Researchers have efficiently dated the charcoal drawings in Gua Sireh Collapse Sarawak, revealing tales of Indigenous resistance to frontier violence between AD 1670 to 1830. The paintings, created with bamboo charcoal, portrays scenes of searching, preventing, and dancing, shedding gentle on the area’s historical past of battle and colonization. Above is the dated rock artwork. Credit score: Andrea Jalandoni

Researchers from the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Analysis, in partnership with The Sarawak Museum Division, have change into the primary up to now drawings of Gua Sireh Collapse Sarawak, uncovering a tragic story of battle within the course of.

The famend Gua Sireh limestone cave, situated in western Sarawak on the island of Borneo in Malaysia, boasts quite a few charcoal drawings on its chamber partitions, drawing lots of of holiday makers yearly.

Roughly 55km southeast of Sarawak’s Capital, Kuching, the location is managed by the Bidayuh (native Indigenous peoples) in collaboration with The Sarawak Museum Division, with the drawings depicting Indigenous resistance to frontier violence within the 1600s and 1800s AD.

Radiocarbon ages for the drawings date them between 280 and 120 cal BP (AD 1670 to 1830), corresponding with a interval of accelerating battle within the area when the Malay elites controlling the area exacted heavy tolls on Indigenous hill tribes, together with the Bidayuh.

Mohammad Sherman Sauffi William from the Sarawak Museum Division and Jillian Huntley harvesting pattern GS3. Credit score Paul S.C. Taçon.

To the very best of the staff’s data, these radiocarbon dates are the primary chronometric age determinations for Malaysian rock artwork. Examine co-lead, Dr Jillian Huntley stated step one was establishing what had been used to make the drawings.

“We wished to verify the pictures have been drawn with charcoal, as there are a restricted variety of substances you may really radiocarbon date,” she stated.

“We have been trying on the decay isotopes of carbon, which meant the fabric needed to be carbon-bearing, and our analyses (with collaborator Dr Emilie Dotte-Sarout on the College of Western Australia) decided charcoal from totally different species of bamboo had been used. Being drawn on limestone, they’re remarkably nicely preserved.”

Digital fly-through of Gua Sireh Cave. Credit score: Andrea Jalandoni

The artwork at Gua Sireh is a part of a wider distribution of black drawings discovered from the Philippines via central Island Southeast Asia throughout Borneo and Sulawesi to Peninsular Malaysia. They’re considered related to the diaspora of Austronesian-speaking peoples.

Earlier courting work, additionally led by the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Analysis, has established related drawings within the Philippines that have been made as early as ~3500 cal BP and ~1500 cal BP in southern Sulawesi.

“Black drawings within the area have been made for 1000’s of years,” Dr Huntley stated.

“Our work at Gua Sireh signifies this artwork kind was used as much as the current previous to file Indigenous peoples’ experiences of colonization and territorial violence.”

An infographic exhibiting the dated rock artwork. Credit score: Digital tracing and design by Lucas Huntley.

Co-lead Distinguished Professor Paul Tacon stated the staff knew from earlier work within the area that northwest Borneo’s rock artwork (the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak) is dominated by drawings of individuals, animals, ships, and summary geometric/linear design.

“At Gua Sireh, persons are drawn carrying headdresses – some armed with shields, knives, and spears, in scenes exhibiting actions similar to searching, butchering, fishing, preventing and dancing,” he stated.

“We had clues about their age based mostly on topics similar to launched animals, however we actually didn’t understand how previous they have been, so it was tough to interpret what they may imply.”

Bidayuh descendant and curator at The Sarawak Museum Division Mr. Mohammad Sherman Sauffi William stated understanding of the dates had been knowledgeable by the oral histories of the Bidayuh who’ve persevering with custodial obligations over the location right this moment.

“The Bidayuh recall Gua Sireh’s use as a refuge throughout territorial violence within the early 1800s when a really harsh Malay Chief had demanded they hand over their youngsters,” he stated.

“They refused and retreated to Gua Sireh, the place they initially held off a power of 300 armed males making an attempt to enter the cave from the valley about 60 meters under.

“Struggling some losses (two Bidayuh have been shot and 7 taken prisoner/enslaved), they saved their youngsters when many of the tribe escaped via a passageway in the back of the most important entrance chamber which leads lots of of meters via the Gunung Nambi limestone hill.

“The figures have been drawn holding distinctive weapons similar to a Pandat which was used completely for preventing or safety, as nicely two short-bladed Parang Ilang, the principle weapons used throughout warfare that marked the primary many years of white rule in Borneo.”

The research was funded by the Australian Analysis Council and Griffith College.