In 2003, just after the release of three adventure film series, Lord Of the Rings, which has Hobbit character in the movie, the world of science was excited by the discovery of dwarf human skull. In that year, there are 7 human skeletons found in Liang Bua cave, Rampasasa village, Flores. One of them was put at Museum Nasional, Jakarta. These skeleton later known as Homo Floresiensis, which has meaning Flores Man. The findings of Homo floresiensis in Flores show us the civilization of Flores Island is very old.
Homo Floresiensis was discovered during excavations in Liang Bua, Flores by a joint archaeological team of the National Archaeological Research Institute, Indonesia and University of Nwe England, Australia.
Homo Floresiensis has small body & head, with body head about 120 CM. It has prominent jaw, narrow forehead, and small brain.
Liang Bua Cave
Liang Bua, in the local language has the meaning of “cold cave”. The cave located about 14 km to the north of Ruteng city with an elevation about 500 meters above sea level.
The cave site has a length about 50 meters, width about 40 meters, and a height of approximately 25 meters. From its physical condition, this cave is worthy to live in the past. The surface of the cave floor is relatively flat and wide enough, the air circulation is very good because the mouth of the cave is wide and high, and gets enough sunshine throughout the season because the cave mouth faces northeast. The site is also close to the river. Human inhabitants have access to environmental resources to meet their daily needs. Before reach the site, people will past Rampasasa village. Distance between the cave with Rampasasa village is only about 1 kilometer.
Rampasasa, A Village of Pygmy People
Rampasasa people has a short body height (below 150 CM), but with normal body proportions. If you do not compare it to other people from other area, you will see that Rampasasa people has normal body appearance. Their body are not related to nutritional factors, but from genetic defects that are not found in normal humans.
people there said that their bodies are short because their parents also have short bodies. The number of short people in the village is now decreasing. Some of Rampasasa people then marry people outside of the village, and have children with taller body now.