Archaeological Rescue Excavation of Gua Keledung

Client : Nenggiri Hydroelectric Project | Project Scope : Environmental Impact Assessment
Project Completion :  2025

Archaeological Rescue Excavation of Gua Keledung for Nenggiri Hydroelectric Project

The rescue excavation at Gua Keledung successfully uncovered a total of 5,425 artifacts and ecofacts related to prehistoric and post-prehistoric cultures. Among the key findings were 678 stone artifacts, 550 pottery shards, 7 pieces of ceramics, 5 stoneware fragments, and 4 met- al fragments, identified as chisels and prying tools. In ad- dition, 722 shell fragments and 3,459 bone fragments were discovered, believed to be food remnants left by the communities that once sought shelter in the cave.

Gua Keledung Besar is believed to have functioned as a temporary shelter for prehistoric communities, while Gua Keledung Kecil served as a burial site, as shown by the discovery of human remains. Radiocarbon dating of shell samples from the burial site in Gua Keledung Kecil indi- cates that the human skeleton dates back approximately 16,000 years, making it older than the famous ‘Perakman’ skeleton discovered in Lenggong, Perak.

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