Niah Cave Research Articles

Baseline survey of environmental parameters, radiation, and drip water hydrochemistry in Niah Caves (Sarawak, Malaysia)

Relict caves in fenglin karst may typically have numerous entrances and openings. Hence, they host a variety of environments in which parameters such as light, airflow, humidity, and temperature may vary significantly over short distances. Similarly, drip water hydrochemistry, including isotopic values, may vary due to different contributions of various sources and residence time in the karst. This study investigated environmental parameters, including radiation, using hand-held instruments, along a transect within several major caves in the Niah karst of Sarawak (Malaysia). This has led to a baseline data set which showed an inverse relationship between humidity and temperature, gamma radiation levels that are about 25% of that in surrounding non-karst region, and high percentages of twilight zones in the studied caves. Airflow was found to be variable, with high values of 530 m3/s in Painted Cave and 122 m2/s in parts of Gan Kira passage, with flow towards the southeast at the time of the study. The hydrochemistry of the drip water and surface water was also analyzed and found to be dominantly Ca–Mg–Cl water type which indicates dissolution of minerals through water–rock interaction. In addition, the cave environment, particularly air temperature, humidity, and ventilation, also influences the drip water composition and isotopic values. Three different origins (precipitation, evaporation, and paleo-recharge) of drip water have been identified through the δ18O-δ2H diagram. Enriched isotopic values were observed in the cave entrance due to increased evaporation caused by lower humidity and higher air temperature. Factor analysis identifies the key geochemical processes responsible for the drip water chemistry. The outcome of this study provides the first baseline environmental data for the Niah caves, which could support future initiatives for sustainable management of this famous archeological site in southeast Asia.

CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN AT A PREHISTORIC ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE: THE CASE OF THE NIAH CAVES IN SARAWAK, MALAYSIA

The Niah Caves are an important archaeological site that supports a resident population and is host to a large and growing number of visitors. Close monitoring, strict regulations, and careful management will be required in the long term to avoid pressures and threats from urban expansion, plantations, resource use, village growth, excessive tourist infrastructure and use, and service development. However, the absence of a formally written conservation and management plan prior to 2022 has left the heritage conservation and management of the Niah Cave site insufficient in addressing its management challenges. Hence, this paper analyses the conservation and management plan for the site through systematic observation, site analysis, and stakeholder interviews. The research focuses on documentation and recording, assessing the site’s importance, identifying all factors and issues, defining management policy, selecting management strategies, and monitoring and reviewing the plans for the site. The study aims to contribute to the conservation and preservation of the Niah Caves as a national park in Sarawak. Emphasis is placed on prioritising the preservation and management of archaeological sites and advocating for comprehensive planning and sustainable management practices for the conservation of cultural heritage.

The Outstanding Geology And Geoheritage Of The Niah Caves And Karst Area

This paper provides an overview of current information (including research results since 2011) on outstanding geological features of Niah karst region and caves, to support nomination of the property for World Heritage status. The geomorphology visible today is due to geological processes affecting the predominantly Miocene Subis Limestone since uplift: dissolution in vadose and phreatic zones, sediment deposition and removal, mechanical breakdown, speleothem formation and surface weathering. The caves developed at several levels in tropical tower karst (fenglin), with vertical cliffs, swamp notches and a semi-flooded epiphreatic cave network, evidence of ongoing karstification. The walls of relict Traders’ Cave have anastomosing ceiling grooves associated with wall notches indicating that it was partially filled with sediment and flow from large streams several times during its formation, prior to more recent mechanical breakdown. The numerous large and complex caves have high aesthetic value, with ceiling skylights and impressive entrances connecting to the surrounding forest. They contain speleothems (stalagmites and stalactites) of types rarely found elsewhere in the world. The Painted Cave holds one of the world’s largest cluster of unique crayback-like stalagmites, which are influenced by constructive activity of calcifying cyanobacteria and only form under limited environmental conditions of specific light levels and wind. Microbial activity can also be erosive and is likely responsible for pancake pinnacles and rare photokarren, reported here in Niah for the first time. In addition to their undisputed archaeological, cultural, ecosystems and conservation values, the Niah caves and karst region also have many interesting geological and geomorphological features, some of which are rare and hence have geoheritage value.

