| Notes: |
Introduction: This is a classification of all the artifacts of bone and teeth which were excavated between 1954 and 1959 (Harrisson 1959a, 1959b) at the mouths of the Great Cave, Niah: West Mouth (abbreviated as W.M.), Lobang Angus (L.A.), Lobang Tulang (L.T.), and Gan Kira (G.K.). The artifacts were classified into eighteen categories, based principally on their shape. For convenience' sake, accepted functional names have been given so far as is possible to the various categories, but in many cases the artifact's appearance gives no clear indication of its function. On the relationship of shape to use we are still very uncertain and are accordingly reluctant to impose any rigid concepts of function. The names used are descriptive of form only, and do not necessarily imply function. Much more material was later excavated from other caves at Niah and from Gua Sirih, 300 miles to the south-west and compared with the earlier material. As it fits the following categories, these will therefore be used as a basis in further and fuller studies. All the specimens mentioned are preserved in the Sarawak Museum reference collection. Measurements of the artifacts are in millimetres.
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