Sumatra’s Ancient Megaliths Give Insight to the Past

The Jakarta Post ^ | Wed, 07/15/2009 | Khairul Saleh

[nickcarraway]

The ancient giant carved stones of South Sumatra – home to the largest number of such megaliths after Egypt and Europe – are remarkable not only for their size and history, but also for the curious supernatural aura that surrounds them.

For if you come to look at them, behave yourself, warns Edwin Malian, 35, a keeper in a megalith complex outside Lahat. He tells the cautionary tale of a young man who put a banana on a pig statue as a joke. It is said that before this statue was found 16 years ago, a local dreamed an old man told him to take care of the “thing” (pig statue). Who knows – the joker suffered a high fever after his joke and did not recover until a ritual had been performed. The historical artifacts known as the megaliths are believed to date from the middle Stone Age.

Those in Tanah Pasemah are under the management of the Center for Conservation of Archaeological Relics (BP3) in Jambi, whose working area covers Jambi, South Sumatra, Bengkulu and Bangka-Belitung provinces. It is believed that many such megaliths are still buried but financial constraints are preventing any excavations. The local administration is encouraging interested parties to get involved. As it is, the region’s stones have attracted experts at home and abroad, and are often the subject of international conferences. “We welcome anyone who is interested to do it [excavate],” said Irfan Wintarto of Lahat province’s Historical and Archaeological Heritage Maintenance and Management, Tourism and Culture Agency. “Megaliths like these are rare and should be protected.” The ancient stones from Tanah Pasemah are different to those found elsewhere. They are carved into various shapes, depicting such shapes as a man fighting a tiger, a woman carrying a child, and a man riding a beast. “In other places, the statues usually have monotonous carvings, not as dynamic as these ones,” Irfan said. Although protected, visitors can see the megaliths. The most accessible complex is in the school yard of SLTPN 3 state junior high school in Tanjung Telang village, Merapi Barat district, just 10 kilometers from Lahat city. Among the exhibits are a statue of a man that locals call the “Tanjung Telang man” and one called the “mat stone”, or in megalith terms a “wide stone”, a 120 x 80 centimeter stone people used to dry their paddy in the sun. According to legend, the Tanjung Telang statue, uncovered in 1920 by a Dutch researcher, is of a king cursed by a hero called Si Pahit Lidah.

In Tinggihari village in Pulau Pinang district, a hilltop village about 30 minutes’ drive from Lahat that boasts coffee plantations and a beautiful view of Mt. Dempo, are three megalith complexes.

There one can find the pig statue that doesn’t like disrespectful jokes, as well as statues of a king and a hermit and even a 5-meter-tall menhir depicting a man standing on another man and carrying a child. “This menhir served as a pole where people tied up their animals to be sacrificed to their ancestors during ceremonies. Others were like the totem poles of American Indians,” Irfan explained. Near the menhir is a statue called the “frog stone” because of its resemblance to a frog. In fact, Irfan said, it is of a man, but the head was missing – not uncommon among Lahat’s megaliths.

“Locals say that when it was found by a Dutch man a long time ago, the head was still intact. It is not clear how the head went missing. Another story says the head is now in the Leiden Museum. I don’t know whether it is true,” he said.

Irfan also has stories of curses befalling those who do not respect the stones.

“Once, a TV journalist posed by the menhir and he suddenly fell over, as if someone pushed him. It turned out that he did not ask for permission beforehand,” Irfan said. “Well, it is a stone, but we don’t know, maybe it has a spirit. So behave yourself in a place like this.” Another interesting megalith is the “tiger stone”, in Pagar Alam Pagun village, Pulau Pinang district.

The stone is believed to have served as a guardian against shameful acts such as adultery and violence. This megalith too is said to be related to the story of Si Pahit Lidah. According to legend, the hero was napping on a stone when he was awoken by the sounds of a tiger menacing the residents. He warned the animal, which ignored him. “Si Pahit Lidah then said, ‘You are just like a stone.’ And it became a stone,” said Rizal, a local. A monolith in the form of an elephant found in Lahat became part of the collection of Balaputeradewa Museum in Palembang. Interestingly, the village has a stone house with mysterious ancient paintings of strange creatures The paintings are predominantly in red and white, and appear to depict an owl. “According to Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yamin, the colors of the Indonesian red-and-white flag were inspired by the colors in the painting,” said Irfan, referring to professor’s 1957 book 6000 Sang Merah Putih. In Karangdalam, another village in the same district, a megalithic artifact was in the form of a menhir decorated with curves and small circles. It also has a triangular shape, believed to depict a vagina as the symbol of fertility, as often found in agrarian societies. A relic called the “Selayar stone” in Tegurwangi Lama village is a statue of a well-built big man, with carvings that represent the cosmic symbols, where the upper and lower worlds meet.

With their size, shape, abundance and stories, the megaliths of Tanah Pasemah offer an unusual and interesting journey into the past.

[SunkenCiv]

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	Gods Graves Glyphs	Thanks nickcarraway. I tried to find a story about this online, but I was looking for sumatra island. /rimshot To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
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[MyTwoCopperCoins]

[JimSEA]

Interesting. There are quite a few that can be seen on the web.

[blam]