Ngandong is an archeological site located in eastern Java in Indonesia. Excavations of the site occurred between 1931 and 1933 by Eugene Du Bois. Du Bois initially became well known after the Ngandong excavations followed by another in Java called Sambungmachan. Uncovered remains found at the Ngandong site include 11 skullcaps, thought to belong to a more advanced population than the homo erectus- then so called Homo solonesis or Solo Man. All eleven skullcaps had been deliberately cracked open. The specimens were not intentionally buried and there are no archeological associations.
Healed cranium wounds were common and are found on more females than male craniums. It has been suggested that the accumulation of faceless craniums were used as water bowls, and it is uncertain of the limited number of body parts represented is the result of ritual treatment of the dead, preferences of the collectors or taphonomical factors. Found with the broken craniums was a fossil bed of 23,000 mammalian bones mostly of extinct elephants, oxen, and hippos.
Along with the mammal remains an assortment of scrapers, borers, choppers, and stone balls for use as slings were found, evidence that these early homo sapiens had social organization and used simple tools is supported by these findings. Previous to recent findings, it was thought that the Solo Man remains dated to about 50,000 to 100,000 ago, but in recent times a team has reexamined the Ngandong excavations using electron spin resonance and mass spectrometric uranium-series techniques to reach a date as recent as 27,000 years ago.
Sources:
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Author: Michelle Xiong