NIAH CAVES

'Niah Caves' is located within the district of Miri in Sarawak, Malaysia. Part of Niah National Park, the main cave, Niah Great Cave, is located in Gunung Subis and is made up of several voluminous, high-ceilinged chambers. It is not an extensive cave system compared to others in Sarawak. The cave is an important prehistorical site where human remains dating to 40,000 years have been found. This is the oldest recorded human settlement in East Malaysia. Painted Cave has rock paintings dated as 1,200 years old. The caves are also well known for the birds' nest (Swiftlet) industry. It is a popular tourist destination in Sarawak.
Research was pioneered by Tom Harrisson in the 1950/60's. Since then local universities and foreign scientists have continued the archaeological research, and many articles have been published in the Sarawak Museum Journal. The site has been re-excavated (1999-2003+) by a joint British-Malaysian expedition to determine the accuracy of Harrisson's work.
Items found at Niah Cave include Pleistocene chopping tools and flakes, Neolithic axes, adzes, pottery, shell jewellery, boats, mats, then iron tools and ceramics and glass beads dating to the Iron Age. The most famous find is the human skull dated at around 38,000 years.
Painted Cave has paintings and wooden coffin 'death ships'.
Niah National Park was 3,140 hectares when it was gazetted in 1974.

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References

See also

External links

References

★ Harrison, Tom (November 1957) "The Great Cave of Niah: A Preliminary Report on Bornean Prehistory" ''Man'' 57: pp. 161-166

See also

★ Prehistoric Malaysia

External links

★ History of Niah Caves

★ The Niah Cave Project at the University of Leicester.

★ Summary of the article "A short history of birds' nests management in the Niah caves (Sarawak)." by Quentin Gausset from the "Borneo Research Bulletin" published in 2002.

★ Niah National Park from Sarawak Forestry