Neolithic skeletons to return ‘home’ to Penang in January after decades abroad

GEORGE TOWN, Dec 22 — The 41 skeletons that were excavated from the shell middens in Guar Kepah by British archaeologists between 1851 and 1934 will finally make their way back to their original resting place in January next year.

Penang tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the skeletons are now with the National Heritage Department after they sent a representative to Netherlands to receive the skeletons.

The skeletons were being displayed at National Natuurhistorisch Museum in Leiden, Holland for many years before the Penang state government and the Malaysian government started discussions with The Netherlands government to bring back the skeletons.

“We are scheduling a handover session in January with the National Heritage Department and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture,” he told reporters after attending the project handover ceremony of the automotive gallery in Macalister Road here.

He said the skeletons are being stored in Kuala Lumpur under the National Heritage Department.

“We will also be scheduling the official opening by the prime minister in the first quarter of next year after we receive the skeletons,” he said.

He said they will need some time to display the skeletons at the Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery before the gallery is officially opened.

The gallery was initially scheduled to open in late 2024 but it was delayed pending the arrival of the skeletons from The Netherlands.

Back in 2017, a single remaining skeleton at the Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery site was discovered during clearing works to build the gallery.

Dubbed as the Penang Woman, the skeleton, discovered in shell middle C, was almost fully intact but her legs were partially destroyed due to digging works.

The skeleton was found with her arms folded and she was surrounded by pottery, stone tools and several different types of shells.

Testings revealed that the Penang Woman skeleton is about 5,710 years old.

There were three shell middens at the site — A, B and C and the 41 skeletons were excavated by the British from three of these mounds.

Shell middens refer to mounds of kitchen debris consisting mostly of shells and other food remnants. 

It is indicative of ancient human settlement and were sometimes used as burial sites.