Transition from Mainland to Small Island: Prehistoric Faunal Utilization from Kangean, East Java, Indonesia

Alifah*1, Taufiqurrahman Setiawan2, Fakhri2, and Restu Budi Sulistiyo2

Environmental change has played a fundamental role in shaping human adaptive strategies on islands and coastal landscapes. This study explores the relationship between Late Pleistocene–Holocene environmental dynamics and shifts in human subsistence behaviour based on archaeological evidence from cave habitation sites on Kangean Island, eastern Java Sea. The primary dataset consists of faunal remains recovered through excavation, integrated with spatial analyses derived from bathymetric data and reconstructions of sea-level change. The results indicate that around the terminal Pleistocene (c. 11 kya), Kangean Island experienced pronounced physiographic transformations, including substantial land reduction and the loss of connectivity with the Sundaland, resulting in the formation of a small island. Zooarchaeological evidence reveals a significant shift in faunal exploitation strategies, from a reliance on terrestrial fauna associated with the Sundaic (Java) biogeographic zone in the lower layers to the indication of Wallacean fauna utilization and an increased use of marine resources in the upper layers. These changes reflect adaptive responses to increasing insularity and coastal reconfiguration and suggest that faunal exploitation extended beyond subsistence to include symbolic or non-utilitarian dimensions. This study contributes to broader discussions on human–environment interaction, island adaptation, and coastal transformations in Island Southeast Asia.