Attention to all Malaysians!
The bones of your roughly 40,000-year-old ancestors are returning home.
Sarawak’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports recently announced their intention to retrieve the prehistoric remains that were discovered in Niah Caves decades ago back to the state.
“It is hoped that the ancient human skeletons will be brought here in February or March,” Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said, according to the New Straits Times.
Here are some facts you might not have known about these bones:
More than 200 ancient human skeletons were first discovered between 1957 and 1967 in Sarawak's Niah Caves, also known as Gua Niah.
Sarawak Museum's first curator Tom Harrison led the excavation works at the time.
But unfortunately, the Malaysian state didn't have the proper facilities to conduct further research on the prehistoric remains at that era.
So 122 of those skeletons were sent abroad to the U.S. First at the University of Nevada and later at the University of Florida. The research has since been completed, but the bones were left forgotten.
That is, until now.
“Fortunately when we checked our archives, the bones were found to be on loan, so we wrote to them saying we wanted them returned,” Abdul Karim revealed recently.
One of the skeletons researched is the oldest modern human skull from Southeast Asia.
Nicknamed as the "Deep Skull," it's been the center of two main discussions. Whether the skull belong to an adolescent boy or a middle-aged woman, and if it more closely resembles Tasmanians, an indigenous group from Australia, or the indigenous people of Borneo.
Of course, it was soon proven to be the latter for both discussion. Which means the people of Borneo have origins that go way back.
According to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, researchers estimated that the skull might be between 39,000 and 45,000 years old!
You'll be able to see the ancient human bones on display at the Sarawak Museum Complex.
According to The Borneo Post, work on the largest museum in Malaysia and second largest in the entire Southeast Asia, the new Sarawak Museum Complex, is currently ongoing.
And soon, the prehistoric remains will be coming back to join the well-curated selection showcasing Sarawak's history and community lives.
Arrangements to have more than 100 of those prehistoric remains return home to Sarawak are currently in plans and will be carried out by March 2020. Meanwhile, the new Sarawak Museum Complex is expected to open by late 2020.
Cheers to the Sarawak Ministry for bringing home an important piece of Malaysian history! We hope to see the bones back in their home state safe and sound.
Cover image sourced from The Star and Sarawak Tourism.
