Historically, the is very much related to pictures. Pre-historical remains have shown that since thousand years ago ancestors have begun to make drawings as part of creative expressions on the cave walls to project an image of their important lives, especially events and their rituals. The hunting spirits were described through stories and experiences of the ancient people in a number of motifs incised in the form of preys and hunting activities in the cave hollows.

All the cultures in the world have cave . This is because a cave painting or picture can be easily made. A cave painting can be undertaken by only using a simple material, such as carbon, chalk, and blood. One popular way of prehistoric paintings done by the ancient hunters living in the cave is by sticking their hands on the cave walls, then spraying them with the chewing of leaves or colorful mineral stones.

The results were the colorful copies of hands on the cave walls that can still be seen up to now. Cave paintings were mostly made on the flat objects, like walls, floors, and cave ceilings. In line with the civilization development, human ancestors became more intelligent in making shapes and composing them into pictures, thus automatically their works began to form a kind of shape or profile composition and narration of life and hunting events in their works.

In 2005 in a rock cave hollow of Liang Kaung, Kalimantan, I along with the Team of Environmental Conservation Study (called HIMAKOVA) of the Faculty of Forestry of Bogor Institute of Agriculture discovered a number of ancient images. This accidental discovery was very important for archeological data in the world to disclose human society life of the past in Kalimantan. The whole day I explored the rock cave hollow before finally I in disguise saw a carbon scratch under the thickness of the rock cave mosses. I found a new image stored on the rock cave walls hidden in the mosses and mushrooms. Some geometric images and motifs appeared from the rock cave ceilings after cleaning them from the thick mosses closing off the ancient hunters’ motifs of carbon paintings. These works calibrated on the rocky ground were not only considered as inheritance containing much information about human behavior in life, but also more than that, namely a proof of achievement on human taste of art carving in the media of stone. The ancient image describes the hunting spirit to become the center of metaphysical power, and the hunting rituals symbolize the creativity of the ancient society. The repetition of hunting symbols was expressed in the forms of cave or carbon paintings on the cave walls. In principal, rock cave paintings indicate the socio- economical life and faith of the society at the time. The drawings of hand marks with red background have a meaning of power or symbol for protection from a devil spirit. Such a spiritual life emphasizes the worship procession towards the soul of forefathers and metaphysical power trusted available in the surroundings (Kosasih, 1991).

The objects frequently employed in the ancient works are human beings, animals, and other natural objects and the situations of the hunting events. The painted objects were not always similar to their origins. This is called an image, and it is very much influenced by the artist’s insights upon the objects. For instance, the picture of a was made with extremely big horns rather than its origins in proportion. This image was affected by the artist’s views that horns were the most impressive organs of a deer. Therefore, the image of an object can be various depending on the ancient people’s

1 cultural understanding. This imaging becomes crucial because it was also influenced by the imagination. In the development of rock cave paintings, the imagination has played an important role for an image that illustrates the hunting spirits.

In the outset, the development of cave paintings was very much connected to the development of human civilization: the system of language, the way of sustaining life through gathering foods, and hunting and setting a trap for animals. The ancient people’s faith towards metaphysical life was the affecting factors of the development of the cave paintings. These influences can be recognized from the objects, images, and narrations in which the objects were visualized. At the moment, cave paintings had a special function, for example, a recording medium (in drawings) for retelling stories. Some leisure time in the prehistoric age was fulfilled, among other things, with activities where the ancient people did drawing or painting the cave walls. The hunting society’s ways of communication through pictures finally brought about the establishment of writing system because letters were actually derived from the symbols of paintings which were then simplified and standardized.

In a group of prehistoric society where the people spent more time for drawing rather than seeking foods, they began to be skillful in painting and realized that a certain composition of a shape or profile, if arranged in such a way, would seem more attractive rather than in a normal condition. They came to find a sort of good taste of beauty in their activities and continuously kept it so that they became more expert. They were the first creative artists in the world, and it was since then that the painting and drawing activities tended to become the hunting society’s artistic activities.

