Pedo-sedimentary dynamics of Sangiran dome hominid bearing layers (L/M Pleistocene, Java central, Indonesia): a paleopedological approach of ‘Pithecanthropus’ (Javanese Homo erectus) environments

Abstract

The climatic shifts during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition in Island Southeast Asia resulted in dramatic changes in landscape configurations which are presumed to have had greatly impacted vertebrate community composition and in turn human subsistence economies. Zooarcheological investigations in the region have provided information on how ancient foraging communities responded to these changes. However the complete picture remains to be elucidated. In this paper we present preliminary results of an ongoing analysis of faunal remains recovered from Braholo Cave in Eastern Java. We observed an overwhelming predominance of arboreal and semi-arboreal fauna, most notably the Javan langur, in the Late Pleistocene and Early-Mid Holocene deposits of the cave. In contrast earlier cave deposits were dominated by animal taxa generally associated with open environments such as bovids and cervids. This reflects forest expansion at the onset of the Holocene, albeit it also suggests deliberate targeting of specific taxa. The wide range of terrestrial, arboreal and aquatic species from various ecological niches suggests that the humans that inhabited the site subsisted on a mosaic of environments. It also hints on their intimate knowledge of these environments and the presence of different hunting technologies. Zooarchaeological parameters such as mortality profiles and body part representation allowed us to describe certain aspects of these hunting technologies. Our results provide unique insights on subsistence strategies of prehistoric foraging communities and the environment they encountered in Java during a key period in human history.