6,000-year-old skeleton of teenage girl unearthed in Gua Chawan, Kelantan

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Mohamaddin at the press conference with JWN director-general Datuk Dr Zainah Ibrahim. — Bernama photo

KUALA LUMPUR: The skeleton of a stone age teenage girl who lived between 6,000 to 8,000 years ago, has been unearthed at the excavation site in Gua Chawan, Nenggiri Valley, Kelantan on Nov 2.

The skeleton from the Mesolithic period or middle stone age, was found by researchers from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), archaeologists from National Heritage Department (JWN) and researchers from the History Department, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris during the archaeological excavation at the cave.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said that the findings were very important for archaeology in providing new facts about prehistoric practices in Malaysia.

“This skeleton is believed to be that of a teenage girl based on the pelvis bone found on the skeleton and she was buried with her foot and head were both placed over limestone.

“Her right hand was holding a snail and a cutter. There was grindstone-pounder placed at her feet as a tool to accompany the remains in death,” he said at a press conference here yesterday.

Mohamaddin said the prehistoric human skeleton had been removed from Gua Chawan on Nov 10 and now placed in JWN conservation laboratory for 60 days for recording and conservation purposes.

He said dental samples and as well as that from the snail shells would be sent to the Beta Labs in the United States to obtain its chronometric date.

He added that the discovery was very meaningful as it would lead to the unravelling of the culture practised by primitive society and the presence of prehistoric humans around the Nenggiri Valley in Ulu Kelantan.

“JWN in collaboration with the Kelantan government will also collect all artefacts to be used as references for the country’s history and heritage and they will be on display for the public viewing once the conservation process completed,” he said.

In another development, when asked to comment on the plans to modify the controversial Visit Malaysia 2020 logo, Mohamaddin said his ministry was considering of making a small change by taking into account the cost factor.

The Visit Malaysia Year 2020 logo which was launched in conjunction with Asean Tourism in by January this year in Chiang Mai, Thailand by former Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri drew negative response from netizens. — Bernama