A research team from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) announced the discovery of a human skeleton estimated to be 14,000 years old in Keledung Kecil Cave, Nenggiri Valley, Kelantan. This makes it the oldest skeleton ever found in Peninsular Malaysia beyond the Perak Man skeleton which is estimated to be between 10,000-11,00 years old.
The archaeological team led by Associate Professor Zuliskandar Ramli has started the search for artifacts in Lembang Neggiri since last September. It was done before the entire valley was flooded by the Neggiri Dam which is operational by 2027.
The skeleton in Kecil Keledung Cave was found in a curled-up position like a fetus with various ancient artifacts around it. Excavation sites have been opened in 14 caves in the Nenggiri Valley to allow artefacts to be rescued. In addition to human skeletons, artefacts in the form of ancient pottery, stone hammers, grindstones and food waste in the form of snail shells and animal bones have been successfully collected by the research team.
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