#12 Current research in Borneo Current Research in Borneo Plates Uplifting When did one ocean plate move under another ocean plate and cause it to rise upwards forming a landmass? Scientists have dated the movement of the Sarawak plate under the Rajang plate to 60-36 million years ago. https://doi.org/10.1130/B35895.1 Barbed Wire
The Kelabit Harvest The Kelabits are a small tribe inhabiting an isolated highland area of 1000 square miles in Sarawak known as the Kelabit highlands. Local oral history states they have been isolated for 500 years (from 1979). Their raiding and headhunting practices necessitated that they have only suspicious and
Bidayuh Head Ceremony-Katang Tom’s note: Probably the thing that strikes me is the amount of preparation it takes to please the spirits before the actual harvest begins. These notes were made during 1963 in Kampong Sudoh, Singghai. Katang is a festival used to placate the spirits of the heads taken
How the Kadayan Tells Time Tom’s Note: This article describes, in the first four and a half pages, an incomprehensible (to me) discourse complete with mathematical equations about how the Kadayan tell time. I have elected to use the second half which shows how nature informs the Kadayan. Buna picula
Toms note: The omen birds are a group of birds that figure prominently in the Kenyah culture. Traditional Kenyah Farming Year When the spider hunter bird (Isit) is seen flying to the right, the omen is favourable and when it is seen flying to the left they had to avoid
All Creatures Great and Small #11 Plants from South America and onto Southeast Asia Dissochaeteae Melastomataceae is a large group of plants that includes plants that grow on another plant such as orchids. There are 375 species of these plants. Results from the molecular dating analysis suggest that the diversity
Tom’s Note: This piece was written in 1978 about the Gawai Mpijog Rantau Festival for the first clearing of the padi (rice) fields. It was supposed to be filmed by Professor Geddes who made a contribution of pigs, fish, eggs etc. worth RM1000 but the camera broke down. The article
Panay in the Philippines: A Sarawak Connection The island of Panay is the fourth largest island in the Philippine archipelago. The prehistory of the island, before the Spaniards is related in a document called the Maragatas. The Maragatas, written in 1221, states the Datuks from Borneo purchased the island from the Negritoes. The negritoes then
Tom’s note: I own several pua kumbu, (cloth woven by Iban weavers) and have always wondered how the Iban ladies managed to turn out such beautiful and wonderful items. The Ladies One is not born into Iban society with a position. Rather he or she must earn it during their
Toms Note: I continue with the history of the mission schools in Sarawak St. Mary’s In 1882, only one girl was being educated in St. Thomas, the Anglican school at Kuching. At the efforts of Mrs Hose, a day school was started in 1883. However, it was the efforts of
All Creatures Great and Small! Check out Borneohistory.net for regularly-updated Sarawak-based historical and contemporary scientific journal updates. Looking forward to seeing you!
A collection of recent research from Borneo New Species of Jumping Spider A new species of jumping spider from the canopies of Borneo has been made known to science. It distinguished from other jumping spiders by the colour variation, the mouthparts and the sex organs. Arthropoda Selecta 30(1): 105–112 Two