The Sakkarra site: New data on prehistoric occupation from the Metal Phase (2000 BP) along the Karama drainage, West Sulawesi

Abstract

The Karama drainage supported the lifeways of prehistoric Austronesian speakers following their first arrival in Sulawesi. Beginning in 1935, early research along the Karama River brought to light various occupation phases related to the founding lineages and dispersal of Austronesian speakers within Southeast Asia’s borders. More recent research indicates a Neolithic occupation phase between 3500 and 2500 years ago, after which time the Metal Phase began. The Metal Phase is fully demonstrated in the deposits of the Sakkarra site, on the Bonehau River in the southern Karama drainage, as described in this paper. Cultural developments associated with the Neolithic continued unabated into the Early Metal Phase, including the technology of polishing stone artefacts, which indeed appears to have been practised with enhanced skill.