Hand stencils and boats in the painted rock art of the karst region of Muna Island, Southeast Sulawesi

Abstract

The rock paintings of Muna Island first became the subject of research by Indonesia's National Research Centre of Archaeology in Jakarta, Indonesia, almost 40 years ago. Since then, a large assortment of images has been documented, the majority of which are done using brown pigment. The rock art includes figurative motifs such as anthropomorphs, zoomorphs, sun and boat imagery, sometimes in active scenes like hunting and sailing, as well as non-figurative motifs. In 2005, the first observations of negative hand stencils on Muna Island were made at Gua Pominsa by the Makassar Archaeology Office. In 2015, more negative hand stencils were recorded at two further Muna Island sites (Gua Mentanduno and Gua Kabori) by the Directorate of Cultural Property Preservation and Museums, and in 2016 a new site with parietal art (Gua Lakan Taghu) was discovered. Analysis of the Muna Island boat imagery documents the depiction of five propulsion methods, providing an insight into the navigation technology of Muna Island's Austronesian inhabitants. These new developments in rock art research on Muna Island are described here, expanding the catalogue and contributing to a wider understanding of Island Southeast Asian rock art.

A Latest Discovery of Austronesian Rock Art in the North Peninsula of Buano Island, Maluku

“…In addition to rock art findings, many historical, archaeological studies have contributed to the chronological information of human settlements in Figure 3. Variety of rock art findings in the Maluku Islands with an estimated age range based on dating tests from environmental samples from supporting sites (not from rock art samples themselves), from left to right, top to bottom: hand stencil motifs at Wamkana Site (Buru Island ± 7,000 years), geometric motifs at Tanjung Bintang (North Coast of Buano Island), anthropomorphic motifs at Hatupatola Hill (Seram Island), hand stencil motifs at Sawai Site (Seram Island ± 3,000 years), geometric motifs at Watu Sika Site (Seram Laut Island), human face motifs at Ohoidertawun Site (Kei Islands ± 2,000 years), boat motifs at Kaimear Site (Kei Islands), engraving foot motifs at Lisaibam Cave (Aru Islands ± 27,000 years), boat motifs in Tawuwun Cave (Wetang Island, Babar Islands), anthropomorphic and animal motifs in Her Sor Sorot (Kisar Island ± 15,000 years) (Source: Author's Documentation, 2016; Kealy, Wattimena, & O'Connor, 2018;Mujabuddawat, 2019bMujabuddawat, , 2019aOktaviana et al, 2018; Ririmasse, 2013; Salhuteru, 2009b; Wattimena, Nussy, & Ferdinandus, 2019; Wattimena, Peseletehaha, et al, 2019) the Maluku Islands, including the dating test at the location of Fatiba Cave, Sanana Island, showing the numbers 16,200-17,200 cal BP (Tanudirjo, 2001). Referring to the dating results of pottery fragments found in Ay Island, Banda Islands is known to be 2,887-3,827 cal BP, indicating the oldest cultural findings being 8,000 years old (Lape, 2000(Lape, , 2002(Lape, , 2003.…”

“…Rock art is also one of the most supportive references to build the narrative of early human settlement and its distribution path (Arifin, 1992;Arifin & Delanghe, 2004;Tan, 2014;Widianto et al, 2017). Rock art throughout the Indonesian archipelago generally found in the character of the limestone environment in the form of niches, caves, rock walls, and boulders in coastal and mountainous areas O'Connor, Mahirta, Tanudirjo, et al, 2018;O'Connor & Oliveira, 2007;Oktaviana, 2018;Oktaviana, Lape, & Ririmasse, 2016;Sugiyanto, 2018).…”

Rock Art at Kel Lein Site, Kaimear Islands, Maluku

“…So far, two common questions in studying rock art in the Indonesian Archipelago universally are related to 1) morphology, distribution, and color; 2) The origin of the human supporters; 3) Related to the dating of rock art sites. Whereas in the Maluku Islands, the focus of rock art research until now has focused more on the description of shape, position, regional and regional similarities in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Brumm et al, 2017;Fauzi et al, 2019;Leihitu & Permana, 2019;Nur, 2018;O'Connor, 2003;O'Connor, Mahirta, Tanudirjo, et al, 2018;Oktaviana, 2018aOktaviana, , 2018bOktaviana, Setiawan, & Saptomo, 2016;Pasaribu, 2016;Pasaribu & Permana, 2017;Suryatman et al, 2019). Ririmasse (2007) argues that the study of rock art in the Maluku Islands is fundamental.…”

Hand stencils and communal history: A case study from Auwim, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea

“…6.4;Nelson et al, 2006Nelson et al, , 2017Nowell, 2021, pp. 74-76, see table 3.3;Pettitt et al, 2014Pettitt et al, , 2015Rabazo-Rodríguez et al, 2017;Snow, 2006Snow, , 2013, the Americas (e.g., Bahn, 1998;Guichón & Re, 2021;Onetto & Podestá, 2011), Southeast Asia (especially Indonesia, Thailand and parts of China (e.g., see Aubert et al, 2014Aubert et al, , 2018Chazine, 2005;Chazine & Noury, 2006;Oktaviana et al, 2016;Solheim & Gorman, 1964;Standish et al, 2020;Taçon et al, 2016)), Australia (e.g., Gunn. 2006;Hayward et al, 2018;Moore, 1977;Quinnell, 1976;Taçon et al, 2010;Walsh, 1979), New Guinea (e.g., Arifin & Delanghe, 2004;Edwards & Sullivan, 2008;Gabriel & Gorecki, 2014;Röder, 1938;Tsang et al, 2020Tsang et al, , 2021Tsang et al, , 2022 and the greater western Pacific islands (e.g., Ballard, 1992;Rosenfeld, 1988;Sand et al, 2006;Specht, 1979;Wilson, 2002;Wilson & Ballard, 2018).…”