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Indonesian Megaliths: A Forgotten Cultural Heritage

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Tara Steimer at University of Geneva
Tara Steimer
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Indonesian Megaliths: A forgotten cultural heritage highlights aspects of Indonesian culture which are currently misunderstood and sometimes threatened by destruction. Although they are relatively recent in origin, the Indonesian megaliths offer similarities to their counterparts in the Middle East and Arabia: they reflect the rise to prominence of local chiefs in a context of acculturation which prompted the need to build megalithic monuments to bury the dead, and to honour, commemorate and communicate with ancestors. In societies of oral tradition, these stones punctuate the landscape to transmit the memory of men and social structure from one generation to the next. Based on scientific documents (articles, archaeological reports) and field visits, this new exploration clarifies various elements of the Indonesian megaliths, including their function in the daily life of the tribes and the use of certain stones for musical purposes (lithophony). In Nias, Sumba and Toraya, the megalith tradition is still alive and ethno-anthropological studies of these three regions provide a unique chance to complement the archaeological perspectives on megalithic monuments abandoned for several centuries in the rest of the Archipelago. The book includes numerous photographs documenting the monuments which were taken during the author’s stay in Indonesia (2010-2013).
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... In cultures where statues are expected to stand forever, they represent the historical moment itself, which can make a deep impression on the public and become part of the written and oral record of historical events [7]. Steimer-Hermet [8] provides a comprehensive overview of the different types of megalithic constructions in Indonesia and divides their manufacture into two periods. The first period began in the 7th and 8th centuries in East Java and spread to the rest of the island, South Sumatra and Central Sumatra, and Lore Lindu in Central Sulawesi [9]. ...
... (1929). Steimer-Herbet [8], in her book entitled Indonesian Megaliths: A Forgotten Cultural Heritage, Definitive deductions regarding the proposed typology of analysis include classical interpretations of the object, which means that there is a relative consensus in treating the Bada Valley statues as art objects. Also, Richard Nixon Tambalo (2018) writes, in a very enthusiastic and committed way, various narratives with an iconographic approach that provide arguments in favor of including the Bada Valley statues into the framework with art objects in general, with a high level of aesthetic dignity and technical skill. ...
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Article
Full-text available
  • May 2024
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... It is not clear whether the settlements of the builders of the megaliths were located at these sites, because not a single standard excavation in this region has been conducted since van der Hoop's days. Good current overviews are provided by Rangkuti et al. (2017), Steimer-Herbet (2018 and Bonatz (2021:17-41), but these are based on the monuments visible on site and can hardly be used to interpret other archaeological data and finds. Only the stone cist graves that van der Hoop excavated in Tegurwangi and Tanjung Aro in 1931 produced material-culture remains; these included stone and glass beads, small gold, bronze and iron objects, and vessels or shards of vessels made of simple earthenware (van der Hoop 1932:47-52, figures 171-172). ...
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... Along with the rapid development of the times in line with the currents of globalization, there has been a shift in the existence of local budata in Indonesia (Steimer-Herbet, 2018). Almost everyone in different regions has been affected by cultural changes especially in Hindu religious life. ...
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Article
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  • Jan 2022
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... The Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture keeps track of cultural heritage and compiles a list of it. There are 1,086 classified cultural heritage artifacts out of the 9,770 total items that have been recorded (Steimer-Herbet, 2018). It is impossible to divorce this cultural diversity from the history of the country, which has continued to allow it to be appreciated to this day. ...
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  • Nov 2022
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... Likewise, ancient teachings such as animism known in the megalithic era have also developed in Indonesia. Menhirs, dolmens, and punden terraces are tools to carry out ritual offerings to ancestors (Steimer-Herbet, 2018). ...
From Living Law to National Law: Theoretical Reconstruction of Applying Islamic Law in Indonesia
Article
Full-text available
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... This is shown by their traditional and tribe's house and also local wisdom. Ngada is also famous for its megalith culture [14] and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 19 October 1995, in the cultural category. ...
