MEGALITHIC SITES IN PUNANG KELAPANG, UPPER BARAM, SARAWAK: A PRELIMINARY SURVEY (TAPAK MEGALITIK DI PUNANG KELAPANG, ULU BARAM, SARAWAK: SATU TINJAUAN AWAL)
Abstract
Abstract
Most of what is presently known about megalithic remains in Sarawak have come from research conducted in the Kelabit Highlands, in the Upper Baram. Another area in the Upper Baram where megalithic remains are known to be present is Punang Kelapang, south of the Kelabit Highlands. Compared to their counterparts in the Kelabit Highlands, however, much less is known about the megalithic remains in Punang Kelapang. In order to obtain more information about the megaliths in Punang Kelapang, an archaeological survey was conducted over a period of about five-and-a-half weeks in March, April and August 2016. This article presents the results of the survey. A total of twenty megalithic sites were recorded, out of which fourteen were visited. The megaliths in Punang Kelapang consist of megalithic cemeteries such as dolmens, stone jars, stone trough, cist graves, and rock burials; and non-cemetery megaliths such as stone mounds, carved stones and a standing stone.
Keywords: Megalith, archaeology, Baram, Sarawak, Borneo
Abstrak
Sehingga kini, apa yang diketahui tentang tinggalan megalitik di Sarawak kebanyakannya adalah hasil daripada kajian-kajian terdahulu yang telah dijalankan di kawasan Kelabit Highlands, di Ulu Baram. Satu lagi kawasan di Ulu Baram di mana batu-batu megalit diketahui wujud adalah Punang Kelapang, di selatan Kelabit Highlands. Jika dibandingkan dengan batu-batu megalit di Kelabit Highlands, tidak banyak yang diketahui tentang batu-batu megalit di Punang Kelapang. Bagi mendapatkan lebih banyak lagi data berkenaan batu-batu megalit di Punang Kelapang, satu survei telah dijalankan dalam tempoh lebih lima minggu pada Mac, April dan Ogos 2016. Makalah ini membentangkan hasil survei tersebut. Sebanyak dua puluh tapak megalit telah direkodkan. Daripada jumlah ini, empat belas tapak telah dilawati. Batu-batu megalit di Punang Kelapang boleh dibahagikan kepada tapak perkuburan megalit seperti dolmen, tempayan atau keranda batu, kubur kepingan batu, dan pengkebumian di batuan semulajadi. Selain itu, terdapat juga batu-batu megalit seperti timbunan batu, batu berukir dan batu tegak.
Kata kunci: Megalit, arkeologi, Baram, Sarawak, BorneoFull Text:
PDFReferences
Banks, E. 1937. Some megalithic remains from the Kelabit country in Sarawak with some notes on the Kelabit themselves. Sarawak Museum Journal 4(15): 411–437.
Douglas, R. S. 1912. An expedition to the Bah country of central Borneo. Sarawak Museum Journal 1(2): 17–29.
Cluny, W., & Chai, P. 2007. Cultural sites of the northern highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia. Project report for “Transboundary biodiversity and conservation area: The Pulong Tau National Park, Sarawak State, Malaysia, Serial Number PD 224/03 Rev. 1 (F)”. Yokohama and Kuching.
Egay, K. 2009. Re-situating the Sa’ban ethnography: a reflection on the notion of representation. Akademika 77: 133–148.
Harrisson, T. 1949. Outside influences on the culture of the Kelabits of north central Borneo. Journal of the Polynesian Society 58(3): 91–111.
Harrisson, T. 1958a. Megaliths of Central and West Borneo. Sarawak Museum Journal 8(11): 394–401.
Harrisson, T. 1958b. A living megalithic in upland Borneo. Sarawak Museum Journal 8(12): 694–702.
Harrisson, T. 1959. World within: a Borneo story. London: Cresset Press.
Harrisson, T. 1962. Megaliths of Central Borneo and Western Malaya, compared. Sarawak Museum Journal 10(19–20): 376–382.
Harrisson, T. 1973. Megalithic evidences in East Malaysia: an introductory summary. Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 46(1)(223): 123–139.
