166
Elsewhere, the limestone caves and rock shelters in Lenggong Valley have been
inhabited 13,000 years ago and were still in use until 2000 years ago. The caves
include Gua Teluk Kelawar, Gua Ngaum, Gua Kajang, Gua Gunung Runtuh, Gua
Dayak, Gua Badak, Gua Harimau, Gua Batu Tukang and Gua Batu Dinding. Stone
tools, pottery, faunal remains, riverine shells and human skeletons have been found
in these caves. They are more than adequate proof of the existence of prehistoric
communities in situ (Isa 2015). One of the most important discoveries was made in
1990, when the “Perak Man” was found in Gua Batu Runtuh (Majid 1994). At this
prehistoric burial site, a human skeleton dating back to 10,120 YBP was found, and
it is the most complete Paleolithic skeletal remains unearthed so far in Southeast
Asia. The ancestry of present inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia can be traced back
to this period, and this attracted much scholarly attention. Benjamin (1989) claimed
that the archaeology done in Malaysia was really “Orang Asli archaeology” most of
the time. The study by Andaya and Andaya (2001) supported this claim. Hence, the
discovery of the “Perak Man” and other skeletal remains, plus their associated prehistoric tools, suggests that the early inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia were genetically linked to smaller sized and dark skin northern Orang Asli (Semang) and the
Senoi, with the latter displaying stronger connections with the Neolithic society in
southern and central Thailand. However, scholars are divided between those who
see cultural and biological shifts as occurring locally (Solheim 1980), and those
who place greater emphasis on immigration (Andaya and Andaya 2001;
Bellwood 1985).
Under the traditional viewpoint, it is believed that the Orang Asli arose from the
migration of two major races – the Austroloids and Southern Mongoloids –
although in situ evolution might have played a role (Bellwood 1985). The Semang
have their roots from the Austroloids, while the Senoi and Proto-Malay were
descendants of the Southern Mongoloids. Hoabinhian sites dated 18,000 and
10,000 YBP provided more details on hunting and gathering activities of the inhabitants, who were the cultural ancestors of the Semang and Senoi to a certain extent,
although the latter’s biological affinity laid more with the Neolithic Southern
Mongoloid population that migrated into Peninsular Malaysia about 4000 YBP
(Norhalifah et al. 2016a, b).
Andaya (2008) stressed that there seemed to be a sharp transition from Hoabinhian
to Neolithic period as attested by the introduction of agriculture and Austroasiatic
languages. In contrast, the other wave of Southern Mongoloid expansion (i.e. the
Austronesian–speaking populations) took place from 5000 YBP in Taiwan and occupied most of the Island of Southeast Asia (ISEA) region by 3500 YBP. The descendants of this layer of Southern Mongoloid expansion are now numerically dominant
in most Pacific countries and are related to the Proto-Malays and Deutro- Malays in
Peninsular Malaysia (Norhalifah et al. 2016a, b; Chambers and Edinur 2015).
Andaya (2008) also explained an alternative reconstruction of the Orang Asli
population prehistory long advocated by Benjamin, who emphasized local adaptation rather than migration in explaining group differentiation. Benjamin believed
that until 2500–2000 YBP, the wet-zone Southeast Asian Neolithic people combined hunting and gathering with vegeculture of root crops, sago and bananas. A
small number of people remained nomadic and the use of readily available cane,
A. T. Ahmad et al.
Elsewhere, the limestone caves and rock shelters in Lenggong Valley have been
inhabited 13,000 years ago and were still in use until 2000 years ago. The caves
include Gua Teluk Kelawar, Gua Ngaum, Gua Kajang, Gua Gunung Runtuh, Gua
Dayak, Gua Badak, Gua Harimau, Gua Batu Tukang and Gua Batu Dinding. Stone
tools, pottery, faunal remains, riverine shells and human skeletons have been found
in these caves. They are more than adequate proof of the existence of prehistoric
communities in situ (Isa 2015). One of the most important discoveries was made in
1990, when the “Perak Man” was found in Gua Batu Runtuh (Majid 1994). At this
prehistoric burial site, a human skeleton dating back to 10,120 YBP was found, and
it is the most complete Paleolithic skeletal remains unearthed so far in Southeast
Asia. The ancestry of present inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia can be traced back
to this period, and this attracted much scholarly attention. Benjamin (1989) claimed
that the archaeology done in Malaysia was really “Orang Asli archaeology” most of
the time. The study by Andaya and Andaya (2001) supported this claim. Hence, the
discovery of the “Perak Man” and other skeletal remains, plus their associated prehistoric tools, suggests that the early inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia were genetically linked to smaller sized and dark skin northern Orang Asli (Semang) and the
Senoi, with the latter displaying stronger connections with the Neolithic society in
southern and central Thailand. However, scholars are divided between those who
see cultural and biological shifts as occurring locally (Solheim 1980), and those
who place greater emphasis on immigration (Andaya and Andaya 2001;
Bellwood 1985).
Under the traditional viewpoint, it is believed that the Orang Asli arose from the
migration of two major races – the Austroloids and Southern Mongoloids –
although in situ evolution might have played a role (Bellwood 1985). The Semang
have their roots from the Austroloids, while the Senoi and Proto-Malay were
descendants of the Southern Mongoloids. Hoabinhian sites dated 18,000 and
10,000 YBP provided more details on hunting and gathering activities of the inhabitants, who were the cultural ancestors of the Semang and Senoi to a certain extent,
although the latter’s biological affinity laid more with the Neolithic Southern
Mongoloid population that migrated into Peninsular Malaysia about 4000 YBP
(Norhalifah et al. 2016a, b).
Andaya (2008) stressed that there seemed to be a sharp transition from Hoabinhian
to Neolithic period as attested by the introduction of agriculture and Austroasiatic
languages. In contrast, the other wave of Southern Mongoloid expansion (i.e. the
Austronesian–speaking populations) took place from 5000 YBP in Taiwan and occupied most of the Island of Southeast Asia (ISEA) region by 3500 YBP. The descendants of this layer of Southern Mongoloid expansion are now numerically dominant
in most Pacific countries and are related to the Proto-Malays and Deutro- Malays in
Peninsular Malaysia (Norhalifah et al. 2016a, b; Chambers and Edinur 2015).
Andaya (2008) also explained an alternative reconstruction of the Orang Asli
population prehistory long advocated by Benjamin, who emphasized local adaptation rather than migration in explaining group differentiation. Benjamin believed
that until 2500–2000 YBP, the wet-zone Southeast Asian Neolithic people combined hunting and gathering with vegeculture of root crops, sago and bananas. A
small number of people remained nomadic and the use of readily available cane,
A. T. Ahmad et al.