Rock paintings reveal deep history<\/p>\n
By Bernard Estrade<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (AFP): The discovery of a series of rock paintings in
\nlost caves along Kalimantan island has opened up new perspectives
\non the prehistoric era in the region between Southeast Asia and
\nAustralia.<\/p>\n
Pictures and notes taken from the limestone caves in the
\nregion northwest of Sangkuliran in the Indonesian province of
\nEast Kalimantan offers analogies with rock art found in the
\nregion stretching up to Australia.<\/p>\n
The similarities could throw light on contacts and influences
\nof aboriginal communities to the west of the Makassar strait more
\nthan 10,000 years ago when a fall in the sea level allowed freer
\nmovement.<\/p>\n
However, explorers, scientists and researchers from a Franco-
\nIndonesian team which made the discovery, has counseled utmost
\ncaution on the findings so as to avoid controversy.<\/p>\n
Jean-Michel Chazine, ethno-archeologist from France's national
\ncenter for scientific research, CNRS, who, along with
\nspeleologist Luc-Henri Fage carried out expeditions in one of the
\nremotest regions, tries hard to suppress enthusiasm.<\/p>\n
"The number, quality of conservation and variety of motifs are
\ncompletely new for Borneo (Kalimantan). The diversity and
\nuniqueness of the paintings demand urgent attention and a much
\nbigger investigation than what has been conducted so far,"
\nChazine said.<\/p>\n
"The researches under way in neighboring areas could profit
\nfrom the discovery of these paintings which throw new light on
\nthe position of space in insular Southeast Asia," he said.<\/p>\n
Chazine said it was highly probable that the profusion of
\nhands depicted in a fan-like design bear a "striking analogy to
\nthe representations made by the Australian Aborigines."<\/p>\n
Traces of some stenciled hand evoke tattoos "which are very
\nfrequent in the Aborigines' pictorial expression," he said.<\/p>\n
The dating of the paintings awaits finalization and is
\ncurrently put at anywhere between 6,000 to 20,000 years ago.<\/p>\n
Moreover, it is yet to be ascertained whether there is an
\nindigenous style in Kalimantan or if there are links to the art
\nin neighboring areas.<\/p>\n
The work on the paintings, in which Pindi Setiawan of the
\nrenowned Institute of Technology of Bandung has a big role, began
\nabout 10 years ago. Fage had quite by chance found some charcoal
\ndesigns in Kalimantan in 1988.<\/p>\n
The first expedition, along with Chazine, mounted in 1992,
\nshowed central Kalimantan was indeed populated 3,000 years ago.<\/p>\n
Since then, they have returned every year except last year
\nwhen a gigantic fire ravaged the region and early this year amid
\nelections and political instability.<\/p>\n
But when the team, backed by Indonesia's tourism ministry
\nrecommenced its work in September, it was in for a big surprise.<\/p>",
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