2 UNDERSTANDING ROCK CAVE ART OF KALIMANTAN

Achmad Sopandi Hasan The Visual Art Department, State University of Jakarta, [email protected]

Abstract: The Kalimantan prehistoric cave is a hilly beautiful natural landscape with potency of archeological heritage in the form of an exotic . The trail of prehistoric civilization of Marang and Betung Karihun is a karst area famous with ornate , hand paintings, human figures, and animal figures reasoning of estimable red and . This paper is aimed to report the discovery of rock cave art of Kalimantan. The result is a very creative art with ancient motifs and the transformation of idea onto cave walls, and the production of unique design that captures the essence of rock cave art. The paper will also look at current issues and challenges of ancient cultural heritage for visual art which must be appreciated as a cultural educational effort to teach the public about of the patterns and functions of rock cave art.

Key words: Kalimantan, rock cave art, ornate caves

Introduction Kalimantan is one of the places with the biggest ancient rock in the world. At precipitous hill bevels is met a number of black holes known as a cave becoming men’s dwelling in the period of . Prehistoric civilization in Kalimantan is firstly expressed in a book entitled “: Memory of the Caves” written by Jean-Michel Chazine in 2010. In 1988 a French team found a prehistoric cave painting in Liang Kaung, West Kalimantan. They found a charcoal drawing on the cave walls in Marang area in the form of red hand prints, human figures, and animals, especially in the Tewet cave in the mountain of Marang, Semenanjung Mangkalihat, East Kutai, . Since then prehistoric studies in Marang and Betung Kerihun karst area is done more intensively. According to Kosasih (1989), the patterns were adopted to ancient hunters, magic rituals, the stories of their ancestors, and the ancient community’s faith. Rock cave arts were mainly used in rituals, ceremonies, and activities associated with the beliefs of the people. The case study was the main focus for the research activities where the prehistoric sites were primary areas. The emphasis was given to the research which has relevance to the ancient time providing information that can be used for policy making and which may be expected to lead to the improvement in the quality of public life. This study is intended to identify the significance of rock cave art in Kalimantan. The symbolization of their ancestors began to establish rock cave art represented by incredible figures of animals, human beings, and stamps on the cave walls describing a hunting event done by mysterious forgotten people. It is intended to study the meaning attached in the paintings. The legacy of the first artists will continue in unimagined ways. An ancient painter always exists and mysteriously the experience of life. The hunting skills of the prehistoric community in Liang Kaung were not limited to hunting for terrestrial and arboreal animals. The rock cave art created and expressed a heritage and civilization, as if the ancient

3 painters had a natural creative power (Sopandi, 2011). Talking about creativity, let us first consider its two possible meanings: creativity in the sense of creating something new, something which can be seen by others, for example, a drawing, or creativity as an altitude, which is the condition of any creation in the former sense, but which can exist although nothing new is created in the world of things (Glover, 1989). In this paper, I herewith present the time of the message of the ancient community to be viewed and appraised. We hope this effort will help us maintain the sensitivity. This paper tries to assist the extent of the ornate caves motifs engraved on the rock cave which has important information. Information on human figures, animal figures and hand motifs was recorded in one of the rock arts of human behavior that is hunting. Rock cave arts have similar animals, such as paintings of animals describing the hunting activity at the prehistoric times. According to Toruan (1995), every work of art contains at least two elements worth observing: message and immortality. Every work of art, whether in the shape of painting, always carries a message from the artist, representing both his community and his era. A work of art records and preserves the message in the medium chosen by the creator. For that reason a work of art can be said to be the record of the history of its era. It is this message and timelessness that separates a work of art from a non art. The message covered through the medium of rock cave art is not always received in the same disposition by different persons. Besides, a message contained in a work of art is not always received in the same manner. Nevertheless, whatever the difference in appreciation, it will not subtract the message contained in it. Evidence of those earlier revolutions may be scant in most places, and for some aspects, like the prehistoric songs and music, we scarcely have no evidence. One record is enduring. The accumulations of ancient rock painting and engraving are a testament for the visual art as a medium of mediating, recording, recounting and a new means for more experiencing those profound human events and changes which have shaped our histories (Tacon & Chippindale, 1998). There is a certain analogy between a work of art and rock cave art, which in its own also caries a message and records the history of its era. It is this realization that impels to endeavor to become familiar with the rock cave art of Kalimantan. The rock cave art is the evidence that a cave is used as a residence. The cave painting also contains some magical elements and the belief of prehistoric ages. In Indonesia a rock cave art appeared in the existing communities in the hunting and food-gathering activities (Soejono, 1984). The long and intimate association with the hunting will eventually make the hunters understand their media so as to find for each surge of feeling, a channel for their self-expression. Thus, the process of creation is a very personal journey of the life experience and philosophy of the artist community in a certain period of time. The objects of their rock cave art are about fauna, painted with very complex detail. It is strongly felt that each element in their paintings receives a special and magical decoration. According to Kosasih (1983), Indonesian cave paintings were known in order to develop the hunting and food-gathering events. Kalimantan is also recognized as one of the places with the biggest amount of ancient rock art in the