Two Late Pleistocene human femora from Trinil, Indonesia: Implications for body size and behavior in Southeast Asia

Late Pleistocene hominin postcranial specimens from Southeast Asia are relatively rare. Here we describe and place into temporal and geographic context two partial femora from the site of Trinil, Indonesia, which are dated stratigraphically and via Uranium-series direct dating to ca. 37–32 ka. The specimens, designated Trinil 9 and 10, include most of the diaphysis, with Trinil 9 being much better preserved. Microcomputed tomography is used to determine cross-sectional diaphyseal properties, with an emphasis on midshaft anteroposterior to mediolateral bending rigidity (Ix/Iy), which has been shown to relate to both body shape and activity level in modern humans. The body mass of Trinil 9 is estimated from cortical area and reconstructed length using new equations based on a Pleistocene reference sample. Comparisons are carried out with a large sample of Pleistocene and Holocene East Asian, African, and European/West Asian femora. Our results show that Trinil 9 has a high Ix/Iy ratio, most consistent with a relatively narrow-bodied male from a mobile hunting-gathering population. It has an estimated body mass of 55.4 kg and a stature of 156 cm, which are small relative to Late Pleistocene males worldwide, but larger than the penecontemporaneous Deep Skull femur from Niah Cave, Malaysia, which is very likely female. This suggests the presence of small-bodied active hunter-gatherers in Southeast Asia during the later Late Pleistocene. Trinil 9 also contrasts strongly in morphology with earlier partial femora from Trinil dating to the late Early-early Middle Pleistocene (Femora II–V), and to a lesser extent with the well-known complete Femur I, most likely dating to the terminal Middle-early Late Pleistocene. Temporal changes in morphology among femoral specimens from Trinil parallel those observed in Homo throughout the Old World during the Pleistocene and document these differences within a single site.

Становление погребальной практики на востоке Евразии: пещера Чжоукоудянь

This paper examines characteristic features of the Zhoukoudian cave. This site is rather well known to specialists, but mainly from the work of anthropologists, but not as a funerary complex. Therefore, there is every reason to consider its records from this point of view to understand how they fit into the general line of burial practice development in the eastern part of Asia. New carbon dates determine the cave age in the range of 33.5–38.4 thousand years cal. BP and turn it into the earliest burial complex of the region. However, in this case, there appears a gap of ten to fifteen thousand years between it and other Upper Paleolithic burials known in estern part of Asia. Besides Zhoukoudian, there were only two burial traditions in the Upper Paleolithic there. The first, in the north, is associated with the ritual burials of children (Mal’ta, Ushki, Upward Sun River) and suggested to be originated in the Eastern Europe, but seems was not inherited by the regular burial activity arose later in the Early Neolithic. The second, in the south, came up immediately as a regular burial practice being connected with cave interments, crouched position of the dead, after-death manipulations with their bodies, including cremation, and poor burial offerings (Xom Trai, Doi Pha Kan, Tron Bon Lei, Niah cave, Liang Nabulei Lisa, Liang Lembudu, etc.). The origin of this tradition is under question, but all Neolithic cultures to the south of Pearl River followed and abided it up to the agriculture spreading. Although ritual rites of the Zhoukoudian burials cannot be reconstructed because of the data dearth, ornaments assemblage definitely associates this site with north areas of Eurasia. Moreover, the distribution of the main jewelry types, found in the eastern part of Eurasia, has shown that those of Zhoukoudian cave (perforated animal teeth and bone tubes) are met to the sites located to the north, west and south-west of Baikal and absent to the east of it where eggshell beads were popular. This looks like that of the single area of two former kinds of ornaments was split into two parts by the eggshell bead bearers. From this, the Zhoukoudian cave has seemed culturally more associated with areas to the west of Baikal and the earliest waves of Homo sapiens intrusion into East Asia.

