Liang Bua, Archaeological cave site in Ruteng, Indonesia.
Liang Bua is a limestone cave in Ruteng on Flores island that became known as an archaeological site. The cave consists of a large main chamber with multiple levels where sediment layers document different periods of the past.
Archaeologists found the remains of a human species here in 2003, named Homo floresiensis, who lived around 60,000 to 100,000 years ago. The cave served different inhabitants as a shelter over thousands of years and preserves traces of human activity from different epochs.
The name comes from the local Manggarai language and means cool cave, referring to the lower temperatures inside. Visitors see the excavation areas where archaeologists continue to work in different soil layers and document new finds.
The cave lies about an hour's drive from Ruteng and is reached by an unpaved road that becomes difficult during rain. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes and bring a flashlight, as lighting inside is limited.
The skeletons found show an average height of about 1 meter (3.3 feet), which led researchers to nickname the species Hobbit. In the same layers, scientists also found bones of Komodo dragons and giant storks that no longer occur on Flores today.
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