Liang Bua

Liang Bua is a limestone cave on the island of Flores in Indonesia and a high-profile paleoanthropological site where researchers made a major fossil discovery in the early 2000s. The cave contains layered archaeological deposits spanning tens of thousands of years.

Excavations at Liang Bua produced the first fossils attributed to Homo floresiensis in 2003, along with stone tools and associated fauna; these finds have had major implications for research on human evolution in island Southeast Asia. The cave and its stratified deposits continue to be studied by international teams.

The archaeological work has revealed a sequence of occupation layers with hominin remains and palaeontological material that have been dated and analysed in multiple studies since the initial discovery. The site is protected for research and parts are presented for informed public interpretation.

Liang Bua is located on Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province, inland from the island’s main towns and reachable via road from nearby settlements such as Ruteng.

• 2003 discovery: In 2003 archaeologists discovered skeletal remains at the site that were later attributed to a previously unknown small-bodied hominin species, Homo floresiensis.
• Scientific importance: The site contains archaeological deposits with stone tools and faunal remains that have been central to debates about hominin diversity and island palaeoenvironments in Southeast Asia.

What to See #

• Main cave chamber: The cave chamber itself, where the hominin remains and archaeological deposits were uncovered, is the principal focus of the site.
• Excavation area and deposits: Excavation area and stratigraphic sections where archaeologists have documented stone tools, faunal remains and hominin bones from multiple layers during systematic digs.