Austronesian Painting Tradition

in Indonesian Rock Art

Adhi Agus Oktaviana

PhD Candidate at Griffith University, Australia &

Young researcher at National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta
https://linktr.ee/aaoktaviana

Tuesday, 1st November, 2022

Summer course on Austronesian Today: Origin, Culture, & Diaspora
Master Program of History, Faculties of Humanities, Universitas Diponogoro
 Human migration to SEA
• The current model for the expansion of H. sapiens across In Southeast Asia, where the total number of Late Pleistocene
Southeast Asia is based on three lines of evidence: sites is limited, rock art now provides a key proxy for tracing
human skeletal and cultural material (excluding rock art); the pattern and timing of the initial peopling of the region by
genetic studies of modern populations; and the timing of modern humans
the arrival of H. sapiens in Australia.

(Kealy, Louys & O’Connor, 2015) (Simanjuntak, 2017)

Distribution of rock art sites in the Indonesian archipelago

• Rock art have been

reported since the
early 19th century,
202 sites from 500
sites are included in
the National Cultural
Heritage Registration.
• Media images of cave
walls or niches, cliffs,
or chunks of rock.
• Shapes: human
figures, animal
figures (anoa, pigs,
fish, deer, birds, fish
chickens, centipedes,
etc.), boats, weapons,
geometric and so on.
Prehistoric rock painting in Indonesia

45.– 17 kya 40, 20, 13 kya 4-1 kya

Who’s the painters?
Pre-Austronesia (early modern human)
Who’s the painters?
Pre-Austronesia (early modern human)

Fig 6. Right maxilla and frontal process (Maros-LBB-1a) from Layer

4a at Leang Bulu Bettue.
Brumm A, Bulbeck D, Hakim B, Burhan B, Oktaviana AA, et al. (2021) Skeletal remains
of a Pleistocene modern human (Homo sapiens) from Sulawesi. PLOS ONE 16(9):
e0257273. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257273
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0257273
Evidence of human migration in Sulawesi

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304350795_Hand_
stencils_with_and_without_narrowed_fingers_at_two_new_r
ock_art_sites_in_Sulawesi_Indonesia
 Sampeang 2 cave, Maros, South Sulawesi
Saluka cave, Pangkep, South Sulawesi

17,4 kyr in Lompoa cave, Maros Bulu Sipong 4 cave, Pangkep, South Sulawesi
(Aubert et al, 2014) Sampeang 1 cave, Maros, South Sulawesi
 Anawai cave, Matarombeo, Southeast Sulawesi
(Oktaviana 2020)
Andomo cave, Morowali, Central Sulawesi Mbokita cave, Matarape, Southeast Sulawesi
(Oktaviana 2016) (Oktaviana 2018)
Metanduno cave, Muna, Muna island, Southeast Madongka 2 rock shelter, Central Buton, Muna
Sulawesi island, Southeast Sulawesi
(Oktaviana 2020) (Oktaviana 2022)
How to record Indonesian rock art?
Recording rock art: application of the latest technology

3D Laser Scanning kerjasama BPCB Samarinda

dan Balai Konservasi Borobudur di Ceruk Beloyot

BPCB Samarinda, 2015

 Tools for rock art recording
• Camera (DSLR/Mirrorless/Pocket/HP)
• Memory card, external drive, laptop and battery
• LED light + battery
• Power bank
• Notes (tabulation list)
• Measuring instruments (laser distance meter, IFRAO
scale, tailor tape & nix sensor)
• Mapping notes

• Ideally, 4 people to record the rock art

(photographer, assistant of scale & measurement
of the length and width of the images,
measurement of height using disto, and inputter to
Google search images
rock art tabulation).

