Collaborative archaeological research has successfully unveiled the evolution of stone tool technology in South Sulawesi, which has spanned 40,000 years. The findings, published in the international journal Archaeological and Anthropological Science, confirm that the distinctive Toalean culture did not emerge instantly, but rather grew from local technological adaptations since the Late Pleistocene.
This in-depth research is centered at the prehistoric site of Leang Panninge, Maros Regency, involving various leading research institutions. Among them are the Department of Archaeology at Hasanuddin University (Unhas), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Griffith University Australia, and several local cultural preservation agencies.
Through the analysis of stone artifacts spanning from 40,000 to 3,500 years ago, archaeologists discovered a dynamic technological continuity. In the early phase, local ancient humans produced simple stone flakes in a practical manner. Interestingly, they also applied specialized stone-cutting techniques to process ochre, a coloring mineral used as a raw material for prehistoric cave paintings.
Over time, this innovation gave rise to the Toalean cultural identity around 8,000 years ago, marked by the appearance of a distinctive arrowhead called the Maros Point. In the Late Toalean phase, precision in toolmaking increased, resulting in more uniform and miniature stone tools (microliths), indicating a high degree of work specialization at the time.
Lead researcher from Hasanuddin University, Suryatman, explained that these findings debunk long-standing speculation regarding the origin of the Toalean culture. According to him, this distinctive innovation was built on the foundation of local knowledge passed down through generations, rather than sudden external influence. A similar sentiment was expressed by Prof. Akin Duli, who stated that the Leang Panninge site is crucial in reconstructing the history of the Wallacean population, complementing the previous discovery of the ancient human skeleton Bessé’.
On the other hand, BRIN representatives, Adhi Agus Oktaviana and Zubair Mas’ud, emphasized the close relationship between the advancement of stone tool technology and the oldest rock art expressions in the world located in the Maros-Pangkep region. Ochre processing proves that the innovation of South Sulawesi's prehistoric society was not merely for survival, but also to support artistic and spiritual activities that were highly advanced for their time.
