Perak Man: Revered Shaman of Malaysia’s Past

via The Star/Borneo Bulletin, 03 January 2024: The Lenggong Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Perak, Malaysia, offers a fascinating window into the Palaeolithic era with the discovery of the Perak Man’s burial, featuring ritualistic elements that suggest complex social and spiritual beliefs 11,000 years ago. The site’s rich archaeological finds, including the Perak Woman and evidence of continuous human settlement from the Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age, highlight Lenggong’s significant prehistoric heritage.

Considering the secluded nature of the cave entrance, positioned on a steep incline within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lenggong in Perak, this ritual would have been an intricate and labour-intensive ceremony.

So, 11,000 years ago there was a community in Lenggong that already believed in an afterlife and cared for their own. This discovery of Palaeolithic burial observance in 1990 was a rare find in the archaeological world. Indeed the detailed evidence of this solitary burial of an individual of seemingly particular importance in prehistoric culture was a literal treasure.

Perhaps visiting the cave was meant to conjure up some meaning to the mystery. That the Perak Man’s silent burial chamber might itself be a portal to unlocking some riddle. That this ancient rock and soil cavern might still reverberate with some elusive revelation.

But, the geometric mapping of the archaeological digs aside, there is little resonance of The Perak Man in Gua Gunung Runtuh (Collapsed Mountain Cave) today. It was still with deference, though, that I skulked around, apologetic for every awkward shuffle echoing in dissonance. It is easy to see how the cave would have been a prized space of safety with plenty of light and ventilation. The perfect home to seek shelter in or even, to fittingly be buried in.

Source: Lenggong’s past beckons discovery | Borneo Bulletin Online