Further analyses of the Deep Skull femur from Niah Caves, Malaysia

Further analyses of the Deep Skull femur from Niah Caves, Malaysia

IMEJAN ZOOMORPHIC DALAM LUKISAN GUA PRASEJARAH, GUA KAIN HITAM (PAINTED CAVE) NIAH, SARAWAK

This article debates the zoomorphic images or images of animals that have been produced on prehistoric cave walls. Kain Hitam Cave or known as Painted Cave, located within the Niah Cave complex, is a cave that believed have been inhabited by Neolithic peoples. Inside the cave, there were a variety of artifacts including boat-shaped coffins, jewelry made of shells, bones, and ceramics. Inside the cave, there is also a cave painting that is produced on the wall using hematite material mixed with a mixture of plant material. The main focus of this article is to record all the animal images found inside the cave wall. This research also attempted to document images digitally. The researchers produced a re-image using Adobe Photoshop's digital software. The results of this research are to collect a more organized and detailed collection of images.

Archaeological Investigations at the Trader's Cave,Niah National Park: Reports on the Second and Third (2018 & 2019) Field Seasons

In November 2017, 50 years after Tom and Barbara Harrisson completed their excavations in the West Mouth of the Niah Great Cave Complex (NGCC), we began archaeological excavations in the Trader's Cave (Fig.1). While the area containing the Niah Caves was privately owned land at the time the Harrissons undertook their research it was gazetted as a National Park in 1974 and today comprises 3,138 hectares of forest and karst areas including many largely unexplored caves. Our research project, underway since 2011, aims to assess the archaeological and palaeoenvironmental potential of the caves in Niah National Park beyond the areas subject to research previously by the Harrissons. The Trader's Cave (3°49’1.16”N, 113°46'54.42”E) is the second largest cavern in Nia National Park and is located approximately 150 m north of the West Mouth within the same karst tower (Bukit Bekajang) as the NGCC. As noted previously (Curnoe et al. 2017), the Harrissons excavated a small trial excavation in the northern tourist entrance of the cave during 1956, but never published the results or returned to the locality for further archaeological research. Until our project began, there had been no archaeological activities within the main cavern of the Trader's Cave despite its size: the cave being ~200 m in maximum length, ~30 m at its widest point and with a maximum height >15 m. Similarly, while Hazelbroek and Morshidi (2000) provided a brief description of the geology of the cave, the only detailed speleological investigation of the Trader's Cave was published in 2017 (Dodge-Wan 2017). Since our first field campaign (Curnoe et al. 2017), we have completed a further two field seasons with a total duration of 16 weeks of field research 2017 - 2019 in this cave, with further excavations planned for 2020 - 2022.

Комплекс ранних захоронений в пещере Ниа (Борнео) и проблема многообразия погребальных традиций в островной части Юго-Восточной Азии

Комплекс ранних захоронений в пещере Ниа (Борнео) и проблема многообразия погребальных традиций в островной части Юго-Восточной Азии

IMPLICATION OF RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS BASED ON OVERVIEW OF STRUCTURE AND SEDIMENTOLOGY OF OUTCROPS ALONG BINTULU-NIAH-MIRI AREAS

Six-day fieldwork was conducted in the north-west coast of Sarawak to examine the outcrops along Bintulu- Niah- Miri areas which cover southern part of Balingian Province and Baram Delta Province. The aim of this fieldwork is to synthesize the observations of structure and sedimentology of outcrops along Bintulu-Niah-Miri areas and discuss the implication of reservoir characteristics based on observation. The study was conducted by sketching the main structural elements of outcrops followed by detailed sedimentological analysis which include observation and facies description were conducted on different outcrops along Bintulu-Niah- Miri areas using sedimentary logs. The findings show that Bintulu- Niah- Miri areas outcrops consists of mixed-environment deposited succession with tidal and wave characteristic. This resulted in reservoir architect will be different and result in different in reservoir properties included horizontal and vertical permeability of fluids. Niah Cave is a good place to study the distribution of the types of breccia due to collapsed paleokarst at reservoir scale and also good analog for Central Luconia Platform where large resources of hydrocarbon have been discovered due to the its environment setting or forming process is same as Central Luconia Platform. In addition, Miri Airport Outcrop succession consist of Type 4- Fracture Create Flow Barriers which could lead to potential production problems.