4 world. The rock cave is a hilly beautiful natural karst landscape with potency of archaeological heritage in the form of exotic rock cave art and a unique design of hunting by mysterious forgotten people. The rock cave art is visually important because the iconographic meanings seem to be variable and historically idiosyncratic rather than standardized and accessible through some general rules in anthropology of art. Ethnographic insights and -informed knowledge are essential to that kind of understanding (Tacon & Chippindale, 1998). The hunters of rock cave art describing the atmosphere of the ancient hunting succeeded in maintaining the characteristics of painting by ancient community who always worked with the boundless background where the other elements in these cave paintings seemed to fly. Rock cave art describes a scene where there are human figures and mysterious motifs and animals. According to Ipoi Datan who wrote an article on archeological excavation studies in Gua Sireh, Serian, in the Sarawak Museum Journal in 199, cave painting is a form of witchcraft described to achieve success in the hunting to obtain desired animals or die from the hated enemies.

The Discovery of Rock Cave Art of Liang Kaung Kalimantan is famous with limestone caves one of which is the Liang Kaung cave. Inside it was discovered some rock cave paintings. These findings certainly increase the attractiveness of the cave. A rock cave art expedition in search of the paintings was undertaken in West Kalimantan. The impetus for this expedition is not far from the information about the existence of a rock cave art man. Mr. Ipoi Datan, Director of Museum Sarawak in Kuching, Sarawak , presented his comments on the cave painting in Hulu Kapuas, West Kalimantan, and Jean Michael Chazine, a French archeologist and prehistoric specialist, said, “In August in 1988, when we went across Borneo from Pontianak to Samarinda, we discovered the drawing of Liang Kaung in West Kalimantan”. The rock cave art was firstly found by Jean Michael Chazine, who gave the information to the researcher. It is expected that this paper will be of any use, especially for the archaeological field in the hope that general public can understand the rock cave art of Kalimantan more comprehensively as well as appreciatively and critically. I came to Liang Kaung to conduct research in the rock cave art shelter. To this end, I was supported by The Department of Forest Resources Conservation & Ecotourism, the Faculty of Forestry of Bogor Institute of Agriculture. The research was conducted under the auspices of Pusat Arkeologi Nasional Indonesia and the sponsorship of International Tropenbos of Indonesia. My interest in memory and creative rock cave art was stimulated by the importance of discovering new drawing in the . During most of this time I was living in Gua Liang Kaung, a place with a two-night journey on the Kapuas River from Putus Sibau in the Kapuas Hulu district. I am also particularly indebted to the Dayak tribes for the understanding they shared with me. What rock cave artists want to express through charcoal drawings I found is one of their cave paintings on the rock shelter in Liang Kaung. The drawing has more black colors to heighten the mysteries of magical rituals. This charcoal drawing shows that a black color is not an accident, but a function for their creative genius. With some imagination one can indeed see the

