Braholo Cave

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A. Overview

Gunung Kidul Regency contains outstanding archeological potentials. Many pre-historical sites of megalithic are found in Gunung Kidul, including Mount Bang and Sokoliman. Moreover, there were also found various artifacts of stones, bones, and skeletons of ancient men (fossils), like those found in the sites of Blendong Cave, Song Agung, Song Keplek, Song Gupuh, Tabuhan Cave, and Braholo Cave.

Apart from the findings of artifacts and fossils of ancient men, Gunung Kidul is also rich with archeological remnants of Hinduism-Buddhism era. The findings of Risan Temple in Semin Sub-district, statues, ancient stone inscriptions are of the evidences. The remnants spread all over Gunung Kidul, ranging from the sub-districts of Panggang, Patuk, Ngawen, Wonosari, Paliyan, Semanu, Tepus, Karangmojo, Semin, to Ponjong.

Such archeological riches touched I Gede Ardika, the Minister of Culture and Tourism. In 2009, he declared his wish to make Seribu Mountains one of the world cultural heritages. Seribu Mountains is lines of hills outstretching from Pacitan (East Java), Wonogiri (Central Java), Gunung Kidul (Gunung Kidul), to Kebumen (Central Java) about 85 km long and 30 km wide. The total length is about 1,300 km.

Such a statement from the Minister was not unreasonable for the areas of Seribu Mountains that are covered dominantly with karst, especially in Gunung Kidul, contain plentiful archeological potentials in the forms of caves, fossils, and artifacts of ancient men. Seribu Mountains are recorded to have about 120 caves, 60 out of which are in Gunung Kidul. Plenty of fossils and artifacts found in several caves in Gunung Kidul deserve attention and treatment. One of the caves rich in artifacts and fossils is the Braholo Cave.

With its natural potentials supported by the historical facts, no argue that the Braholo Cave is archeologically valuable. The cave that is situated in Karangmojo Sub-district, Gunung Kidul Regency, Yogyakarta, turns out to be a site of fossils in a relatively complete condition.

The Braholo Cave not only is an archeological site, but also it is rich in natural beauty. Such beauty is clearly visible in the ornaments of the cave, such as stalagmite, stalactite, and so on.

B. Features

There were found ten fossils of complete skeletons. Excavations were at least carried out twice, first by the National Archeology Team, the last one by a team of students of Cultural Faculty, Archeology, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta. In the excavations, both teams found fossils of skeletons that are estimated to be from the age of 10,000 BC. Such estimation is concluded from the shapes of the tools found at the same time.

The discovery becomes one of the important things to order the patterns of the spread of ancient men that came from Africa to the Archipelago between the years 100,000-160,000 BC. The Austro-Melanesia, now known as the Papua people, entered the Archipelago when the land was still united with Asia, then moved to the east, and left their traces in the form of fossils in some places, such as in Babi and Niah Caves in Kalimantan and Braholo Cave in Gunung Kidul. From the findings in the Braholo Cave, the link of the Austro-Melanesia’s migration can be found.

The findings can also reveal the mystery that Braholo Cave had been a dwelling and resting place of the ancient men for a very long and continuous time. The research also shows that the ancient men could use the natural capital around the Braholo Cave to make their daily living.

Several findings succeeded in identifying the tools, in the form of arrow head made of stone that is indicated to be one of the hunting tools of that age. Besides, there were also found the flakes made of bone from pre-Neolithic age that are indicated to come from the culture of the Austro-Melanesia race.

C. Location

Braholo Cave is located in Karangmojo District, Gunung Kidul Regency, Yogyakarta.

D. Access

The location of Braholo Cave can be reached by personal or public, two-wheeled or four-wheeled transportation. If you prefer going there by public transportation, you can take a bus heading for Wonosari from Giwangan Bus Station. From Wonosari Bus Station, you get on a green minibus heading for Karangmojo District. You can also go there by ojek (motorcycle taxi) standby around the bus station.

E. Ticket

There is no admission charge if you want to visit Braholo Cave. Only, you are required to take part in keeping the environment clean and genuine by not making any destruction.

F. Accommodations and Other Facilities

A wonderful panorama beautifies the surroundings of Braholo Cave. The genuineness and the greenness of the area around the cave make it not only a historical object, but also a beautiful, natural, and pleasurable one.

Braholo Cave is also often explored by groups of adventurers. The attractions are the phenomena deep inside the cave which is rich for stalactites, stalagmites, and the underground current. Such a natural beauty can be developed to be one of the potentials of special interest tour.

Caving becomes an interesting offer from such a cave categorized as a vertical cave. The cave has three pitches. One is about 35 meters deep. Another is 6 meters and has a challenge of many boulders. The challenges of the other pitch are the descent of 2 meters deep with the inclination of 25 degrees, so the total depth of the third one is about 5 meters.

Texts: Tunggul Tauladan
Photo(s): Collection of Jogjatrip.com
Translation: Al-Amri Arif Sandy
(Primary data and various sources)

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If you are from outside Yogyakarta and want to visit this place by travel agency services,
please contact:

Maharatu Tour and Travel

Jl. Sisingamangaraja No. 27 Yogyakarta.
Telp. +62 274 8373005. Fax. +62 274 379250
Email : maharatu@maharatu.com -maharatu257@yahoo.com
Website : www.maharatu.com

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