In pursuit of Perak Man, Malaysia’s prehistoric bomoh

via Free Malaysia Today, 13 October 2020: Travel story about visiting Gua Gunung Runtuh, the burial site of the Perak Man, Malaysia’s oldest known anatomically-modern human remains. One major point of inaccuracy is that the author says that the Perak Man “debunks” the Out of Taiwan model of human migration in favour of the Out of Sundaland model. Both models describe human migrations at different timescales, and the latter model is still regarded as a fringe theory.

The Out of Sundaland theory suggests that Asian populations emerged from Southeast Asia (most of which is now under water) is still not widely accepted; most of the evidence points to an Out of Africa model where modern humans emerged from northeast Africa around 100,000 years ago (reaching Laos around 60,000 years ago and Borneo 40,000 years ago). The Out of Taiwan model refers to a more recent and different migration of Austronesian-speaking people from South China or Taiwan into Southeast Asia.

A hidden gem, it’s about 40km from Kuala Kangsar, the nearest major town. The drive there is an absolute treat to the senses, with the well-maintained roads cutting right through the magnificent Belum-Temengor forest, which boasts the largest continuous forest complex in Peninsular Malaysia and home to the oldest rainforest in the world.

Lenggong Valley is Malaysia’s fourth and least known Unesco World Heritage Site. And that’s a real shame as it is of brobdingnagian value and has much to offer.

Its biggest offering and crown jewel was where Asraf was leading me. It was safely tucked away in a secluded, difficult-to-access cave called Gua Gunung Runtuh which we reached after a 45-minute walk and hike, with the final ascent being especially challenging, requiring ropes to pull ourselves up a farrago of rocks, dirt and root systems.

Source: In pursuit of Perak Man, Malaysia’s prehistoric bomoh | Free Malaysia Today