5 impact of the hunting ritual. By reading rock cave art we know that it is one of the expressions of human culture. Essentially this activity can be understood as a liberation process of human culture. Besides, it has also a functional character, one of which is the survival of life (Soewarno, 1997) According to Sopandi (2005), the earliest art is the new charcoal drawings of human and animal figures found on the cave walls in the rock shelter of Liang Kaung, West Kalimantan, and are of unknown age. The human and animal figures or rock art motifs employed to make a charcoal drawing is often selected through the final rock cave art shape in mind. Recently a charcoal drawing was found in Liang Kaung area. It is about a wild animal with the hunters. Prehistoric people usually drew an animal with the hunters used for ceremonial events with artifacts that were closely connected to their lives. Based on the motifs of charcoal drawing on the rock shelter, horns, dog, deer, and some other kinds of faunas had played an important role in their life. If, for instance, the motifs can be identified from the cave walls, this can reflect the hunting skills of the ancient people as well as the kind of animal. A collection of animal image motif helps us identify the faunal type. Food remains, for example, bones, were associated with this charcoal drawing. Ancient hunters were already present in Kapuas Hulu, the earliest evidence of human habitation in this area. This new discovery was announced and was subsequently reported to Puslit Arkenas Jakarta by Prof. Dr. Truman Simanjuntak, and makes up the first publication about the creative process of rock cave art in Liang Kaung in 2005. The team Surili 2005, with two weeks of their observed and photographed, has recorded 30 new charcoal ancient motifs and designs on the surface of the rock shelter. Visual image has not been found partly in the area before, describing a variety, from the simplest forms, such as different kinds of other images, to form a scene of activity in those communities. In rock shelter of Liang Kaung, I found the charcoal drawing that is active and dynamic. In the rock cave art, we discovered mysterious figures about people hunting scenes. In the prehistoric age people lived through hunting and food-gathering. The discovery of primitive grave proved that hunting and food-gathering involved a spiritual belief and ritual. The use of hunting to the present time in the rock shelter tells about events of hunting, fertility goddess statues, and burials with hunting . The findings of rock cave art on the rock shelter showed the ancient human desire to feel a force that exceeded the strength. Several artifacts belong to ancient culture and date back to the age. There was also the indication of burial ceremonies found in the caves in Indonesia designating that the inhabitants of that age already believed in spiritual values (Wiyoso, 2001). As a characteristic of human traits, this is one of the ways we socialize a landscape. The result is a great and scattered array of visually striking imagery as time and chance have let it survive us at sites or within regions over a vast period of time (Tacon and Chippindale, 1998). When you look at the rock cave art in Liang Kaung, a primordial world where animals, human figures, and mysterious motifs emerged is united in a cosmic unity. This oneness is accentuated by the rhythm of the cave paintings through the repetition of certain colors, lines, and the use of subdued but harmonious . Mysterious motifs can also represent all kinds of

