A review of archaeological dating efforts at cave and rockshelter sites in the Indonesian Archipelago

Abstract

In the last 35 years Indonesia has seen a substantial increase in the number of dated, cave and rockshelter sites, from 10 to 99. Here we review the published records of cave and rockshelter sites across the country to compile a complete list of dates for initial occupation at each site. All radiocarbon dates are calibrated here for standardization, many of them for the first time in publication. Our results indicate a clear disparity in the distribution of dated archaeological sites across Indonesia, which seem to be mostly influenced by ease of access, international collaboration focus, and the history of prior research success in a region. In addition, our review of the literature revealed a clear lack of standardization in the presentation of radiocarbon dates and their usage in publications. Despite the impressive increase in dating across Indonesia, our review of the literature suggests numerous excavated prehistoric sites in Indonesia remain undated at this time. Studies such as this, and possible others focused on Indonesia’s other archaeological sites, are useful for providing researchers with a dataset for investigations of some of the bigger questions in archaeology in the region.