The effects of sink action on archaeological deposits in caves: An Indonesian example

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Abstract
Caves are important to prehistoric archaeologists because they focus settlement in a limited area, and act as relatively stable containers for long sequences of stratified deposits, rich in artefacts and food residues. However, the geomorphological processes which led to the formation of the caves themselves frequently still operate, and the stability of cave deposits should be demonstrated and not taken for granted. Sink action leading to undermining and collapse of occupational deposits has been demonstrated for earlier Pleistocene sites, but two examples from Sulawesi, Indonesia are presented in which deposits have slumped by several metres since their formation in Late and post‐Pleistocene times.