The impact of the palaeoenvironment
These crude stone tools from the Palaeolithic settlement at Kuala Tampan were buried under layers of ash produced by the volcanic explosion of Lake Toba, Sumatra, in the late Pleistocene.
Geological records indicate that ever since the earliest known human habitation of Malaysia—38,000 years ago in Sarawak's Niah Caves— the region has experienced large-scale episodes of environmental change. How humans reacted to these changes is difficult to gauge. However, environmental conditions are believed to have been the main factor in the abandonment of two early Perak communities: the Palaeolithic settlement of Kota Tampan and the protohistoric settlements of Kuala Selinsing.
- Information in the full article includes
- Early human responses
- Environmental changes affecting human settlement
- Volcanic effects on the early environment