Femur associated with the Deep Skull from the West Mouth of the Niah Caves (Sarawak, Malaysia)

The skeletal remains of Pleistocene anatomically modern humans are rare in island Southeast Asia. Moreover, continuing doubts over the dating of most of these finds has left the arrival time for the region's earliest inhabitants an open question. The unique biogeography of island Southeast Asia also raises questions about the physical and cultural adaptations of early anatomically modern humans, especially within the setting of rainforest inhabitation. Within this context the Deep Skull from the West Mouth of the Niah Caves continues to figure prominently owing to its relative completeness and the greater certainty surrounding its geological age. Recovered along with this partial cranium in 1958 were several postcranial bones including a partial femur which until now has received little attention. Here we provide a description and undertake a comparison of the Deep Skull femur finding it to be very small in all of its cross-sectional dimensions. We note a number of size and shape similarities to the femora of Indigenous Southeast Asians, especially Aeta people from the Philippines. We estimate its stature to have been roughly 145–146 cm and body mass around 35 kg, confirming similarities to Aeta females. Its extreme gracility indicated by low values for a range of biomechanical parameters taken midshaft meets expectations for a very small (female) Paleolithic East Asian. Interestingly, the second moment of area about the mediolateral axis is enlarged relative to the second moment of area about the anteroposterior axis, which could potentially signal a difference in activity levels or lifestyle compared with other Paleolithic femora. However, it might also be the result of sexual dimorphism in these parameters as well as possibly reflecting changes associated with aging.

A New Analysis of Population History in Sabah and Sarawak

Objective - This study is a comprehensive account of contemporary knowledge concerning pre-historic communities in Sabah and Sarawak based on newly available evidence from genomic and archaeological research. Methodology/Technique - The data presented in this review was obtained from primary literature including recent reports on several Neolithic excavation sites including Gua Sireh, Bukit Tengkorak, Melanta Tutup, and Bukit Kamiri. Findings - Pre-neolithic populations existed in Borneo long before the arrival of Austronesians as is evident from Niah Cave remains. These considerably pre-date the arrival of the latter new immigrants around 3,500 years ago. Further genetic research is needed, as the current view of the history of the population is based on a limited number of ethnic groups among those currently living in Borneo and to date, no trace has been found of any surviving genetic lineages from the earliest settlers. Novelty - This review paints a contemporary picture from existing information. In particular, it highlights the need for further research on the topic, as the current view of the genetic history of the population in Sabah and Sarawak is only available on a limited number of ethnic groups currently living in Borneo. Developing a conclusive and composite view on this topic will require widespread genetic surveys of many more ethnic groups scattered throughout the Sabah and Sarawak areas. This will require large-scale next-generation techniques (such as genome-wide SNP surveys and whole genome sequencing etc.). These methods should be enhanced by examination of ancient materials including human remains and their associated artefacts. These initiatives will require a number of well-planned excavations of recent settlements (last 10,000 years) and the application of trace and ancient DNA methodology. Type of Paper - Review. Keywords: Population Genetics; Archaeology; Borneo; Sabah and Sarawak; Malaysia; Population History. JEL Classification: N90, Z10.

Rare Late Pleistocene-early Holocene human mandibles from the Niah Caves (Sarawak, Borneo).