6 symbols and messages. According to Wiyoso (2001), the beginning of the tradition was uncovered with the discovery of the painting on the cave walls. In the Liang Kaung caves of West Kalimantan which were estimated to be 5000 years old, the themes and subjects of the painting showed that the function of the stone wall paintings was related to the belief of the people with hunters’ culture. The subject of the first paintings attracting attention was the shadows of the wild animal and other motifs. It is not easy to interpret the meanings of the geometric symbols like curves, circles, spirals, and some others which were found among the pictures of animal-like beings. In order to fully appreciate the rock cave art, at first we must examine motifs. Motifs have remained black and white in the rock wall shelter. This technique was added with charcoal ancient motif. Other strange motifs also appeared and reminiscent of ritual magic and mythology influenced the works. Ancient painters liked to paint the denseness of hunters and its contents were about wild animals. The rock cave art was mostly decorative with influences of magic. Compositions were complex and unconventional and showed rock cave art as an ideal world. Every rock cave art also turned out and contained a message of friendship. It could also be the search for protection. Like the man in the megalithic age, visual image was associated with the hunting spirit, so the hunter was provided with a physical power or a starting reinforcement from evil forces during the hunting events. The motifs are scattered almost randomly across the walls with all orientations at different angles. Although an ambiguous figure is found directly in a deer or dog painting, none of the animal motifs on the walls is clearly interacting. Overall the motif on rock cave art in the rock shelter of Liang Kaung exhibits iconic charcoal, a greater degree of narratives than that of which is noted for the wild animal motifs. Except for the addition of hunters and their associated elaborations, the overall presentation of these motifs is essentially identical to that of spirit hunting. After a long contemplation, research, and conjecture, I present images of ancient and varied rock cave arts, symbols of the temperaments, connections, contradictions, attitudes, behaviors, and judgments that we deal with in our daily lives. Rock cave art in Liang Kaung shows a hunter creature associated with tracing human figures and colorful . This sense of invisibility is also apparent in the enlarged image of artists though the creation of strange spirit hints the personality and sensitivity lying buried in the psyche in other rock cave arts. What unites artists is the strong feeling of conscious exploration through a variety of visual devices and stylistic dimensions. Their work extends beyond the formal considerations of composition and technique although in all cases their technical accomplishments are clearly evident. The significant contribution of the research is to develop sense of belonging and an appreciation of our cultural heritage. A rock cave art has great potential in contributing to the continuity of global civilization. It is a cultural heritage with social-cultural and socio-economic prospects (Sopandi, 2010). After the work was completed, in the item the artists stored several values of diligence, perseverance, spirit and experience of a bond between man and in the rock cave art from charcoal and .

7 The people of this region painted pictures of the animals they hunted like wild animals along the cave walls. They entrusted their life fully to nature as hunting communities. The tendency of most hunting cultures is to maintain continuity of the traditional value from generation to generation.

Rock Cave Art of Gua Tewet The cave paintings consist especially of hand but also include anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures as well as other motifs. The presence of a few general figures in some caves, presents some analogies, with some common symbolic ”ideograms”, in frequent use in South East Asia. For instance, the typical features found in Gua Tewet linking a minimum of 9 differentiated negative hand prints may evoke possibly the universal “tree of life” scheme (Chazine, 2011). According to Chippindale and Tacon (1998), for some experts who objected to consider cultural phenomena such as art then used the term rock image, rock picture, marking rock, and rock cave. Rock art is great, and it shared legacy: visuals, illustrated history of human endeavor, aggression, cooperation, experience and accomplishment. Equally important by their contents are the ornate caves which have been discovered since 13 years in that area. Being established by now that the oldest representation are older than the end of (10.000 years BP), they constitute a determining core of the South East ASEAN prehistory (Chazine, 2011). I just come back from the Liang Kaung cave where I was doing a field study of the prehistoric rock art in Kalimantan. It was in 2006 and I visited Sangatta, a city full of beautiful memories, before my five years sojourn abroad. It was through my friend Pindi Setiawan, a researcher in ITB, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. As far as I’m concerned it was a historic meeting. Meeting Pindi Setiawan and being able to call him a friend has been a great pleasure and enrichment in my life, particularly when I was presented with cave paintings in Gua Tewet using hematite on cave walls. But through books such as this one the accomplishments of some of the earliest creators, our original artist, poets and story tellers, will not be forgotten. Read, reflect, relax and rejoice. Embark with us on a journey through time and space that explores the visually creative essence of early humanity (Tacon and Chippindale, 1998). Location rock art cave of far flung it cause it took a major expensive for example, there is a location that should be reached after several moving means of transportation, from helicopter to cars, using the speed boat, moved again to hitch- hike company and had to walk so took 10 hours to reach it. Tewet cave located in the middle of the Gergaji mountain. Gergaji mountain has longitudinal direction for approximately 32-212. The peaks of this mountain can reach 500 m over the sea surface. Cave are located in the Tanjung Mangkalihat, district Sangkulirang, East Kutai district, East Kalimantan from some of the caves that exist in the region one cave painting appeard to have varied. This area has relief characteristic and topography Sangkulirang almost straighten like tower, known type tower karst formation of East Kalimantan. The spectacular limestone peaks of these isolated regions, with remained protected by distance and luxuriant vegetation.

