CHERAS, 6 JUNE 2023 – A group of scientists from the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) believe that the lifestyle and health status of prehistoric humans can now be determined using modern imaging equipment normally utilised for patient care.

This follows the discovery a complete skeleton of a prehistoric human who lived 14,000 years ago. The skeleton was discovered during an archaeological excavation in Keledung Kecil cave,  Gua Musang District, Hulu Kelantan. The archaeology team was headed by Associate Professor Dr. Zuliskandar Ramli from the Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation (ATMA) UKM, in January 2023.

Further studies to determine the bone health status of this prehistoric human will be conducted in the Faculty of Medicine, UKM, headed by pharmacologist Prof. Dr. Ima Nirwana Soelaiman from the Department of Pharmacology. According to Prof. Ima, the bone health status will be determined using two methods.

“Firstly, density of the prehistoric bones will be measured using the Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometer. Bone density measurements obtained by this method will be compared with the bone density of modern humans measured using the same method.

Secondly, the internal structure of the prehistoric bones can be viewed using a Micro-Computed Tomogram. The scan produced will be reconstructed into a 3-dimensional image using specific software. Quantitative measurements can be generated using the software. The data obtained will be compared with data from the bones of modern humans”, she said.

She added that it will take around three to four months to complete the analysis.

“The bones will be cleaned by soaking in water for 2-3 weeks until the soil stuck to the bones become soft enough to be removed. This process will take about a month. After that, the grafile bones will be strengthened using ethyl methacrylate, this will also take about a month. Two more weeks will be needed to measure the size of the bones. Finally, the bone density and internal structure of the bones will be determine, a process which will be completed in about a month.”

This study is the first in this region to analyse prehistoric bones using modern imaging equipment. With these techniques, the study of prehistoric remains become easier and more scientific. It is important that the data is obtained in a scientific manner for the findings to be acceptable by international experts. More importantly, these two techniques do not require the bones to be cut or grounded. It is important to maintain the integrity of these bones as they are precious, scarce and contain much information that can be further studied. Remains that are well-preserved enables other researchers to study them in the future.

This study is a unique collaboration between researchers in the social sciences (archaeology) and researchers in the health sciences (medical and dental). This is in line with the holistic approach to research on humans, whether they are modern or prehistoric humans.

The findings from this study will enrich knowledge and understanding of the lifestyle and health status of prehistoric humans. Furthermore, the knowledge obtained may potentially be used to improve healthcare of present-day humans.

However, it should be noted that research on prehistoric humans in Malaysia are very limited. The findings from this study will be used to build a database of the biological characteristics of prehistoric human bones. This database can be used as reference for future researchers to compare the characteristics of ancient humans with modern humans, and also to compare ancient humans from different geographical areas.

The other researchers involved are Associate Professor Dr. Elvy Suhana Mohd. Ramli (anatomist), Associate Professor Dr. Chin Kok Yong (pharmacologist) and Dr. Wong Sok Kuan (pharmacologist) from the Faculty of Mediicne, UKM. Determination of gender and age-at-death will be done by Dr. Nur Atika Md. Ashar (forensic odonltologist) from the Faculty of Dentistry (UKM).