Early evidence of Austronesian occupation in the Maros-Pangkep karsts of South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Archaeological research in the Maros-Pangkep karst area of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, has yielded important insight into the long history of human habitation in this region. A poorly known part of the cultural sequence is the arrival of Austronesian-speaking farming societies during the latter phase of prehistoric occupation, and the nature of Austronesian interactions with the long-established Toalean hunter-forager population. The archaeological evidence for this period is often limited and frequently complicated by taphonomic factors, including extensive post-depositional disturbances and stratigraphic reworking at many sites, making it challenging to gain a deep understanding of the various phases of cave use. In this study, we describe the results of our excavations at a new site in the Maros-Pangkep karsts, Bulu Taroa 2 cave, that has significance for our understanding of the timing and nature of interactions between early Austronesians and Toaleans. Excavations at this site uncovered culturally-rich Austronesian layers dating to around 2600–2490 cal BP, thus coinciding with the late ‘Neolithic’ period in the large-scale open settlement sites in the Karama Valley to the north. The finds recovered from Bulu Taroa 2 suggest that the early Austronesian-speaking inhabitants adapted to the nearby coastal environment by intensively exploiting estuarine shellfish. Signs of cultural interactions with Toaleans are minimal. We surmise from this site that ancient Austronesians used some local caves as burial sites during the Metal phase, resulting in the disturbance of older stratified cultural layers.