8 Indonesian archeologists were fascinated by the handprints, so frequently found in many caves in East Indonesia. But they did not anticipate that the caves in the deep interior of East Kalimantan, so intensively survey by French speleologist since 1982, yield the most abundant cave wall paintings and in the world Leaving the base camp at the Jelai river and lies at the height of about 200 meter above the river’s surface. To reach the Tewet cave one has climbing a precipitous bank, so one needs special equipment such as and safety belt when climbing and descending back to the bank. When looking at the wall of the cave will be seen a paintings of the work of early can display image palms, animals and humans with colorful predominantly red and brown. Hand stamp motif was used to apply decorations to the cave surfaces or it was embellished with incised patterns. In the rock art cave, a number of human figures were found on the cave ceiling, animal and human figures dancing or hunting accompanied by some unintelligible symbols or was applied to the wall in bold strokes of hematite (Sopandi, 2011). According to Chazine (2005), a date indicates that the earliest hand stencils may predate ca. 10,000 B.P, and drawings of what may be extinct animal suggest that some of other motifs could be of such antiquity. Deep within the cliff side caves of Tewet cave, 10,000 year old painting featuring the hands of the artists themselves may offer clues about ancient migrations. The interactive image is magical and powerful. Many decorated with dots, dashes, and other pattern a tree of life. The design may symbolize ties that connect individuals, families, territories, or spirits to each other. The cave paintings are approximately familiar with visual symbols of clan identity. The motifs depend on the context of certain events. A few motifs have been reintroduced in the last few years. It is a symbol or special marker used as a signature to mark the cattle or other possessions. Certain motifs are believed to have protective power. The hunter sector was made the focal point identity of ancient community. The result of human interaction with the natural environment in the form of animals, and generate a culture that is reflected in cave paintings. Addition to descriptions of animal for hunting, the animal usually depicted election has significance. Common motif of the human hand painted signatures or markers representing members of the group are connected to the socials gathering. Among others is Tewet cave which is famous with hand tread painting and animal looks like lizard. Zoomorphic characters: deer tribe, lizard, pig, bovines, the species found most often were suitable for hunting by humans. According Luc Henry Fage (2010), painting in Gua Tewet records a shaman’s track into the spirit world in the center represents the shaman. The lizard was a shaman difficult sort of stairway stand for path. So, the image of a lizard in Gua Tewet painting is lizard ancestor, who was a man before he turned into a lizard. The one which was easier to interpret was the lizard man. The meaning was obtained based on the comparative study on the decorative motif of the lizard in the decoration or utensil used by some traditional society in Indonesia, was considered as the symbol of the ancestor (Wiyoso, 2001). The motif of the lizard as the symbol of worldly spirit or as the symbol of fertility was found in the decoration on rock art cave. Drawing of humans were rare and are usually schematic rather than the more detailed and naturalistic images of animal subjects. In an effort to prehistoric

