Distribution and chronology of black pigment rock art in the Matarombeo karst mountains, North Konawe, South Sulawesi
M. Sabri1, Adhi Agus Oktaviana2 and Saswal Ukba1
1Universitas Indonesia
2Badan Riset dan Inovasi dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN)
National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia
The existence of rock art is an important piece of evidence regarding human life in the past in a landscape. The increasing development of dating methods, especially Radiocarbon Dating, allows researchers to determine the age of rock art. North Konawe is one of the regions with quite a lot of rock art in the Sulawesi archipelago, especially in Southeast Sulawesi Province. Unfortunately, the information about the location, artists, and the age of the art is very limited. Through this research, we intend to conduct the research on black pigment rock art in North Konawe to document the spatial distribution and carry out dating tests to determine the age of the rock art. This research will use literature study, field observations, mapping, c-14 radiocarbon dating using the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) technique, as well as further analysis related to other archaeological findings to provide a better understanding of the chronology and the life of the rock art makers in North Konawe. It is suspected that the results of this research will provide an initial understanding regarding the spatial distribution and chronology of black pigment rock art in North Konawe. Meanwhile, it is hoped that this research can complete information regarding the diversity of rock art in the Sulawesi Islands.