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Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2023
The potentials of bamboo resources owned by the community in Ngada Regency has not been managed and appropriately utilized. There were no integrated programs between the on-farm and off-farm sectors and no clear roles and responsibilities among the stakeholders involved. Soft System Methodology (SSM) framework approach was carried out through stakeholder analysis, CATWOE analysis, and gap analysis. The root definition of the current situation was that the model of sustainable community bamboo management and utilization (W) is responsible to the local and central government as well as the bamboo manufacturing industry as off-taker (O) with integrated supporting programs and regulations, ensuring the potential of bamboo resources and the bamboo product market (E) which was carried out together with stakeholders (A) through active participation and synergy programs (T) to improve the welfare of the community of bamboo owners, craftsmen, and bamboo entrepreneurs (C). The study produces a suitable and appropriate strategy based on the corrective actions of existing problems and recommendations formulated from conceptual models and existing actual conditions on integrated sustainable bamboo management.
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... The Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture keeps track of cultural heritage and compiles a list of it. There are 1,086 classified cultural heritage artifacts out of the 9,770 total items that have been recorded (Steimer-Herbet, 2018). It is impossible to divorce this cultural diversity from the history of the country, which has continued to allow it to be appreciated to this day. ...
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Article
Full-text available
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Lontar Prasi Bali is one of the cultural heritages that is still preserved in the Balinese life system. The problem is that the understanding of the Balinese Lontar Prasi can only be understood by some people so not all can understand the functions and stories contained in the Balinese Lontar Prasi. The solution to this problem is to provide a touch of Augmented Reality technology to show the story's contents in Lontar Prasi through 3D characters, audio, and text. The method used is the Prototyping Model chosen because it accommodates the scope and timeline of application development and facilitates communication between application developers and organizations. The test was conducted using four types of smartphones. The test results show that the four smartphones can be seen when the camera detects objects on the marker, Xiaomi Note 8 Pro and Oppo Reno F1 can detect objects within 1 second. While the Samsung A50s can detect objects for 2 seconds and the Xiaomi Redmi 5 can detect time for 3 seconds.
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Stone-jar sites are so far reported from sites in the Dima Hasao district of Assam, Northeast India and from Laos in Southeast Asia. These are believed to be bone repository associated with ancient secondary burial practices of the two regions. This paper reports details of recently discovered Stone-jar sites at Saipung, New Thlangmoi and Mualhoi Locality 1 of East Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya. The paper deals with data regarding the sites, their distribution features and jar typology. It also opens up the potential of East Jaintia hills to carry out future research on Stone-jars
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Article
Full-text available
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We review the scholarship relating to the megalithic tradition of East and Southeast Asia and the results of its archaeological study. The major center of this tradition in East Asia is Korea, where it reveals considerable heterogeneity. In the Bronze Age, it is represented by dolmens and menhirs, and in the later periods by stone tombs, chambers, and pyramidal mounds. The latest megaliths are anthropomorphic statues of the Dolhareubang type, on Jeju Island off the southern tip of the Korean peninsula. Southeast Asian megaliths, which are described in detail, originate from similar structures in East and South Asia while being less known and less accurately dated, and revealing specific features of construction. Owing to the ethnographic sources on local peoples, Southeast Asian megaliths provide valuable data on their layout, function, and associated mythology. We demonstrate common features in megalithic traditions of East and Southeast Asia and their specificity in each region. Principal sources are described, and major trends in the study of megaliths in those territories are outlined. In sum, megaliths of East and Southeast Asia are an independent archaeological phenomenon requiring future studies.
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Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 1987
Megalithic remains are widely distributed over nearly all the regions of Indonesia, among others in Sumatra, Nias, Java, Bali, Sulawesi, Sumba, Sumbawa, Aores, Sabu etc. There are various forms of megalithic remains which have their own characteristics in certain areas. For instance, the megalithic remains in Nias are known as osa-osa (seats) and dane-dane (tables). Lampung is known for its dolmen. In West Java the stepped terrace are wellknown, while there are kalamba in Central Sulawesi and sarcophagi in Bali. Megalithic remains exhibit wider range of forms as more and more are discovered in various parts of Indonesia.
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The Ngada, a people of central Flores in east Indonesia practice a successful integration of two contradicting belief systems: Roman Catholicism and adat. Contemporary Ngada religion, therefore, consists of syncretistic and paral-lelistic elements that were mixed together and readapted to specific occasions. This dynamic process is examined with an example of death rituals which provide a space for reflection and discussion, social action and construction of an indigenous modern cosmology.
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