Recording rock art
• Check the previous site data
including the number of motifs
• Determination of photo flow (left to
right/right to left)
• Photo 4 shoots/motifs, 2 use
IFRAO/PERAHU scale
• Input on the rock image form
• Check photos for clarification with
the Dstretch plugin in the Imagej
application
• Input in excel file including
description of motif
• Tracing photos using Coreldraw or
Adobe Illustrator
Site : Leang Balang Pakalu 6, Kalabirang, Bantimurung, Maros
Date : 5,8 Augustus 2017
NO No. Photo Bentuk
1 IMG_8883 Sisa gambar
2 IMG_8887 Gambar tangan negatif
3 IMG_8889 Gambar tangan negatif
4 IMG_8890 Gambar tangan negatif
5 IMG_8892 Gambar tangan negatif
ROCK ART FORM
Recorder : AAO, Ali, Ambu, Patrik, Asri
Page : 1
Bagian Tangan Sd. Tangan F/NF Tipe Warna Teknik Keting Dimension Orientasi Panel Posisi Keterangan
Nf Negatif Merah Semprot 2.202 1 Dinding ruang sisa gambar warna merah, masih terlihat
tengah bekas sisa semprot, sudah mengelupas
Jari Nf Negatif Merah Semprot 2.8 Atas 2 Dinding kiri Sisa gambar bagian jari tangan mengarah
menuju lorong ke ke atas, sebagian jari sudah mengelupas
arah mulut gua 2
kiri Jari-telapak Nf Negatif Merah Semprot 2.76 Atas 2 sda Gambar tangan negatif dengan empat jari
mengarah ke atas, ditumbuhi jamur,
Jari-telapak Nf Negatif Merah Semprot 2.316 Atas 2 sda
lembab
Gambar tangan negatif dengan tiga jari
mengarah ke atas, ditumbuhi jamur,
lembab
Nf Negatif Merah Semprot 1.454 2 sda sisa gambar tangan negatif warna merah
sudh mulai pudar

yds_ac_cb
 Where do we start recording
rock images?
• Site
(face of the entrance of the cave or rock
shelter from the outside, from the inside, room
conditions, surface findings both artifacts and
eco facts)
Human scale
• Panel
Whole, stitch, photogrammetry
Scale and without scale
Human scale
• Motif
2 photos with scale, 2 photos without
scale
Site Mapping
• Sketching of the site
• measurement using compass and disto
• redraw the sketch in the AutoCAD
Site mapping
Site mapping
Rock art recording: using plugin DStretch

Burham Canyon (KER-273). Left: original. Right: CRGB. Note improved

visibility of red pigments and the small creature at left center brought out by
enhancement.
Jon Harman. 2008. http://www.dstretch.com/AlgorithmDescription.html

Le Quellec,J.-L.,et al., (2015),

Digital image enhancement with
DStretchs: Is complexity always
necessary for efficiency? Digital Hidalgo, et al 2014. Antiquity. Vol: 88.
Applications in Archaeology and No: 340. page 556
Cultural Heritage

AA Oktaviana dalam Aubert et al.

2014. Pleistocene cave art in Sulawesi,
Indonesia. Nature. 514, 223–227

Tacon.,et al., 2014.

Antiquity 88
(342):1050-1064
Tracing GUA SUUD, SANGKULIRANG

Oktaviana, 2020
Leang Bulu Sipong 4

Aubert et al., 2019

Leang Tedongnge

Dated pig figure (pig 1) in the rock art panel at Leang Tedongnge.
(A) Digital tracing of the rock art panel (P10). (B) Pig 1. (C) Detail of the head area of pig
1 [enhanced using the Decorrelation Stretch (DStretch) computer program (44); channel
setting: _ac_lab; AC, auto contrast and LAB color space]. HC, head crest; FW, preorbital
facial warts. Pig 1 displays an unidentified morphological feature, a pair of teat-like
protuberances in the lower neck area; these are highlighted by white arrows in (C).
Brumm et al., 2021 Photo credits: A. A. Oktaviana, ARKENAS/Griffith University.
Virtual tour Indonesian rock art sites
https://turvirtualarkeologi.kemdikbud.go.id/
Austronesian Painting Tradition
Superposition rock art as relative chronology

Pra-APT

Austronesian
Painting Tradition
(APT)
Superposition rock art as relative chronology

Pra-APT

Austronesian
Painting Tradition
(APT)
Superposition rock art as relative chronology

