Page 70 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

Neolithic sites in Maluku, such as Golo Cave, Gebe Island, Uattamdi Cave in Kayoa Island,
Tanjung Pinang Abris Sous Rochein Morotai, and Siti Nafsiah Cave in Halmahera (Bellwood,
1998, Simanjuntak et al., 2012a). Also discovered were the Neolithic inhabitation in caves
in Timor Leste shown by the fossils of domesticated pigs (susscrofa and suscelebencis)
along with fragments of earthen ceramics dated back to 2,500 – 2,000 BC150 (Glover,
1972, 1981, Glover, 1973). On Ai Island, near Banda, a Neolithic Site with domesticated pigs
dated back to 3,100 years ago was also discovered (Bellwood, 2000). On the South coast
of Seram, there are further Neolithic sites that have not yet been researched intensively.
There are plenty more Neolithic sites indicating the presence of Austronesian speaking
settlers in these areas. The evidence shows that since 3,000 years ago, Austronesian
speaking settlers occupied various islands. Different communities interacted with each
other intensively using sea transportation. Their characteristic lifestyle consisted of
hunting and domesticating certain animals and plants, and also making use of the water
biosphere. Furthermore, they practiced a burial system without earthenware or without
containers; they used axes, earthen ceramics, and other tools; they made clothes from
tree bark; and they created jewelry made of clamshells and other materials (Lape,
2000). The Austronesian speaking dwellers in the western part of Indonesia also lived in
caves where the Melanesian population lived, and some of them lived out in the open.
Interactions among them happened easily, resulting in cultural adaption and interracial
marriage. The Golo Cave on Gebe Island, Leang Lemdubu on Aru Islands, and Abris Sous
Roche of Tanjung Pinang in Morotai were caves where evidence reveals the continuity of
inhabitation between the existing dwellers and the new settlers.
The Austronesian speaking migrants had continued spreading to the east, most
probably along several routes and this kept recurring until the Proto-historic Era. The
existence of Neolithic, Megalithic, and Paleolithic sites supports this. The influx of new
settlers certainly influenced the existing culture including the language, and physical
characteristics of the existing local population. One of the migration pathways was via the
Maluku Islands continuing toward Papua. This is supported by the copious discovery of
artifacts such as earthen ceramics ornamented with red paint in some archaeological sites
in Papua. These artifacts have also been found in the Pacific, the Philippines, and Taiwan;
they are associated with the culture introduced by Austronesian speaking settlers when
they migrated from Taiwan. Stone pickaxes or clamshells and oblong axes found along
with the earthen ceramics are indicative of Austronesian culture.

70 Chapter 1

MELANESIA BOOK FA LAYOUT 051216.indd 70 2/10/17 2:10 PM