The Australian-Indonesian Archaeological Expedition to Sulawesi

Abstract

INJul y and August 1969 we led an archaeological expedition to the Makassar region of Sulawesi Selatan (South Celebes) to investigate sites of the so-called Toalean culture (see Fig. 1).The expedition consisted of three members of the National Archaeological Institute of Indonesia-R.P. Soejono, Basuki, and Teguh Asmar-and three from the Department of Prehistory, Australian National University, Canberra-D.J. Mulvaney, C. C. Macknight, and 1. C. Glover; Emily Glover also accompanied the party.The expedition was planned as a reconnaissance to visit areas in which previous archaeologists had worked until 1950.We wished to test the practicability of renewed research on a larger scale.In addition, we hoped to make trial excavations in search of stratified collections of ceramics, stone artifacts, and faunal remains and to obtain radiocarbon samples with which to date them.Most of the relevant previous work dated from before World War II, and much of the data was unpublished, or left in the form of generalized description.It was necessary, therefore, to revisit some of the key sites already investigated to improve the documentation and, if possible, to date the occupation thereof.To ensure as complete a sample as possible, we used sieves to screen all excavated deposits, and everything of extraneous origin was retained.An additional goal, however, was to provide information, and to stimulate interest in the work.We wished to familiarize officials and scholars with the methods and requirements of modern archaeology and to emphasize the unique evidence available in Sulawesi.We held informal discussions with numerous officials, both senior administrators and local agents; students from the Faculty of Letters, Hasanuddin University, assisted on some excavations to teach them something of practical archaeology; groups of teacher trainees were able to Plate VI a, Stamped circle design, Batll Edjaja II; b, area impressed decoration, Batll Edjaja II.Plate VIc stamped circle design, Leang Burung, Trench A. Plate VII Leang Burung cave, Trench A. The trench reached a depth of 4 m." ',.Plate IX Representative designs from VIu Leang 2 burial cave.Plate X Representative designs from Vlu Leang 2 burial cave.

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