9 humans adapt to their environment by hunting, they use a hunting ritual called the hunting magic or which craft hunting and fertile magic. Media magic hunting and fertility magic in prehistoric times it is a painting that depicted in the cave. Rock art consist of an image, patterns, and designs, are placed on natural rock such as cliffs faces and boulders, wall and ceiling of the cave. In wall is also depicted the tree of life. The paintings in the rock shelter cave about 200 branded hand that can last very long time, along with pictures of animal and humans. About half the hands were covered with dots, lines, chevron, or patterns, along with pictures of animal and humans. About half of it is covered with hand painted dots, lines, such as rank marks, or other over 50 combinations. The preceding explanation has given us a glimpse of the roofs as a symbol of all the hopes we wish to achieve through hunting. It is hoped that this rock art cave will help in nurturing that spirit (Chazine, 2010). According to Chazine (2011), found a hand stamp patterns encountered in the cave is the most in the world. These symbols are found in caves is carried picture of prehistoric human life, while writing and the unknown the only way poured their life stories are the cave paintings. Cave paintings are result of culture, a reflection of prehistoric human interaction with the natural environment in the form of wild animals. And in the past, animal figure played a very important role through the cults of shaman when the practice of using mineral materials omens was firmly interwoven into ancient beliefs. There also hand labeling is made by spreading your fingers on the walls of the cave were then sprinkled with red paint. That the purpose of making the painting was something to do with their beliefs. That is, the artwork was made not directly related to artistic purpose, but and attempt to communicate with supernatural powers (Kosasih, 1983). Therefore that the idea of painting the walls of the cave was originally a petition to force desired for certain what can be achieved, in accordance whit what is painted. Art truly exists to evocate the aspirations of humanity. Rites magic is the power of the images of animal figures and humans in ritual of ceremonial hunting magic. According Luc Henry Fage (2005), painting in Tewet cave records a shaman’s trek into the spirit world in the center represents the shaman. The lizard a she shaman difficult sort of stairway stand for path. The smooth lines on the right symbolize the successful completion of the journey, when the shaman attains an altered state of consciousness that affects all parts of his body and allows him to communicate with spirits. The hand stencils themselves evoke traditional healing rituals in which a shaman lays his hand on a sick person, then sprays medicine from his mouth onto the patient to cure him. There is a spiritual and magic energy that cave paining grows in him, but he needs time to head there, to explore, and to reveal the essence of the works. He has been ignorant and faces many obstacles, weaknesses, and mistakes. However, he later discovered new things, and finally revealed new prospects. In cave paintings there are a journey of culture and magic to avoid disaster and life that keeps going on. The artwork has soul and life to tell a story of history and livelihoods full of symbols (Sopandi, 2010). Close to the cave paintings stored in Marang area is a big rock formation of Sangkulirang, the largest mountainous area in Indonesia and it is located in the northern

10 part of the main island of Kalimantan. Some limited fieldwork was carried out in specific areas of the cave paintings a heritage art that has long existed in Indonesia especially among the ancient community. Cave paintings started more than 10.000 year ago. The ancient people were known to have outstanding artistic paint cave skills. They were also famous for their strong belief system, animism. In many ancient cultures and religious traditions, cave painting symbolizes truth, life or a spiritual presence. Cave painting is created from hematite rock having been domesticated since ancient times. It is the oldest painting and was an important and deep symbol in different societies of caves, as well as in ancient tribal societies. It is symbolically significant for most cultures, and the creation of the color is imbued with a sense of mystery, recently discovering art rock in Gua Tewet. This spread shows several styles hand stamp, and animal figures reasoning of estimable red paint in hematite pigment (Sopandi, 2013). Marang area, now surrounded by a lush nature reserve, contains some of South- East Asia’s earliest traces of homo sapiens hunter, associated with stone tools of the same period. fragments have been found in most parts of the Marang complex. Of course there is no recorded history of Marang. A set of fascinating wall paintings conveyed a message from former artists and their audience but no longer leaves us the key to interpret the signs. Marang men, who lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers in the Marang area had developed considerable skills in grinding stone and splashing color and within the next 10.000 years they learned to paint the wall. Deep within the cliff sides caves of eastern Borneo, 10,000 year old paintings featuring the hands of the artist themselves may offer clues may offer clues about ancient migrations (Fage, 2005).

Conclusion The conclusion is, from my presentation I hope that I can share my knowledge about a Rock art cave. This article presents findings of rock art cave obtained from rock shelter Liang Kaung, Tanjung Lokang, West Kalimantan, including discovery and description of images, an ancient cultural heritage of visual art. What I do now is to break the ancient mystery by reconnecting the prehistoric . The creative process and sensibility of cave painting are derived in part from the equisetic heritage of ancient, well known for their sense of aesthetic beauty and their real and symbolic ties with nature. Their intimacy with their natural milieu, together with their beliefs and their proclivity for the supernatural thing has inspired cave painting.

