—including the first remains of Homo erectus—in sediments exposed along the Solo River at Trinil. Since then, various, and often contradictory age estimates have been proposed for the Trinil site and its fossils. However, the age of the fossil-bearing layers and the fossil assemblage remains inconclusive. This study constructs a chronostratigraphic framework for the Trinil site by documenting new stratigraphic sections and test pits, and by applying 40Ar/39Ar, paleomagnetic, and luminescence (pIRIR290) dating methods. Our study identifies two distinct, highly fossiliferous channel fills at the Trinil site. The stratigraphically lower Bone-Bearing Channel 1 (BBC-1) dates to 830–773 ka, while Bone-Bearing Channel 2 (BBC-2) is substantially younger with a maximum age of 450 ± 110 ka and an inferred minimum age of 430 ± 50 ka. Furthermore, significantly younger T2 terrace deposits are present at similar low elevations as BBC-1 and BBC-2. Our results demonstrate the presence of Early and Middle Pleistocene, and potentially even late Middle to Late Pleistocene fossiliferous sediments within the historical excavation area, suggesting that Dubois excavated fossils from at least three highly fossiliferous units with different ages. Moreover, evidence for reworking suggests that material found in the fossil-rich strata may originate from older deposits, introducing an additional source of temporal heterogeneity in the Trinil fossil assemblage. This challenges the current assumption that the Trinil H.K. fauna –which includes Homo erectus-is a homogeneous biostratigraphic unit. Furthermore, this scenario might explain why the Trinil skullcap collected by Dubois is tentatively grouped with Homo erectus fossils from Early Pleistocene sediments at Sangiran, while Trinil Femur I shares affinities with hominin fossils of Late Pleistocene age