L’origine des artefacts d’obsidienne de Gua Pawon, Dago et Bukit Karsamanik à Bandung, Indonésie

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study to determine whether the obsidian artifacts found in Gua Pawon, Dago and Bukit Karsamanik in Bandung came from the well-known sources of Gunung Kendan in Nagreg, Kampung Rejeng in Garut or elsewhere. Obsidian artifacts for this study were obtained from earlier archaeological excavations at Gua Pawon and survey at the sites of Dago and Bukit Karsamanik in Bandung. Samples of obsidian were also collected from the known obsidian sources in Gunung Kendan in Nagreg and Kampung Rejeng in Garut for comparative purposes. Analyses of these samples were done on a scanning electron microscope using the energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer at the University of Science, Malaysia, Penang and the electron microprobe at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. Multielement analysis was undertaken, and statistical procedures were performed on data obtained from the artifacts and the sources. The results of the study thus far suggested that the obsidian artifacts from Gua Pawon were made using obsidian obtained from bath Gunung Kendan and Kampung Rejeng sources while those from Dago and Bukit Karsamanik have yet to be determined. More samples from all the known obsidian sources are needed to determine the variability within and between all the different sources. Temporally the study also revealed that prehistoric humans at Gua Pawon exploited or used the same obsidian resources over several thousands of years.