Prehistoric Village Found in Jayapura

Amazing finding in West Papua, Indonesia  (translated from Kompas.Com)

Editor: Benny N Joewono
Thursday, 3 March 2011 | 22:17 WIB

JAYAPURA, KOMPAS.com — Research team of Jayapura Archaeological Foundation has discovered a prehistoric settlement on Yomokho hill, Kampung Harapan, Eastern District of Sentani, Jayapura.

Research leader, Hari Suroto, in Jayapura on Thursday (03/03/2011), said the research had been conducted since 28 February to 2 March 2011, using the excavation method (echo) of land to identify potential archaeological findings in the soil.


"The research uncovered a prehistoric settlement in Yomokho hill. It was seen as the team performed soil excavation as deep as 80 cm and found the former fireplace remains, pottery, human bones, animal bones, shells of marine mollusks, shells mollusk, stone tools and beads, "she said.

According to him, judging from the pottery findings, it was discovered that human inhabited Yomokho hill 1,500 years ago, where the tradition of the using pottery was introduced by Austronesian people.

He explained, based on existing findings, the lives of Yomokho hill inhabitants 1,500 years ago can be reconstructed. They were hunters and gatherers. Their main diet was marine mollusk cooked using earthenware.

In addition, Yomokho residents used beads and pottery as tomb supplies.

Meanwhile, shell mollusks found proved Yomokho hill inhabitants had made contact with coastal communities.

He said beads found in the Yomokho hill fell into Indo-Pacific beads category where it was known to come from outside of Papua through a series of trade from west to east by the Austronesian people.

Judging from the findings area, Yomokho inhabitants at that time lived on the foot hill. This was discovered from the western slopes where the stones are arranged neatly to form a rectangular that became their house’s four walls.
"This settlement pattern has similarities with the settlement in the Valley Maungarao Polynesia (Pacific). The settlement pattern showed Yomokho hill people in prehistoric times had received cultural influences from the Pacific region," said Hari Suroto.