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Neolithic
Age
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Out
of the mists of the distant past indistinct images have been located
upon the radar-screen of time. Tile work of prehistorians and philologists
has made it possible for its to penetrate into the life of prehistoric
man. In this way we are able to chart the course taken by important
cultural movements even though the limits of time and place frequently
remain vague and blurred. Stones which have been discovered bearing
traces of working by human hands have enabled the prehistorian to
investigate these cultural movements and to define them more precisely,
at least within certain limits. No doubt further individual studies
will confirm scientifically much that at present is merely conjecture.
Comparative philology has also yielded valuable results.
The cultural movement which was of greatest importance to Indonesia
emanated from Yunnan in South China. Various groups and tribes emigrated
to Indonesia from this region, where the upper courses of the great
rivers Hwang-lio, Yangtze-kiatig, Mekong, Salween, Irrawady and
Brahmaputra are not far distant front each other. These emigrants
first proceeded from Yunnan to Further India, and then moved southwards
into the Malayan peninsula. From this southeastern tip of tile Asian
continent they embarked upon their great, enterprise: in slender
vessels with curved bow and stern - they sailed out into tile unknown
towards tile islands of Indonesia.
This migration must have proceeded very gradually, probably over
the course of some thousand years, since large groups will hardly
have been able to leave at the same moment. In view of this long
duration, cultural influences will probably also have made themselves
felt at various stages of the process. The prehistorian R. von Heine-Geldern
puts this movement at between 2500 and l500 B.C.
Despite their different development in other respects, these migrants
were in the normal Neolithic stage civilization. The material objects
characteristic of this period are chiefly ground and polished stone
axes, which are to be found in various shapes. Typical of this culture
is the rectangular axe, so called because of its long rectangular
cross section.
R. von Heine-Geldern
considers that the centre from which the rectangular axe culture
spread was Yunnan. Axes of this kind have been found no, only
in this region but also throughout Further India, as well as in
the Mallyan peninsula. They constitute, so to speak, the sign-posts
on the path taken by the Indonesians towards the south. The fact
that these types of axe have also been found further to the west
indicates that a similar cultural movement took place in the direction
of India. But since this is of no significance. or at least no
direct significance, so far as Indonesia is considered, the problems
which this raises will not be considered here.
In the Indonesian
Archipelago rectangular axes have been found in central and southern
Sumatra, Java, Bali and the other Lesser Sundas, Borneo, Celebes
and the Moluccas. Particularly amongst the finds in southern Sumatra,
Java and Bali, one comes across specimens of fine expert workmanship
and exquisite shape. They are amongst the most magnificent artifacts
ever found. It is beyond all doubt that Neolithic man lived in
permanent settlements. There must have been special reasons for
the migration from Yunnan to the Indonesian islands, but these
can only be guessed at, not ascertained with
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