How different was life 10,000 years ago? We might not have the full picture and imagery of what went on in that era but archaeology will be able to give us a rough sketch.
Recently, the Perak Climbing Association had chanced upon a human skull and cave drawings in Perlis. This discovery is important in helping to build a chronology of the country’s history by showing the presence of prehistoric and protohistoric civilization in Perlis, said the Department of National Heritage on Facebook.
On 14 October, an archaeological exploration was done by the Department of National Heritage, the Perak Climbing Association and the Perlis government for the purpose of documentation and site inventory. This is so that they will be able to get the latest archaeology data along with conducting a survey on possibilities of uncovering more undiscovered artefacts.
It is said that past studies done in Perlis have shown results in the form of skeletons being discovered in Bukit Keteri and it is estimated that the remains are from 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. According to the department, caves near Bukit Chuping, Bukit Tunku Lembu, Bukit Ngulang, Bukit Kerengga and Bukit Changkul were used as living spaces and burial sites for the palaeolithic and neolithic communities based on the discovery of stone tools and earthenware. Other than that, protohistoric communities have also inhabited that area as they have found votive tablets.
The Gua Semadong exploration has borne fruits in the form of protohistoric cave drawings (estimated to be from 5th to 10th century A.D) that were influenced by Hindu-Buddhism. The Heritage department will proceed with excavation and documentation of the skeleton at Bukit Keteri and the cave drawings in Gua Semadong. They will also be conducting a full exploration of potential archaeological sites in Perlis.
If you ever chance upon something that looks like a historical discovery, please report it to the district officers or heritage commissioner near you!
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