Page 58 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

Tulungagung. Evidence of this early use of nuts and grains has also been found outside
Indonesia, in Spirit Cave (Thailand). A variety of nuts, seeds, grains, gourds and vegetables
were found there: almonds (Prunus, catappa (Terminalia), areca nut (Areca), beans (Vicia,
Pisum, Trape, Madhuca), calabash (Lagenaria), pepper (Piper), canarium nut (Canarium),
candlenut (Aleurites), and cucumber (Cucumis) of the border layer of Pleistocene-Holocene
(Simanjuntak, 2002).
At a site in Kuk Swamp, in the highlands in Papua New Guinea, swamp drying ditches
for farming were found. These were among the oldest in the world. It is thought that this
development had been going on from at least since 10,000 years ago with three stages of
development: (1) exploitation and cultivation at the edge of the wetlands occurring around
10,220-9,910 years ago; (2) mounding cultivation that took place around 6,950-6,440 years
ago; and (3) ditched cultivation of around 4,350-3,980 years ago. The main plant cultivated
from the beginning of Holocene was Caladium (Colocasia esculenta), while banana (Musa
spp.) started to be cultivated intensively from 6,950-6,440 years ago.
Grain findings are generally still rare and usually loose finds in various sites in the
archipelago suggest these were subsidiary activities to the major subsistence activity of
hunting. In this case, it is worth mentioning the report about the flake-blade tools with
edge gloss found in cave sites in Timor and South Sulawesi (Denham et al., 2003) which
are thought to have been used for cutting grasses, including cereals and grains such as
barley or millet (Glover, 1981). Such a claim needs to be further investigated to find out the
types of cereals and their dating. There is not yet widespread evidence for the widespread
domestication of animals during this period. Research findings are still rare. There is
evidence of pig domestication in Papua New Guinea dated at around 6,000-5,000 years
ago (Bellwood, 1979), but this is not enough to assume it occurred also in other regions.
However, agricultural activity had developed well in this region and pigs were already
being domesticated (Golson and Hughes, 1980).
Fireplace activities were more intensive among the cave inhabitants. Often, the fireplace
remains formed a thick layer showing their sustained use by the inhabitants. In Braholo
Cave, Mount Kidul, for example, there was a continuous layer 3 cm thick representing a
period of use of 5,000 years between 9,000-4,000 years ago. In Song Keplek, the fireplace
layers moved around in the western part of the cave, but they were not as thick as those
in Braholo Cave. Often there were tools and animal bones inside the fireplace, which were
partly burned, perhaps by accident because they had been too close to the fire. Signs of
utilization can be seen in certain tools made of bones; where traces of burning at the sharp

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