Abstract
This article discusses rock art in Misool, Raja Ampat Region, West Papua, and thier relationship to the Austronesian speakers’ painting tradition and its cultures. This paper aims to relate the motifs in 10 rock art sites in Misool: Len Makana 1, Len Makana 2, Len Makana 3, Nu Tonton, Sun Bayo 1, Sun Bayo 2, Sun Malele 1, Sun Malele 2, Sun Malele 3, and Sun Malele 4. It examines the paintings in terms of Ballard and O’Connor’s concept of the Austronesian Painting Tradition (APT). This study shows that there are some indications of Austronesian cultures depicted in rock art motifs in Misool, which can be categorised as APT. These indications consist of: the sites located in the distribution area of Austronesian language, the motifs locations, and the depiction of motifs such as hand-stencils, anthropomorphic, face or mask images, sun motifs, stone artifacts, and boats. Keywords: rock art, Austronesian, Austronesian Painting Tradition (APT), Misool, Raja Ampat
Highlights
The development of human culture during the prehistoric era grew slowly over time
There are a number of experts who argue that rock art in Indonesia was a continuous tradition until the Neolithic period, the rock art tradition made by early Austronesian speaking communities in the past
This study will try to see the connection between the shape and characteristics of the motifs found in the rock art in Misool using Austronesian Painting Tradition (APT) theory and Austronesian culture described within the theory
Summary
The development of human culture during the prehistoric era grew slowly over time. after the transition from the Middle Palaeolithic period towards the Upper Palaeolithic, there was a creative explosion that was proven by the birth of the first art in the world (Lewis-William, 2002). A Reflection of Painting Tradition and Culture of the Austronesian Based on the Rock Art in Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua of paintings or sculptures placed on natural and hard surfaces, such as large boulders, walls and ceilings of caves, cliff walls, and ground surfaces (Setiawan, 2015; Whitley, 2011). These cultural products, which are identical to the advanced huntergatherer society (Pasaribu, 2016; Poesponegoro & Notosusanto, 2008; Howell, 1980), have become one of the archaeological phenomena that are gaining great attention in Indonesia. The experts tend to designate the rock art made by Austronesian speakers as the Austronesian Painting Tradition (APT) (O'Connor, Louys, Shimona, & Shimona, 2015; Ballard, 1992; Wilson, 2004)
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