SANGIRAN DOME, CENTRAL JAVA :
Mud Volcanoes Eruption,
Demise of Homo erectus erectus and Migration of Later Hominid
Awang Harun Satyana 1)
1) BPMIGAS (Badan Pelaksana Kegiatan Usaha Hulu Minyak dan Gas Bumi)
Patra Office Tower, 22nd Floor, Jalan Jenderal Gatot Subroto, Kav. 32-34, Jakarta 12950
Telp : 021-52900245, Fax : 021-52900118, E-mail : aharun@bpmigas.com
ABSTRACT
Sangiran Dome, located 12 km to the north of Surakarta (Solo), Central Java is a
famous site in the Quaternary geology due to the exposures of Pleistocene rocks and
fossils of hominids and vertebrates.
Sangiran Dome is a remnant shale diapir and mud volcanoes complex. This is based
on the nature of deformation, presences of several saline water and methane gas
seeps, and erupted materials including exotic blocks of metamorphic basements to
Pliocene rocks. Based on the deformation and age dating, the diapiric deformation and
eruption is considered took place between 0.7 and 0.5 Ma –million years ago (middle
Pleistocene) and could repeat until 0.12 Ma (base late Pleistocene).
Hominid (early human) called the sub-species Homo erectus erectus lived in the
Sangiran Dome. Their fossils were found in the upper part of Pucangan and lower part
of Kabuh Formations. They lived in the Pleistocene (ages remain in dispute as 1.7-1.0
Ma, 1.3-0.7 Ma, or 1.0-0.5 Ma). The termination of the sub-species between 0.7-0.5 Ma
could be contemporaneous with the eruption of the Sangiran mud volcanoes. The
eruption possibly affected the demise of Homo erectus erectus.
The eruption of Sangiran mud volcanoes could also affect the migration of later
hominid (sub-species Homo erectus ngandongensis / soloensis). The sub-species did
not live in Sangiran area possibly the area was in-habitable due to the eruption. The
sub-species migrated eastward downstream of the Solo River into the areas of
Sambungmacan, Trinil, Ngawi, and Ngandong where they lived until the latest
Pleistocene (0.05 Ma).
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