488 Prehistoric Rock Patterns Found On Kaimear Pulau Island

DOC/Hand stamped rock image on the alcove wall of the Aulapa Temple, Kisar Island, Southwest Maluku Regency. (ANTARA/Shariva Alaidrus)

AMBON - The Maluku Archaeological Center found 488 prehistoric rock motives at the Kel Lein Site on Kaimear Island, Kur Islands District, Southeast Maluku Regency, Maluku.

"The number of rock drawing motives is very large, around 488 motives, but not all of them were identified by the team during the survey at the Kel Lein Site in 2019," said Lucas Wattimena, an archaeologist from the Maluku Archaeological Center in Ambon, as quoted by Antara, Monday, June 21.

According to him, of the 488 prehistoric rock image motives found at the Kel Lein Site, only 375 or about 76 percent of the image motives were identified.

The identified rock image motives are grouped into two types, namely figurative and non-figurative types.

Images with figurative type motives include paintings of certain recognizable objects such as human figures (anthropomorphic), animals (zoomorphic), handprints, footprints, boats, and stone tools.

While images with non-figurative motives include abstract paintings consisting of lines, circles, combinations of lines and circles, and geometric shapes.

Lucas said there was about 98 percent of worn and peeling rock drawing motives at the Kel Lein Site.

In addition, according to him, there are picture motives covered with moss, covered with insects, covered with calcium carbonate or water flow, and covered with human hand graffiti.

Lucas explained, the Kel Lein Site is a niche with a length of approximately 100 meters that stretches in a north-south direction on Kaimear Island.

"The site is on a single hill. Local people call it Kel Lein Napatar which means big rock cliff," he said.