Gua Teluk Kelawar is located at the Bukit Kepala Gajah limestone complex. Located one kilometer from Lenggong, Perak, research was first carried out by the Malaysian Archaeological Research Centre until 1990. Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) also carried out excavation works and found that the cave was used 11,000 to 6,000 years ago. 

Many artefacts found at the site include tools and food deposits such as river snails, Brotia Costula and Brotia spinosa. There were also evidence of wild boar and deer, meaning that the environment was very much the same as today’s tropical rainforest. 

Research also uncovered human remains (GTK 1) dating back 8,000 years. There were also stone tools and food deposits at the site. The burial indicated that the Palaeolithic era in Malaysia continued until early holosen, before pottery was made. Gua Teluk Kelawar also has protective features commonly found during the formation of limestone in Malaysia. 

Early man (10,000 years ago) used the cave as a stop-point. Excavations uncovered stone tools, food deposits as well as animal bones, shells and pieces of pottery. 

Stone tools found here include pebbles, hammer and others. The stones were similar to those tools used at Kota Tampan and Gua Gunung Runtuh. There are also pottery shards with early minimal designs (6,000 years ago), animal bones (monkeys (Macaca sp.), deer (Muntiacus munjak), wild boar (Sus sp.), and reptiles. There were also river snail shells (Brotia costula and Brotia spinosa).

A human remain aged 8,000 years, named Perak Woman, was found at Gua Teluk Kelawar in 2004. She stands 148 centimetres tall and was believed to have been 40 years old when buried.

For more information, visit http://lenggong.heritage.gov.my