Acknowledgement The rock art cave research at Kalimantan was made possible with the support and cooperation of a number of individuals and organizations. First of all, we would like express our gratitude to Prof. Dr.Truman Simanjuntak Puslit Arkenas Jakarta Indonesia. The rock art cave fieldwork in Gua Tewet was conducted with help of Dr. Pindi Setiawan, Lecturer and researcher ITB, The research at Gua Tewet, Kutai Timur, East Kalimantan in 2006 received financial support from the Kaltim Prima Coal, Indonesia. I had the privilege of watching a real expert at work while my late father-in– law, Pak Tewet, lived with us. I am grateful that some portion of their lore and rock art has been preserved in this paper.

11 References Achmad Sopandi, 2005. Expedition Report Discovery Rock Art Cave of Liang Kaung, Betung Karihun, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Bogor: Himakova, IPB ______, 2006. Lukisan Gua di Kalimantan. Balikpapan: National Geographic Indonesia ______, 2010. Proceeding International Seminar Art and Science Bandung: Institute of Technology Bandung ______, 2011. Proceeding Asian Trans Diciplinary Karst Conference, Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada University ______, 2013. Proceeding International Seminar Problems of Indonesian Qualification Framework Literature, and Culture in South-East Asia: Towards Treaty of Cultural Development. Jakarta:APBSI Meeting Chazine Jean Michael, 2010. Borneo: Memory of the Caves, Indonesia ______, 2011. Preliminary Results of A Pluri Disiplinary Franco Indonesian Program on The Human Occupation Process In East Kalimantan Karstic Environment. Proceedings Asian Trans Discipplinary Karst Conference. Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada University Christoper Chipindale, Tacon, Paul S.C (ed). 1998. The of Rock Art. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Dixon Dougal, 1992. Rock & Minerals.London: Quantum Books Ltd Glover, John A et al Eds, 1989. Handbook of Creativity Persepective on Individual Difference. New York: Plenom Press Hole, F. and Robert F. H, 1990. : A Brief Introduction. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc. Luc Henri Fage: 2005. Rock Art Borneo. Kalimantantrope Kosasih, E.A, 1983. “Cave paintings in Indonesia Archaeological Research, as Data Sources,” Scientific Meeting Archaeology III, Jakarta: Centre of National Archaeology Reseacrh ______, 1989. Cave paintings Contribution at Development Archaeological in South East Asia, Scientific Meeting Archaeology V, Jakarta: Centre of National Archaeology Reseacrh Raymond Toruan. Rona Tembikar, Jakarta: Jakarta Post Soejono, R.P.1984. Sejarah Nasional Indonesia I: Zaman Prasejarah. Jakarta: Balai Pustaka. Soewarno Wisetromo, 1997. Artistic Exploration and Aesthetic Liberation. Jakarta Whitley, David.S. 2005. Introduction to: Rock Art Research. : Left Coast Press, Inc. Wood R. M, 1996. Discovering Prehistory. London : Horus Editions Limited Wiyoso Yudoseputro, 2001. in ASEAN Continuity and Change , Kuala Lumpur: National Art Gallery

BIODATA

DR. Achmad Sopandi Hasan is painter, an adventurer, a researcher Rock Art Cave, and lecturer at the State University of Jakarta, Indonesia. His interests toward Rock Art Cave and secluded ethnic group in the archipelago have become a source and inspiration his art work. For more than 20 years he has been experimenting with natural dyes obtained from rock mineral from caves and prehistoric sites. He has officially patented his

12 findings of natural dyes obtained from hematite. In line the rock art , talk about “Hematisol” explaining his recent dye experiments with natural stones obtained from ancient caves. He published her Doctoral thesis (Cave Painting in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 2003). He joined the World Eco Fibre Textile Forum, and the International Symposium Exhibition on Natural Dyes UNESCO-UNDP. For his work, Achmad Sopandi also expert of FINSPAC (Federation of Indonesian Speleological Activities). Member of FMI (Federation Mountaineering Indonesia), and LARON (Land Rover Owner Indonesia).

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