S15-6

Quantitatively Measuring the Archaeological Potential of Caves in the Rembang Zone, Central Java Based on Field Survey Data

Research Center for Archaeometry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia

Data collection of caves through surveys has been proven as an effective way to overview the archaeological potential of an area or region. When dealing with a large karst limestone region that contains numerous caves that might have archaeological potential, we are sometimes faced with difficulties in determining the potential of each cave, especially if descriptions are only based on field surveys. In this study, we tried to systematically measure the archaeological potential of caves using a quantitative approach. This involved measuring several variables including morphology, accessibility, and surface finds. The systematic measurement allows us to build an assessment of archaeological potential, which we divided into three categories: high, medium, and low. The study was carried out in the karst area of Rembang and Pati Regencies on the north coast of Java (also known as the Rembang Zone, Central Java). In total, 60 caves were discovered during field survey (51 in Rembang and 29 in Pati). Using our criteria for determining archaeological potential 74 were determined to have unsuitable for prehistoric inhabitation. Only six caves were assessed as having potential, five in Pati and one in Rembang. Of the five caves at Pati, one cave was ranked as having high potential and the rest is ranked as having medium potential. The cave in Rembang Regency was ranked with medium potential. This presentation discusses the use of or criteria technique for assessing cave potential and illustrates the limited archaeological resources are often available within limestone karst landscapes even when numerous caves have been identified.