Liang Bua, human evolution study center

Liang Bua, human evolution study center

Yemris Fointuna
The Jakarta Post/Manggarai

At the end of October, the fossilized remains of a one-meter-
tall hominid were discovered in Flores island, which lies within
East Nusa Tenggara province.

The Jakarta Post's Yemris Fointuna has written a profile of
Liang Bua, where the discovery was made. The accompanying article
makes reference to the role of dwarfs in Flores mythology.

Liang Bua, a village nearby the main town of Ruteng in
Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara province, has abruptly shot
to world fame. Scientists, particularly anthropologists and
archeologists, have been drawn to it for its valuable find in
human evolution, a mystery long hidden in a cave.

The conical cave, measuring 50 meters by 70 m and about 20 m
in height, testifies to the activity of prehistoric men, now
known as homo floresiensis, on Flores island.

The fossil remains of a one-meter-tall hominid were discovered
by Indonesian, Australian, American and Dutch scientists during a
mission that began last year.

The Flores hominid, according to some world experts, is the
shortest human species found in the last 100 years. It is
believed that the hominid had dark and scaly skin, making its
discovery a breakthrough in evolutionary studies.

Flores men are believed to have migrated from Java 850,000
years ago and once coexisted with homo sapiens, or modern men,
before the extinction of the ancestral form some 13,000 years
back, following a volcanic storm.

According to experts, these little men mostly lived in
isolation in forested areas and liked hunting in West Flores.
They were originally a bit taller, but their secluded cave life
reduced their average height over the centuries.

Liang Bua, or Teras hamlet to be exact, is on the fringe of
Ruteng. Based on the town's master plan, it belongs to an
agricultural development zone, due to its fertile soil and
numerous springs.

It is about 15 kilometers south of Ruteng, or about an hour's
drive.

To reach the village of 2,000 people, visitors can take either
the hamlet route -- from Golopau to Waepeca to Tado to Rua to
Liang Bua -- or the southern route from Poco to Ting and Waemulu,
through farm land. All roads leading to the village are in bad
repair.

The virtually deserted and isolated area has apparently been
neglected by the government. Villagers prefer to walk to Ruteng
as they cannot afford public transportation fares.

The main means of public transportation in the village,
locally known as the "wooden bus", is a modified truck with
canvas roofing and seats.

With the discovery of the Flores hominid fossil, visitors
flocked to the village. "Most of them came from other regions to
see the place where the 'dwarf' was unearthed, as reported by the
mass media," cave guard Rikus Bandar told The Jakarta Post.

Tourists do not generally venture into the heart of the cave.
A tunnel is located within the cave, leading to a lake situated
around 200 meters below the earth's surface.

A hole of unknown depth is another notable feature of the
cave. But no outsider has been so bold as to enter the tunnel so
far.

Liang Bua village head Nikolaus Jehamur said he had frequently
appealed to the people living around the cave to move to a new
settlement, but they refused to leave, claiming that the cave was
part of their heritage.

For the villagers, the cave is something that has always been
there. They have participated in its management since 1980, when
the regional administration declared the site a tourist
destination. "We are pleasantly surprised to see that our village
has become world-famous after the discovery of the Flores
fossil," he added.

According to Agus Mangga and Rikus Bandar, both assigned to
watch over the cave, archeological teams have visited the
location almost every year. "They've been digging and seeking
fossils and stones, but we have no idea what they are after.
We're just helping them," said Agus.

Head of the archeology and history unit of East Nusa
Tenggara's National Education Office, Siktus Tey Seran, said on a
separate occasion that the cave had been explored by teams of
experts from Jakarta, Bandung, Australia and America from 1976 to
2003, and this year elephant and human fossils were discovered.

"It has been explored many times, but the results of their
studies is not our concern, we are only accompanying them," said
Tey Seran.

The most recent research and excavation project at the cave
was carried out by the National Archeology Agency together with
Australia's New England University and Canada's Marter Mark
University.

Prof. Dr. Soejono headed the Indonesian team comprising
Jatmiko, Emanuel Wahyu Saptomo, Sri Warsito and Rokus Due Awe.

Prof. Dr. Mike Marword, assisted by Douglas Hobbs, led the
Australian group while Canada's team comprised Jack Rink, Bert
Roberts and Karrie Grant.