Harimau cave and pre-Neolithic burial traditions in Indonesia

Archaeological evidence from the island part of the Southeast Asia is of great interest to Russian scholars who study the cultures of the Stone Age, their chronology, peopling routes, as well as specific aspects of local stone industries and economy. This article presents an overview of information on individual burials and burial complexes in Indonesia and the island part of Malaysia, dated to the Late Pleistocene Early Middle Holocene (15,000-3500 cal. BP). This period preceded the Austronesian migration, and spread of pottery and agriculture. The most informative are well-studied and dated burials from caves, such as Harimau (4800 cal. BP) on the island of Sumatra, Pawon (11,200-6200 cal. BP), Braholo (12,000-9800 cal. BP), Song Terus (10,700-10,200 cal. BP), and Song Keplek (8000-3100 cal. BP) on the island of Java; Niah (15,000-8000 cal. BP) on the island of Borneo, LeangPanninge (7300-7200 cal. BP) on the island of Sulawesi, and Tron Bon Lei (12,000-7500 cal. BP) on the island ofAlor The overview makes it possible to agree that primary flexed and sitting burials, and secondary burials should be considered as earlier, while extended burials should be viewed as later (startingfrom 4000-3800 cal. BP). The overview also describes a number of important regularities in location of burial complexes (caves, rock shelters) and organization of burial spaces (accompanying inventory, traces of ochre, use of large stones, etc.).