Toalean culture facts for kids
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| Geographical range | Southern Sulawesi, Indonesia |
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| Period | Mid Holocene, Mesolithic Indonesia |
| Dates | c. 7000 BCE – c. 500 CE |
| Major sites | Leang Panninge (4°46′28″S 119°56′23″E / 4.77444°S 119.93972°E), Leang Bulu’ Sipong |
| Followed by | Austronesian migrants |
The Toalean people were ancient hunter-gatherers. They lived on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. This was during a time called the Mid- to Late-Holocene period. They lived there before new groups of farmers arrived about 3,500 years ago. These farmers were called Austronesian people.
The name 'Toalean' was given by early explorers. It comes from the local Bugis word 'Toale'. This word means "forest people." But later studies showed that the Toalean culture was not linked to the forest people who lived in southern Sulawesi much later.
We know the Toalean culture by the special tools they left behind. These include sharp bone points and tiny stone tools called microliths. They also left many shells, especially from a freshwater snail. Another special tool was a small stone point called a 'Maros point'. Unlike later cultures, they did not use ground stone tools. Toalean tools are often found with bones of Sulawesi warty pigs. Not much Toalean art has been found. The art found includes an engraved bone point and a painted shell. No Toalean cave art has been discovered.
Contents
When Did the Toalean Culture Live?
People first arrived in Sulawesi about 45,000 years ago. Some stayed, while others traveled on to a land called Sahul. Some very old rock art sites in the area are from before the Toalean culture. There is a gap in time between these older sites and the Toalean period. This gap is from about 12,000 to 8,000 years ago. So, we cannot directly link the two groups.
Scientists have divided the Toalean culture into three main time periods:
- The Early Toalean phase was from about 7,500 to 5,500 years ago. During this time, bone points and microliths first appeared.
- The Late Preceramic Toalean phase was from about 5,500 to 3,500 years ago. This period is known for the first appearance of Maros Points.
- The Ceramic Toalean phase was from about 3,500 to 2,000 years ago. In this phase, we see the first signs of a new farming culture.
After the Toalean period, new changes appeared in the tools and items found. These changes included pottery, stone axes, and rice farming. These new things show that Austronesian people, who were farmers, arrived in the area.
How Was the Toalean Culture Discovered?
In 1902, two Swiss scientists, Paul and Fritz Sarasin, explored caves in southern Sulawesi. They found unique and well-made stone tools. These included arrowheads and small bone tools.
Later, in the late 1930s, Australian archaeologist Fred McCarthy continued the work. He was interested in how the Toalean Maros points looked like similar tools in Australia. Many other digs happened in the late 1900s. They found more serrated tools, pottery pieces, and bone items. About 6,000 tools were given to the National Museum in Jakarta.
Today, scientists are still digging at cave sites and open areas in Southern Sulawesi. In October 2023, a team found 7,000-year-old knives made from tiger shark teeth. This is the oldest proof of shark teeth used in weapons anywhere in the world.
Where Did the Toalean People Live?
Most known Toalean sites are in the southern part of Sulawesi. They are found in caves within a limestone karst system. This system runs through the lowlands of the Maros and Pangkep areas. These are located northeast of Makassar. Some sites are also found on Selayar Island to the south. As of 2021, no Toalean sites have been found north of Lake Tempe.
Leang Panninge: A Key Cave Site
The cave site of Leang Panninge is also called "Bat Cave." It holds many Toalean artifacts. These include 138 whole backed microliths, many shaped like diamonds. Maros points and various stone scrapers were also found. In 2015, a complete human burial was found with stone tools. The Maros Regency Culture and Tourism Office named Leang Panninge a cultural heritage site in 2019.
Leang Bulu’ Sipong: Near Ancient Art
Leang Bulu’ Sipong 1 is a low cave at the base of a limestone hill. It is on the coast of Pangkep Regency. Digs here found 212 retouched points, sawlettes, and bone points. These bone points might have been used for fishing. This Toalean cave is very close to another site, Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4. That site has rock art from over 43,900 years ago. It shows a painting of a Sulawesi warty pig.
Leang Cakondo: Sarasin's Main Find
The upper part of Leang Cakondo was the main site explored by the Sarasins in 1902. The most tools were found between 10 and 40 centimeters deep. These included projectile points, Maros points with serrated edges, small blades, and bone points.
Leang Burung: Many Discoveries
A big dig by Australian and Indonesian archaeologists happened in 1969 at Leang Burung. They found Toalean tools in different layers. One layer, from 3,500 to 4,700 years ago, had 24 Maros points and many other stone and bone points. Another layer, older than 3,460 years ago, had pottery pieces. It also contained many stone points, backed blades, and geometric microliths. Fragments of human bones from secondary burials were also found. These bones were thought to be from 1,000 to 2,000 years ago.
What Were Toalean Stone Tools Like?
Toalean tools have special features that make them unique. These include 'Maros points' with hollow bases and jagged edges. Other tools are pirri points, small bone points, backed microliths, and sawlettes.
Scientists from several universities studied 1,739 Toalean stone tools. They came from caves and open sites in Sulawesi. This study helped create a standard way to classify Toalean stone tools. They divided Maros points into four types: classic Maros Points, Mallinrung Points, Lompoa Points, and Pangkep Points. Most Toalean stone tools were made from chert. A few were made from limestone or other materials.
The Bulu’ Sipong sawlettes are tiny, backed microliths. They have narrow, jagged edges. These were carefully made using a thin tool. They were first found in 2018 at Leang Bulu’ Sipong 1. More were found at Leang Jarie. Scientists are still trying to figure out what these sawlettes were used for.
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Classic Maros Points have indents at the bottom and jagged edges.
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Mallinrung Points have jagged edges but no indent at the bottom.
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Lompoa Points are a type of Maros point with an indent at the bottom but no jagged edges.
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Pangkep Points are Maros Points with no jagged edges and no indent at the bottom.
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Sawlettes are a special stone tool linked to the Toalean culture.
Bessé’: An Ancient Toalean Girl
Archaeologists found human remains at Leang Panninge in 2015. This was the first nearly complete human burial from the Toalean period. The remains belonged to a young female hunter-gatherer. She was about 17 or 18 years old when she died. Her discoverers named her Bessé’. This is a nickname for newborn princesses among the Bugis people in southern Sulawesi.
Bessé’ was buried in a curled-up position. Large stones partly covered her. We do not know how she died. There were no clear signs of injuries or sickness on her bones. Stone tools, including Maros points, and red ochre were found in her grave. Bones of animals she might have hunted were also there. Her skull was crushed after she died. Scientists used a seed found with her to figure out when she was buried. It was about 7,300 to 7,200 years ago.
Scientists studied DNA from Bessé’s inner ear bone. This gave the first direct genetic proof of the Toalean people. Her DNA showed she belonged to a group with a unique mix of genes. About half of her genes are like those of today's Indigenous Australians and people in New Guinea. She also had genes from a new human group that split off about 37,000 years ago. This included a lot of DNA from the extinct Denisovans.
 | Sharif Bey |
 | Hale Woodruff |
 | Richmond Barthé |
 | Purvis Young |
