Hominid-Fossil Beds in Java

Abstract

In and around the Kendeng Hills, Central and East Java, many sites of hominid-fossils have been found since the discovery of Pithecanthropus erectus by DUBOIS (Fig. 1, 2). Among these, the sites in Trinil, Modjokerto and Sangiran areas are very famous as representative ones.
1. The Pliocene-Pleistocene sediments in the afore-said areas are divided into Kalibeng Formation, Putjangan Formation, Kabuh Formation and Notopuro Formation in ascending order. However, the hominid-fossils have occurred only in Putjangan Formation (early Pleistocene) and Kabuh Formation (middle Pleistocene) (Fig. 3-5).
2. These hominid-fossils can be subdivided into the newer and smaller type (Pithecanthropus erectus) and the older and larger type. The former includes P. a and P. I-III, while the latter, which includes Homo modjokertensis, P. b, P. IV, P. dubius and Meganthropus palaeojavanicus, is similar to Homo habilis found from Africa.
3. K-Ar ages of Putjangan Formation and Kabu Formation show 1.9±0.4m.y. and 0.7 to 0.5m.y. respectively.
4. The Indonesian-Japanese cooperative project on hominid-fossil beds in Central and East Java was started in 1976. The result of this project will be published by Geological Survey of Indonesia.