Braholo Cave is located in Semugih Hamlet, Semugih Village, Rongkop District, Gunungkidul, or about two hours by motorcycle from the center of Gunungkidul. But who would have thought that this cave previously unfamiliar cave and it had turned out to be a silent witness to early human life.
To get to the location of Braholo Cave, visitors have to walk up several steps because of its location on a hillside with an altitude of about 357 masl. Arriving at the mouth of the cave, a quiet and calm atmosphere will welcome the visitors.
The condition of the cave is quite extensive with stalactite rocks on the ceiling and stalagmites at the bottom. The ceiling height of the cave is more than 15 meters so it looks bright when sunlight enters. The floor of the cave is mostly land with a room width of approximately 39 meters and a length of 30 meters. The total area of the cave is approximately 1,172 square meters.
The depth of the cave varies due to the excavation process carried out by researchers from 1994 to 2000. From the information listed in front of the cave’s mouth, the excavation process was carried out by the Jakarta National Archaeological Research Center, led by Prof. Truman Simanjuntak.
During the excavation process, several pottery were found, grain residue to animal remains such as deer, long-tailed monkeys, weasels, even shells and beads. Stone tools were also found from 6-12 thousand years ago.
As well as the remains of fauna, stone tools, and mollusk shells, the graves of 10 ancient human skeletons with the Australomesoid race were also found in Braholo Cave, believed to be the ancestors of humans who lived in Yogyakarta.
Apart from being able to enjoy archaeological remains, the Braholo Cave is also often used as a location for caving activity by nature lovers. The characteristics of Braholo Cave itself have 3 pitches, each of which has a depth of about 35 meters, 6 meters, and the last is about 2 meters with a slope of 25 degrees.