Harrisson, T. 1974. The megalithic in East Malaysia - II: stone urns from the Kelabit Highlands, Sarawak. Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 47(1)(225): 105–109.
Hitchner, S. 2009. The living Kelabit landscape: cultural sites and landscape modifications in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia. Sarawak Museum Journal 66(87): 1–79.
Jalong, P. N. 1989. The Ngurek. Sarawak Museum Journal 40(61): 157–168.
Jones, S. E., Barton, H., Hunt, C. O., Janowski, M., Lloyd-Smith, L., &
Barker, G. 2016. The cultural antiquity of rainforests: Human-plant associations during the mid-late Holocene in the interior highlands of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Quarternary International 416: 80–94.
Lloyd-Smith, L. 2012. An early date from a stone mound (perupun) in the Kelabit Highlands, Sarawak. Sarawak Museum Journal 70(91): 117–126.
Lloyd-Smith L., Barker G., Barton H., Datan I., Gosden C., Janowski M.,
Nyiri B. & Preston E. 2010. The Cultured Rainforest Project: Archaeological investigations in the third season (2009) of fieldwork in the Kelabit Highlands, Sarawak. Sarawak Museum Journal 67(88): 57–104.
Lloyd-Smith L., Barker G., Barton H., Boutsikas E., Britton D., Datan I., Davenport B., Farr L., Ferraby R., Nyíri B., and Upex B. 2013. The Cultured Rainforest Project: preliminary archaeological results from the first two field seasons in the Kelabit Highlands, Sarawak, Borneo (2007, 2008). In M. Klokke & V. Degroot (Eds.). Unearthing Southeast Asia’s Past: selected papers from the 12th International Conference of European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists, Volume 1, 34–51. Singapore: National University of Singapore Press.
Lloyd-Smith, L., Gani, N., Litah, S., Nyiri, B., Paran, W., White, N., Mohd. Sherman Sauffi William. 2015. Internal interim report on archaeological excavation and survey in Pa’ Lungan carried out by the Early Central Borneo Project and the Sarawak Museum (2013, 2014). Unpublished report.
Mashman, V. 2017. Stones and power in the Kelapang: indigeneity and Kelabit and Ngurek narratives. In V. T. King, Z. Ibrahim, & N. H. Hassan (Eds.). Borneo Studies in History, Society and Culture, pp. 405–425. Singapore: Springer Science + Business Media Singapore.
Mashman, V. 2018. A history of Lun Tauh ‘Our People’ at the borders of the Kelabit Highlands: from warfare to the life of government and to the life of Christianity. PhD Dissertation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.
Murang, O. 1993. Kelabit, Sa’ban, Kenyah and their Penan neighbours: partners in development. In V. Sutlive Jr. (Ed.), Change and development in Borneo: selected papers from the First Extraordinary Conference of the Borneo Research Council, pp. 83-99. Williamsburg, VA: The Council.
Needham, R. 1972. Penan. In F. M. LeBar (Ed.). Ethnic groups of insular Southeast Asia, Vol. 1: Indonesia, Andaman Islands, and Madagascar, pp. 176–180. New Haven: Human Relations Area Files Press.
Nyiri, B. 2016. Chasing dragons through time and space: Martabani dragon jars in the Kelabit highlands, Sarawak, East Malaysia. PhD dissertation, University of Leicester, United Kingdom.
Schneeberger, W. F. 1979. Contributions to the ethnology of Central Northeast Borneo (Parts of Kalimantan, Sarawak and Sabah). Berne: Institute of Ethnology, University of Berne.
Sellato, B. 1995. The Ngorek: Lithic and Megalithic Traditions in the Bahau Area and an Interdisciplinary Sketch of Regional History. Jakarta: World Wildlife Fund for Nature.
Sellato, B. 2016. The Ngorek of the central highlands and “megalithic” activity in Borneo. In C. Jeunesse, P. Le Roux, & B. Boulestin (Eds.), Living and Past Megalithisms: Interwoven Approaches, pp.117–150. Oxford: Archaeopress.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
IKATAN AHLI ARKEOLOGI MALAYSIA
d/a Institut Alam dan Tamadun Melayu
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Tel: +60 3 8921 5280