title: Early human symbolic behavior in the Late Pleistocene of Wallacea.
abstract: Wallacea, the zone of oceanic islands separating the continental regions of Southeast Asia and Australia, has yielded sparse evidence for the symbolic culture of early modern humans. Here we report evidence for symbolic activity 30,000-22,000 y ago at Leang Bulu Bettue, a cave and rock-shelter site on the Wallacean island of Sulawesi. We describe hitherto undocumented practices of personal ornamentation and portable art, alongside evidence for pigment processing and use in deposits that are the same age as dated rock art in the surrounding karst region. Previously, assemblages of multiple and diverse types of Pleistocene "symbolic" artifacts were entirely unknown from this region. The Leang Bulu Bettue assemblage provides insight into the complexity and diversification of modern human culture during a key period in the global dispersal of our species. It also shows that early inhabitants of Sulawesi fashioned ornaments from body parts of endemic animals, suggesting modern humans integrated exotic faunas and other novel resources into their symbolic world as they colonized the biogeographically unique regions southeast of continental Eurasia.
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia 4111; a.brumm@griffith.edu.au.|School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia 2522.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brumm
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia 4111.|Archaeology & Natural History, School of Culture, History, & Language, College of Asia & the Pacific, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia 2601.
authors.forename: Michelle C
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0299-5561
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Langley
authors.affiliation: Stone Tools and Cognition Hub, School of Humanities, Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia 2351.
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4768-5329
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Balai Arkeologi Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia 90235.
authors.forename: Budianto
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hakim
authors.affiliation: Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya, Jambi, Indonesia 36137.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramli
authors.affiliation: Archaeology Laboratory, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia 90245.
authors.forename: Iwan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sumantri
authors.affiliation: Private address, Makassar, Indonesia 90241.
authors.forename: Basran
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burhan
authors.affiliation: Balai Arkeologi Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia 90235.
authors.forename: Andi Muhammad
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Saiful
authors.affiliation: Museum Kepresidenan Republik Indonesia Balai Kirti, Paledang-Bogor, Indonesia 16122.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Siagian
authors.affiliation: Balai Arkeologi Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia 90235.
authors.lastname: Suryatman
authors.affiliation: Balai Arkeologi Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia 90235.
authors.forename: Ratno
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sardi
authors.affiliation: Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya, Makassar, Indonesia 90111.
authors.forename: Andi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jusdi
authors.affiliation: Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya, Makassar, Indonesia 90111.
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.affiliation: Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya, Makassar, Indonesia 90111.
authors.forename: Andi Pampang
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mubarak
authors.affiliation: Balai Arkeologi Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia 90235.
authors.lastname: Hasliana
authors.affiliation: Balai Arkeologi Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia 90235.
authors.lastname: Hasrianti
authors.affiliation: Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional (ARKENAS), Jakarta, Indonesia 12510.
authors.forename: Adhi Agus
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Oktaviana
authors.affiliation: Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional (ARKENAS), Jakarta, Indonesia 12510.
authors.forename: Shinatria
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adhityatama
authors.affiliation: Centre for Archaeological Science, School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia 2522.
authors.forename: Gerrit D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: van den Bergh
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia 4111.|Place, Evolution and Rock Art Heritage Unit (PERAHU), Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia 4222.
authors.forename: Maxime
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aubert
authors.affiliation: School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia 4072.
authors.forename: Jian-Xin
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Place, Evolution and Rock Art Heritage Unit (PERAHU), Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia 4222.
authors.forename: Jillian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huntley
authors.affiliation: Centre for Archaeological Science, School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia 2522.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Centre for Archaeological Science, School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia 2522.|Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia 2522.
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional (ARKENAS), Jakarta, Indonesia 12510.|Centre for Archaeological Science, School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia 2522.|Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia 2522.
authors.forename: E Wahyu
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Saptomo
authors.affiliation: Stone Tools and Cognition Hub, School of Humanities, Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia 2351.
authors.forename: Yinika
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Perston
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia 4111.|Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia 2601.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grün
mesh_terms: D001106:Archaeology; D001154:Art / Q000266:history*; D005580:Fossils; D049690:History, Ancient; D006802:Human Activities; D063426:Human Migration; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D012919:Social Behavior; D013561:Symbolism
keywords: Pleistocene art; Pleistocene symbolism; Wallacea; cognition; personal ornamentation