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Indonesian Megaliths: A Forgotten Cultural Heritage

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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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... 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). ...
... 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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... 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). ...
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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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