The Untold Borneo: Where Ancient Civilizations Still Shape Modern Lives

Excavations at Niah Cave revealed that the ancestors of the Dayak were present 40,000 years ago. Repro: Niah Museum.

Many observers still make the mistake of cherry-picking fragments of history, then stitching them together as if they represent the full story of the Dayak people. They do so without proper historiography or grounded theory. 

The result is a shallow, colonial-colored narrative that treats the Dayak merely as objects of writing. With little to no firsthand experience, such portrayals miss the essential “from within” understanding of Dayak identity.

This is why ethnographic research with an emic approach becomes essential, supported by interdisciplinary studies that include artifacts, linguistics, and archaeology. This series aims to offer travelers and readers a clearer view of the Dayak’s origins and history. Enjoy the journey.

Tracing Humanity’s Early Footprints in Niah National Park

Excavations at Niah Cave began in Kuala Sub-Chamber in 1954 under Tom Harrison of the Sarawak Museum and Michael Tweedie of the Raffles Museum in Singapore. Their work became a crucial milestone in Borneo archaeology. It revealed traces of ancient humans who lived in the cave thousands of years ago.

Researchers uncovered stone tools, pottery fragments, and human remains older than forty thousand years. Among the most important discoveries was the oldest human skull in Southeast Asia. This pushed back earlier assumptions about when modern humans first inhabited the region. The cave also offered clues to ancient burial practices, shedding light on spiritual beliefs among prehistoric communities.

For travelers exploring Borneo today, Niah National Park is not just a natural wonder. It is a gateway into deep human antiquity.

The Dayak: Indigenous People of Borneo

The Dayak have lived on this island for thousands of years. Linguists Robert Blust and Peter Bellwood studied human presence in Borneo long before deglaciation, when lower sea levels connected large parts of Southeast Asia.

Archaeological findings from Niah and other sites reinforce the long arc of human settlement in Borneo. Evidence points to hunter-gatherer cultures that flourished well before Austronesian agricultural technology later swept through the region.

Biological anthropologist Jessica Manser added another layer of insight through DNA-based research. Her findings strengthen genetic links between modern Dayak populations and ancient inhabitants of Borneo. For the Dayak, these discoveries affirm a deep lineage tied to their ancestral land.

A People Transformed, Yet Rooted

Today, the Dayak number at least eight million across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Centuries ago, they were known primarily as agrarian communities with highly localised social structures. That picture has changed.

A growing middle class has emerged. Many Dayak now pursue higher education, professional careers, and political engagement. The Credit Union movement has strengthened local economies, promoting financial literacy and grassroots empowerment. Churches have also played a substantial role in shaping values, education, and social progress.

For visitors traveling through Borneo, these realities offer a different lens. The Dayak are not relics of an untouched past. They are an evolving society balancing tradition with modernity.

Revisiting the Origins of the Dayak

A long-standing misconception claims that the Dayak migrated to Borneo from elsewhere. Modern scholarship shows otherwise. Blust, Bellwood, and multiple archaeological records indicate that the Dayak belong to the earliest inhabitants of Borneo. Human remains in Niah Cave dating back forty thousand years provide strong evidence that Borneo was not merely a transit point but a homeland.

Jessica Manser’s work links Pleistocene and Neolithic populations, unraveling unexpected continuity in human presence on the island. These findings challenge older migration theories and reshape our understanding of Southeast Asian prehistory.

The First Appearance of the Term “Dayak”

The term “Dayak” first appeared in historical records in 1757, cited by Dutch colonial administrators to refer to inland communities. Jan B. Ave and V. T. King noted its earliest use in a description of Banjarmasin by J. A. Von Hogendorff. In Dutch, the term meant “inland”. The word soon became a blanket term for numerous ethnic groups scattered across interior Borneo.

Yet the Dayak are far from a single cultural bloc. They consist of seven major stems encompassing around four hundred subgroups, each with its own language, customs, and spiritual practices.

As more Dayak scholars and writers publish their own work, the narrative is shifting. Their voices offer a more accurate and nuanced understanding of Dayak identity, history, and worldview. No longer written solely from the outside, Dayak history is becoming a living narrative shaped by its own people.

Why This Matters for Borneo Travel

For travelers, this narrative offers more than historical context. It provides a compass. Understanding who the Dayak are, how long they have lived here, and how their culture evolved gives depth to every visit; whether to Niah Cave, the forests of Krayan, the cultural centers of West Kalimantan, or remote longhouses along Borneo’s interior rivers.

Travel in Borneo is not merely sightseeing. It is an encounter with one of the world’s oldest continuous human cultures.

This series invites readers to explore Borneo not only through landscapes but also through the people who have shaped its soul for millennia.

(To be continued)

By Masri Sareb Putra