Pra-APT

Austronesian
Painting Tradition
(APT)
(1) Go to rock art site: Napal Melintang, Sarolangun, Jambi
(2) Go to rock art site: Tiger Cave, South Sumatra
Rock art

36
14

51 imaji = locations panils © Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional

(3) Go to rock art site: Mardua Cave, East Kalimantan
(4) Go to rock art site: Garantiga 2 rock shelter, South Sulawesi
Garantiga 2, Maros
Ambe cliff

Austronesian
culture?
Ambe cliff
Human Figure • Austronesian

• Pre-Austronesian
Hunting scene • Austronesian
• Pre-Austronesian
Animal Figure • Austronesian
• Pre-Austronesian
Plant • Austronesian
• Pre-Austronesian
Water transportation
Water transportation • Austronesian
• Pre-Austronesian
Sea voyage
 how to move water transportation

5 4 3 4 3
Keterangan: Keterangan:
1. Dasar perahu 1. Dasar perahu
2. Lambung perahu 2. Lambung perahu
3 3. Figur manusia 3. Linggi perahu
3
4. Figur manusia
2 Sumber foto:
©
Irwansyah, 2006 1 2 (Sumber foto: Aksa,
Keterangan:
2 1991)
1. Dasar perahu
2. Lambung perahu
3. Linggi perahu
4. Figur manusia memegang tongkat melintang
5. Figur manusia memegang tongkat vertikal
(Sumber gambar: Suprapta, 1996).

1 1

8 5
Keterangan : Keterangan:
1. Lambung perahu 1. Lambung perahu
5 2. Linggi perahu
2. Haluan perahu
Keterangan:
3. Buritan perahu
3. Badan manusia 4. Dayung 1. Dasar perahu
6 4 4. Kepala manusia 5. Figur manusia laki-laki 2. Lambung perahu
5. Lengan Kiri 5 6 6. Figur manusia 3 3. Linggi perahu
6. Pegangan dayung 7. Ikan
8. Lingkaran
3
2 3 7. Ujung dayung 3 2
4. Kemudi
(Sumber foto: Rőder 1959) 5. Figur manusia
2
Sumber foto: 2
7 ©
4 4 (Sumber foto: Aksa,
Irwansyah, 2006 1991)
7
1 1
1

Human figure rowing in a sitting Human figures rowing in a Boat motif with keel (Metanduno &
position (at Pominsa Cave, Muna) standing position (at Leang Pominsa cave, Muna)
Bulu Sipong 1 Maros,
Risatot, West Papua)
Oktaviana, 2009
how to move water transportation
6
Keterangan:
Keterangan : 1. Dasar perahu
3 1. Lambung perahu 2. Lambung Perahu
2. Linggi 3. Linggi perahu
3. Tiang layar 4. Dayung
8 5. Kemudi
2 7 6. Tempat berteduh
Sumber foto: 7. Tiang layar
9
©Irwansyah, 2006 3 8. layar
3 9. Figur manusia
5 2
(Sumber foto: Aksa, 1991)

1 2 1
1

Boat motif with one mast Boat motif with a combination of mast
(Metanduno Cave, Kabori Cave, and single rudder (Kabori Cave)
Pominsa Cave)
Keterangan:
1. Dasar perahu
2. Lambung perahu
5 3. Linggi perahu
6
4. Kemudi
5. Tiang layar
3 6. Layar
7
7. Figur manusia

4 2 (Sumber foto: Aksa,

1991)

Boat motif with a combination of

Boat motif with two or more masts (Gua masts and double rudders
Mardua) (Kabori Cave) Oktaviana, 2009
Geometric & Symbols • Austronesian

• Pre-Austronesian
Conservation issue
 Thank you

https://linktr.ee/aaoktaviana
Aknowledgement
• The National Research Centre of Archaeology, Jakarta, Indonesia
• School of Art, Education, and Law, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
• Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
• Research Center of Archaeometry, The National Research and Innovation, Jakarta, Indonesia
• Directorate General of Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Jakarta, Indonesia with
the Regional Office for Cultural Properties Preservation related to the rock art sites.
• Local goverment of the rock art sites in Indonesia
• Indigenous custodian of the owner of rock art sites in Indonesia