Pieces of ancient human skull found on the Site Semedo, District Kedungbanteng, Tegal regency, Central Java. This finding reveals the fact that the spread of Homo erectus not only in the eastern part of Central Java and East Java, but also in the north-western region of Central Java.

After researching more than half a year, a team of experts from the Institute for the Preservation of the Ancient Human Sangiran site concluded that the fossil dating back some 700,000 years ago in the middle Pleistocene time.

The findings of Homo erectus in Semedo opens new horizons for the study of Homo erectus in Java.

According to Harry, human fossils in Semedo was first discovered in north-western parts of Central Java. So far, the findings of many hominid Homo erectus found in the eastern part of Central Java (Sangiran, Ngandong, and Sambungmacan) and East Java (Trinil and Mojokerto).

The fossils were found in the form of fragments of the skull, like the back of the skull, a pair of skull bone behind the forehead and pertautannya, and bone-shaped depressions where attachment of the hindbrain. It was found Dakri, a security guard at the site Semedo, in a child's River Kawi.

Harry Widianto, Head of Preservation of Ancient Man Site Sangiran, Tuesday (18/04/2012), said the fossil was actually found in May 2011. However, the experts took almost a year to conclude that the fossil is from the middle Pleistocene.

"We can not rush and immediately concluded that the fossils really old. Need a time-consuming process of research," said Harry.

The site is the site of ancient human Semedo most recently discovered. The existence of this site is known as Dakri, Duman, Sunari, and Ansori, local residents, find the set of vertebrate fossils in the month of June 2005. The findings were then reported to the Dept. of Human Ancient Sangiran site.

Dakri (54), Semedo site security officer, said, when children were crossing the River Kawi he saw a human skull. Glimpse of the skull shape is most like a split coconut. "I do not dare to report to the Department of Culture and Tourism Tegal before my own report to the Sangiran," says this native of Tegal.

Research from various disciplines and then carried on Semedo. Those involved are the paleoanthropologist, paleontology, archeology, geology, and various other disciplines quarter.

Before finding Homo erectus, the experts had examined the findings of a vertebrate animal fossils and paleolithic stone tools. With the discovery of ancient human, then the full was that the site is located in the ranks is the Mountains of North Serayu provide data on human evolution, culture, and environment since 1.5 million years ago.

"So hominid Homo erectus had reached the west in the ranks of North Serayu Mountains, far away and separated from his brothers who had mastered the habitat in the Basin Solo, Kendeng Mountains, and the Solo River alluvial areas," said Harry.

He added, with the discovery of Homo erectus in Semedo, early human studies are oriented to the ancient sediments in the western part of Java that has been less research attention.

source : kompas.com