Lenggong Valley, also called Lembah Lenggong in Malay, is a region located between the Bintang mountain range to the west and the Titiwangsa mountain range to the east. It is a rural area with small villages, called kampongs, surrounded by green plants and limestone hills that have many caves.

The Lenggong Valley is one of the most important places in Peninsular Malaysia for archaeology. Archaeologists have found many items from Malaysia's past, such as cave drawings, jewelry, pottery, weapons, and stone tools. It is one of the oldest places in the Peninsula where humans lived. The Lenggong Valley was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on June 30, 2012.

Archaeology

In Malaysia, the oldest human remains found are a skull discovered in the Niah Caves in Sarawak, dating back about 40,000 years. Most archaeological remains in Lenggong are linked to caves. Two exceptions are Kota Tampan and Bukit Jawa, which are the only Palaeolithic sites in Peninsular Malaysia.

Kota Tampan is the oldest known site of human activity. Excavations there began in 1938 and uncovered a stone tool-making area that had not been disturbed. Pebble tools were created using tools like anvils and hammer stones. Over 50,000 stone pieces were found and recorded. The culture at Kota Tampan is called the Tampanian. The site was first thought to be 30,000 years old, but this has been updated to 75,000 years. Although the site is now on a hillside in an oil palm plantation, it was originally near a lake. Scientists believe the workshop was abandoned about 75,000 years ago due to a volcanic eruption at Lake Toba in Sumatra, about 250 kilometers away. There is a 17,000-year gap between Kota Tampan and the next site, Gua Gunung Runtuh, which is thought to be caused by the effects of the Toba eruption.

Gua Gunung Runtuh is located in Bukit Kepala Gajah, or Elephant's Head Hill. Other caves on the same hill have also yielded stone tools and food remains. These caves were likely used as temporary shelters for hunting or seasonal stays, while Gua Gunung Runtuh was occupied for longer periods. Nearby, Gua Harimau (Tiger Cave) is about 3 kilometers away and was used as a burial site around 3,000–5,000 years ago. Seven human skeletons, along with bronze axes and jewelry, were found there. The bronze axes show early use of metal in Malaysia, Thailand, and China. This is the earliest known use of metal in Southeast Asia. Porcelain containers with meat and snail shells were also discovered. Other caves have revealed pottery, axes, stone tools, and food remains. Unfortunately, some sites have been damaged by guano diggers, causing remains to be lost.

Recently, archaeologists excavated Bukit Jawa, which is dated to 200,000 years old. This makes it much older than Kota Tampan, which is only 6 kilometers away.

Negrito cave drawings have been found in several places, but they are not prehistoric. These drawings are only about 100 years old. Gua Badak is one such location, located 10 kilometers north of Lenggong. The Lanoh Negrito people created these drawings, which show scenes from their daily lives. Charcoal drawings were first discovered in the 1920s by Ivor Evans. They were thought to be lost due to quarrying but were found again in 1992. Some original drawings have been covered by modern graffiti. The Negritos used caves as shelters during hunting trips. The drawings include animals, people, trees, mats, bicycles, and cars. In addition to charcoal, they made white images by scraping limestone.

Most early people in the Malay Peninsula lived in caves and rock shelters for short periods. They hunted for food, as shown by animal bones and mollusk remains found at sites. Some people may have painted their bodies with red iron oxide. They used stones and slabs to grind substances like salt, and all their tools were made of stone. Flakes were used as knives or scrapers. The Lenggong area is important because it contains many remains related to Malaysia’s prehistory. It is the oldest area where remains have been found, and all the sites are located in a small area.

Gua Puteri is a natural tunnel through Bukit Kajang. No archaeological remains have been found there, but the cave is known for local legends. Two stalagmites are said to represent a prince and princess who guard the cave. Locals believe that if children climb the stalagmites, they will become sick.

The oldest human skeleton found in Malaysia was in Gua Gunung Runtuh, located in Perak, Peninsular Malaysia. The cave is in Bukit Kepala Gajah (Elephant’s Head Hill) in the Lenggong Valley of Ulu Perak. The skeleton was a male about 157 cm tall and estimated to be in his 50s. It was discovered in 1991 and dated to about 11,000 years ago. It is one of the most complete skeletons from this time in the region.

He was buried in the fetal position, with animal bones near his shoulder, left side, and bottom, and stone tools around his body. No other burials were found in the cave. The Perak Man had a smaller left hand, arm, and a curved spine, likely due to a genetic condition called brachymesophalangia. The bones near him came from wild boar, monkey, monitor lizard, and deer, possibly food remains. Ten stone tools, mostly pebble tools and hammer stones, were found around his body.

Researchers believe the Perak Man was an important person because his burial was elaborate and required much effort. He was placed in a pit with food offerings, covered with shells, then more tools and offerings, followed by layers of dirt. His age and disability suggest he was respected or held a high position in his community.

In 2004, another skeleton was found at Gua Teluk Kelawar in Lenggong, Perak, by archaeologists from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). This skeleton, called the "Perak Woman," was about 148 cm tall and estimated to be in her 40s. She is believed to have lived 8,000 years ago.

Accessibility

Lenggong is connected by main roads that link it to nearby towns and cities. The town of Lenggong is located about 100 kilometers north of Ipoh along the Kuala Kangsar to Gerik road, which is also known as Highway 76. The road to Lenggong is mostly surrounded by oil palm plantations and forests.

To visit Lenggong, travelers can take Exit No. 143 on the North–South Expressway in Kuala Kangsar. This exit is approximately 3 hours from Kuala Lumpur. From there, follow Route 76 to reach Lenggong.