KAJIAN ARKEOMETRIK AWAL TERHADAP TEMBIKAR PRASEJARAH DARI GUA KECIL, RAUB, PAHANG (A PRELIMINARY ARCHAEOMETRIC STUDY OF PREHISTORIC POTTERY FROM GUA KECIL, RAUB, PAHANG)

Abstract

Abstrak 

Makalah ini membincangkan kajian arkeometrik yang dijalankan ke atas tembikar dari tapak Gua Kecil, Raub, Pahang. Pada tahun 2022, penyelidik dari Pusat Penyelidikan Arkeologi Global (PPAG), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) telah menjalankan satu tinjauan di Gua Kecil susulan laporan mengenai penemuan artifak arkeologi oleh sekumpulan penggiat eksplorasi gua. Hasil daripada tinjauan tersebut telah menemui pelbagai artifak prasejarah, khususnya tembikar tanah, alat batu beliung dan sisa-sisa fauna seperti cangkerang dan tulang haiwan di permukaan lantai gua. Namun, disebabkan ketiadaan permohonan kelulusan daripada Jabatan Warisan Negara sebelum kerja lapangan dijalankan, artifak yang ditemui pada tahun 2022 hanya didokumentasikan di tapak dan tidak dibawa pulang ke USM untuk analisis lanjut. Laporan ringkas mengenai dokumentasi tembikar yang dijalankan pada tahun 2022 disertakan dalam makalah ini. Sampel tembikar yang digunakan dalam kajian ini merupakan koleksi sedia ada milik PPAG, USM. Tiga pendekatan analisis yang digunakan ialah analisis klasifikasi, analisis morfologi dan analisis saintifik yang merangkumi empat teknik utama iaitu pembelauan sinar-X (XRD), pendarkilau sinar-X (XRF), Thermogravimetric (TGA) dan Optically Stimutaled Luminiscence (OSL). Hasil analisis klasifikasi dan morfologi mendapati bahawa tembikar Gua Kecil terdiri daripada pecahan bahagian badan dan bibir serta dihiasi dengan tiga jenis corak iaitu corak bertanda tali, corak berpetak dan corak berslip merah. Turut ditemui ialah tembikar jenis polos (tidak bercorak). Warna permukaan tembikar terdiri daripada pelbagai tona warna iaitu coklat gelap hingga kelabu kehitaman dan merah gelap hingga merah kecoklatan. Purata ketebalan tembikar adalah sekitar 5mm hingga 14mm. Hasil analisis mineralogi dan komposisi kimia menunjukkan bahawa tembikar Gua Kecil kaya dengan mineral kuarza dan dibakar pada suhu rendah iaitu sekitar 500°C hingga 550°C. Analisis OSL pula menunjukkan bahawa tembikar Gua Kecil bertarikh sekitar 2,000 tahun yang lalu, sejajar dengan perkembangan zaman Neolitik Akhir di Semenanjung Malaysia. 

Kata kunci: Tembikar tanah, morfologi, komposisi, OSL, Gua Kecil

Abstract 

This article discusses an archaeometric study conducted on pottery from the Gua Kecil site in Raub, Pahang. In 2022, researchers from the Centre for Global Archaeological Research (CGAR), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) carried out a preliminary survey at Gua Kecil following reports of archaeological artifact discoveries by a cave exploration group. The survey led to the discovery of various prehistoric artifacts, particularly earthenware pottery, stone adze and faunal remains such as shells and animal bones found on the cave floor surface. However, due to the absence of prior approval from the Department of National Heritage before the fieldwork was conducted, the artifacts discovered in 2022 were only documented on-site and were not brought back to USM for further analysis. A brief report on the pottery documentation conducted in 2022 is included in this article. The pottery samples used in this study are part of CGAR’s existing collection at USM. Three analytical approaches were employed: classification analysis, morphological analysis and scientific analysis which involved four primary techniques including X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Thermogravimetric (TGA) and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL). The results of the classification and morphological analyses revealed that the Gua Kecil pottery consists of body and rim sherds, some of which are decorated with three distinct patterns namely cord-marked, checked and red-slipped. Plain (undecorated) pottery was also found. The surface colour of the pottery ranges across various tones including dark brown to dark greyish and dark red to reddish brown. The average thickness of the pottery is approximately 5mm to 14mm. Mineralogical and chemical composition analyses showed that the pottery is rich in quartz minerals and was fired at low temperatures, estimated between 500°C and 550°C. OSL analysis indicated that the Gua Kecil pottery dates to approximately 2,000 years ago, corresponding to the Late Neolithic period in Peninsular Malaysia.

 Keywords: Earthenware pottery, morphology, composition, OSL, Gua Kecil