The skeletal remains of Late Pleistocene-early Holocene humans are exceptionally rare in island Southeast Asia. As a result, the identity and physical adaptations of the early inhabitants of the region are poorly known. One archaeological locality that has historically been important for understanding the peopling of island Southeast Asia is the Niah Caves in the northeast of Borneo. Here we present the results of direct Uranium-series dating and the first published descriptions of three partial human mandibles from the West Mouth of the Niah Caves recovered during excavations by the Harrissons in 1957. One of them (mandible E/B1 100") is somewhat younger than the ‘Deep Skull’ with a best dating estimate of c30-28 ka (at 2σ), while the other two mandibles (D/N5 42–48" and E/W 33 24–36") are dated to a minimum of c11.0–10.5 ka (at 2σ) and c10.0–9.0 ka (at 2σ). Jaw E/B1 100" is unusually small and robust compared with other Late Pleistocene mandibles suggesting that it may have been ontogenetically altered through masticatory strain under a model of phenotypic plasticity. Possible dietary causes could include the consumption of tough or dried meats or palm plants, behaviours which have been documented previously in the archaeological record of the Niah Caves. Our work suggests a long history back to before the LGM of economic strategies involving the exploitation of raw plant foods or perhaps dried and stored meat resources. This offers new insights into the economic strategies of Late Pleistocene-early Holocene hunter-gatherers living in, or adjacent to, tropical rainforests.

The Niah Caves in Chronological Context: Review of Barker Graeme (editor), Rainforest Foraging and Farming in Island Southeast Asia. 2013. Cambridge: McDonald Institute of Archaeological Research; ISBN: 978-1-902937-54-0; xx+410 pages, with 279 illustrations and 60 tables. £62.00 (hardback); and Barker Graeme and Farr Lucy (editors), Archaeological Investigations in the Niah Caves, Sarawak. 2016. Cambridge: McDonald Institute of Archaeological Research; ISBN:

The Niah Caves in Chronological Context: Review of Barker Graeme (editor), Rainforest Foraging and Farming in Island Southeast Asia. 2013. Cambridge: McDonald Institute of Archaeological Research; ISBN: 978-1-902937-54-0; xx+410 pages, with 279 illustrations and 60 tables. £62.00 (hardback); and Barker Graeme and Farr Lucy (editors), Archaeological Investigations in the Niah Caves, Sarawak. 2016. Cambridge: McDonald Institute of Archaeological Research; ISBN:

Tourism Supply Side: The Case of Niah Cave’s Swiftlets

Often studies on tourism come from the consumer perspective. However, this study focuses on the supply side of the industry using the wonders of Niah Cave which is located in interior Sarawak, Malaysia. Amongst others, Niah Cave has hundred thousands of swiftlet population and the world’s famous archaeological site to attract tourists. This article explores a venue whereby the tourism’s supply side, in this instance, the swiftlet population could be bridged with the industry’s consumer side. The evolvement of sustainability conscious consumers, particularly in the millennium era results in the advocation of consumption in a more sustainable manner, irrespective whether the products are man-made or in the forms of the natural environment. An interpretative research method with the like of observation and semi-structured in-depth interviews formed the data gathering tool. The Niah Cave was explored in late January 2017. Findings show that Niah Cave was literally on the tourist map due to its world’s famous archaeological site. The huge population of swiftlets with their nests attracted harvesters for decade. The processes of harvesting these nests which remarkably endured through climbing bamboo ladders and dangling ropes from cave ceilings, hundreds feet from the cave floor, charmed tourists

Archaeological Investigations in the Niah Caves, Sarawak: The Archaeology of the Niah Caves, Sarawak Volume 2 Edited by Graeme Barker and Lucy Parr McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge, 2016. ISBN: 9781902937601. Pp. xxx + 562 + CD. G

Archaeology in OceaniaVolume 53, Issue 2 p. 131-132 Book Review Archaeological Investigations in the Niah Caves, Sarawak: The Archaeology of the Niah Caves, Sarawak Volume 2 Edited by Graeme Barker and Lucy Parr McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge, 2016. ISBN: 9781902937601. Pp. xxx + 562 + CD. GBP65 (hb). TIM DENHAM, TIM DENHAM Australian National UniversitySearch for more papers by this author TIM DENHAM, TIM DENHAM Australian National UniversitySearch for more papers by this author First published: 23 February 2018 https://doi.org/10.1002/arco.5148Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume53, Issue2July 2018Pages 131-132 RelatedInformation

Studies on Homalomeneae (Araceae) of Borneo XXI: A New Karst Limestone Obligated Homalomena Species Endemic to Niah Caves

