Protohistory finds in Bukit Keteri and Gua Semadong

A JWN worker showing a human bone fragment found on the hill.

THE National Heritage Department (JWN) will carry out excavations and documentation of ancient drawings found in Gua Semadong as well as fragments of human skeletons in Bukit Keteri, near Padang Besar, Perlis.

National Heritage commissioner Mohd Azmi Mohd Yusof said JWN had conducted an archaeological exploration in the area with the State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) and Perlis Climbing Association in July last year.

“The exploration was carried out for documentation and inventory purposes, to get the latest archaeological data of the site as well as to find more artefacts.”

He said this to reporters after accompanying state tourism, arts, culture and heritage committee chairman Asmaiza Ahmad during a visit to the two locations.

Azmi said the exploration that was carried out in Gua Semadong had uncovered drawings believed to be from the protohistory period, with Hindu-Buddhist influences estimated to date back to the fifth and the 10th centuries.

“Protohistory” refers to the period in a culture immediately before its recorded history begins.

“Based on previous studies done around the caves in Perlis, the skeletal fragments found in Bukit Keteri can be expected to be between 5,000 and 10,000 years old.

“Caves in Perlis, especially in Bukit Chuping, Bukit Tunku Lembu, Bukit Ngulang, Bukit Kerengga and Bukit Changkul were used as settlements and funeral grounds for Palaeolithic and Neolithic communities, based on the discovery of artefacts such as stone tools and earthenware,” said Azmi.

He said the areas were not only inhabited by the prehistoric community but were once the settlement of the protohistoric community, where artefacts such as votive tablets had been discovered.

He elaborated that these new findings would reinforce previous data that confirmed Perlis was an important trade route during ancient times.

He urged the public to immediately report any historical finds to the District Officer or the National Heritage Commissioner as stipulated in Section 47 of the National Heritage Act 2005.