Homalomena niahensis P.C. Boyce, is described and illustrated as a new species of Homalomena [Homalomena Clade] locally endemic to Niah Caves, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, where it is obligated to Karst limestone. Homalomena niahensis is the sixth species to be described for the Homalomena Selaburensis Complex to which its nearest congener is Homalomena selaburensis. An identification key to species of the Homalomena Selaburensis Complex is provided.Keywords: Araceae, Borneo, Homalomena, Malaysia, Sarawak, Karst limestone

The Traders’ Cave of Niah (NW Borneo): morphology and features as indicators of speleogenesis and karstification

Relict caves which are isolated from regional groundwater flow are common in deeply dissected tropical tower karsts. Their passage morphology and the micro-morphology of their walls can provide valuable information on former karst processes and speleogenesis. The Traders’ Cave at Niah (Sarawak, Malaysia) was selected for a case study including comprehensive survey and observations to establish a model of the cave’s formation which can serve as a basis for comparison with other caves in the region. The research identified six levels of vadose alluvial notches showing evidence of relative water-level drop of at least 15 m during the main vadose phase of speleogenesis. During this phase, the passage reached its maximal dimensions, possibly over 90 m wide. The notches are associated with paragenetic ceiling anastomoses formed by upward or antigravitative erosion. The results indicate that point-recharge allogenic flow, i.e., sinking streams from non-karst terrains, and sediment transport and removal played a major role during cave formation. The position of limestone boulders within the cave suggests that cave-ceiling collapse and un-roofing contributed to erosion of a large part of the cave and formation of the steep-sided valley between adjacent karst towers. The collapse is linked to landscape rejuvenation associated with a significant relative water-level drop leading to the present situation in which the Traders’ Cave is isolated and relict. Most speleothems post-date the opening of the cave into the karst valley and are fed by epikarstic flow. Many speleothems are phototropic, indicating a biological influence.

Subadult Age at Death and Health Status at Niah Cave, Borneo (1500–200 bc)

AbstractSoutheast Asia's transition to rice agriculture is often used as an exception to the general pattern of health decline at the agricultural transition. Niah Cave is the largest known Southeast Asian Neolithic cemetery, providing valuable information about subadult health during the agricultural transition in this region. This study examines the health status and mortuary treatment of subadult skeletal remains (Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI) = 49) from the Neolithic cemetery of Niah Cave, Sarawak, Malaysia (1500–200 bc). This study found that few cases of cribra orbitalia (4.6%) and porotic hyperostosis (14%). However, nonspecific infections may have been a risk factor for subadults as over half (65%) died with active cases of periosteal reactions on their long bones. Differential diagnosis determined that possible factors for this include parasite load, rickets and scurvy. Mortuary practices indicate that subadults may have been treated differently in phases 1 and 2 but were grated similar mortuary treatment in phases 3 and 4. This study suggests that changes in mobility patterns may have placed subadults at risk for increased parasite load and vitamin deficiency, while the role of subadults within the community may have changed over time. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Deep Skull From Niah Cave and The Pleistocene Peopling of Southeast Asia

The Deep Skull from Niah Cave in Sarawak (Malaysia) is the oldest anatomically modern human recovered from Southeast Asia.For more than 50 years opinions about its relevance to tracing the prehistory of recent people in the region have been in a state of flux. The most widely held view traceable to Brothwell’s initial description and analysis is that the individual is related to Indigenous Australians and provides evidence to support the ‘two-layer’ model of human origins in Southeast Asia. Here we undertake a new assessment of the potential of the Deep Skull to inform these issues and in doing so provide a description of the specimen including a reassessment of its ontogenetic age, sex, morphology and affinities. We find that this individual was most likely to have been of advanced age and a female rather than an adolescent male as originally suggested. We also find that its morphology points towards its affinities being beyond Indigenous Australasians to East Asians. We propose that the Niah individual might best be considered part of a Negrito population that inhabited Borneo during the Pleistocene perhaps establishing their presence in Northern oceanic Southeast Asia by ~36 kyr.