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The Bada Valley or Napu Valley, located in the Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, contains hundreds of megaliths of undetermined age that are called watu ("stone") in the local Badaic languages and arca ("statue") in Indonesian. The purpose of the megaliths and their builders are unknown.
| Local Name | Translation | Size | Comments | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palindo | Entertainer | 4.5m | 1°51′34.54″S120°15′17.79″E / 1.8595944°S 120.2549417°E | |
| Mesinga | Wearing a Scarf | |||
| Maturu | Sleeping | 3.5m | ||
| Oba | Monkey | 1°52′6.99″S120°13′53.26″E / 1.8686083°S 120.2314611°E | ||
| Naime | ||||
| Baula | Buffalo | |||
| Torumpana | ||||
| Ari Ipohi | 1°52′38.73″S120°15′20.23″E / 1.8774250°S 120.2556194°E | |||
| Loga | Relieved Heart | 1°51′49.50″S120°16′46.68″E / 1.8637500°S 120.2796333°E | ||
| Langke Bulawa | Golden Bracelet | 1.8m | 1°51′11.23″S120°17′29.50″E / 1.8531194°S 120.2915278°E |
These ancient statues are said to have existed since the 14th century. [1] The megaliths in the Bada Valley were first discovered in 1908. Despite the discovery occurring over 100 years ago, little is known about these objects, including when the stone statues were created. Some speculate that the stones were carved around 5,000 years ago, while others believe the megaliths were made about 1,000 years ago. [2]
Meanwhile, some others suspect that the stones are related to the megalithic culture in Laos, Cambodia, and several regions in Indonesia from 2,000 years ago. [2]
According to Ancient Origins, it is still unknown who created the megalithic statues in the Bada Valley. Although there are theories that the stones were made by a culture that created megaliths elsewhere in Southeast Asia, the megaliths in the Bada Valley are considered unique.
However, in the notes of A.C. Kruyt, the founder of Poso, it is mentioned that before the arrival of the Dutch in Lore in 1908, it was still common for people to make stone tombs. There were still places where Kalamba (stone jars used for burial) were made. Thus, the creation of these objects comes from various periods, with some being as recent as a few hundred years ago or young megaliths. [3]
The Bada Valley is situated in a relatively flat area surrounded by hills, which creates dramatic scenery with clouds often trapped at the hilltops around the valley. It is common to see one part of the Bada Valley experiencing rain while another part is bathed in sunlight peeking through the clouds. [4]
In the middle of the Bada Valley, the Lariang River flows, merging with the Malei River, making the flow of the Lariang River stronger. For this reason, the Lariang River was once used for river rafting. In the center of the Bada Valley, the current of the Lariang River is quite calm due to the relatively flat terrain. [4]
The exact purpose of the megaliths is still unknown. The local community believes that the stones were used for ancestor worship. Additionally, the residents have stories about the origins of these megaliths. One story mentions a megalith named Tokala'ea, who was a rapist and was cursed to become a stone. [2]
Another story tells of a megalith named Tadulako. The community says Tadulako was once known as the village guardian, but after stealing rice, he was cursed to become a stone. Other stories associate the megaliths with human sacrifices. Some people also believe that the stones were intended to ward off evil spirits, while others claim that the objects have supernatural powers and can disappear or move.
Palindo, Torompana, Tarae Roe, and Loga are some of the names given by locals to the ancient statues in the Bada Valley. Each statue has a unique story, one of which is Palindo. The local community once believed that Palindo stood upright. [5]
In Lore Lindu National Park, the traditional customs of the Lore tribe are still strong. Besides the stone statues and green rice fields, visitors will also find traditional Lore houses lined up. These wooden houses with ijuk (sugar palm fiber) roofs and bamboo walls are often used as lodging for visitors.
Elders in Sepe Village believe that the Palindo statue, which means "the entertainer" in the local language, represents their ancestors, the Tosaloge tribe. According to legend, the King of Luwuk ordered 1800 statues from Sepe to Palopo to mark his reign over Bada. These statues were supposed to face south, but the mission failed because the Bada people placed them facing west. When the king requested to change their position, the statues fell on the king's troops, killing around 200 people. The Bada people in the past offered sacrifices to these statues before undertaking major tasks, such as opening new farmland. [6]
The megalithic statues in the Bada Valley represent human faces that have been stylized, where the eyebrows and nose are depicted as one, while the mouth is omitted. The statues in the Bada Valley generally have clear gender markers. On the Palindo and Meturu statues, male genitalia are carved. On the Langke Bulawa statue, female genitalia are depicted. Gender differences are also depicted in facial features, where the female statues have faces with a fringe covering the forehead. [4]
The carvings on these megaliths are also described as minimalist. The figures are usually depicted with large heads, bodies without curves, and without legs. The faces are typically shown with round eyes and a single line representing the eyebrows, cheeks, and chin. Most of the statues appear to stand alone, but some are placed in groups. These megalithic stones are scattered throughout the valley. They include carvings of humans, animals, Kalamba, and many more. [2]
Other human statues are about 1.5 meters tall with a diameter of about 50 cm. Besides adult human statues, there is the Oba statue, which is 70 cm tall with a humorous face and unclear gender markers. Locals refer to it as a monkey figure, but it can also be interpreted as representing children. [1]
Kalamba are artifacts in the form of large jars with lids, 1.5-2 meters in diameter, used for burial, found in the Bada Valley. These Kalamba are often found with a stone cover. Around Kalamba, smaller stones are often found. It is suspected that these smaller stones served as small Kalamba for the remains of babies or children. Additionally, circular stones resembling small tables or stone mortars are also found around Kalamba. [2]
The human statues and Kalamba are suspected to have been created by the same culture. This is based on the presence of small Kalamba and mortar-like stones often found near the human statues. [4]
A dolmen or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the Late Neolithic period and were sometimes covered with earth or smaller stones to form a tumulus. Small pad-stones may be wedged between the cap and supporting stones to achieve a level appearance. In many instances, the covering has eroded away, leaving only the stone "skeleton".
Sulawesi, also known as Celebes, is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's 11th-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. Within Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra are more populous.
A menhir, standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large upright stone, emplaced in the ground by humans, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. They can be found individually as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Menhirs' size can vary considerably, but they often taper toward the top.
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
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The Medway Megaliths, sometimes termed the Kentish Megaliths, are a group of Early Neolithic chambered long barrows and other megalithic monuments located in the lower valley of the River Medway in Kent, South-East England. Constructed from local sarsen stone and soil between the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE, they represent the only known prehistoric megalithic group in eastern England and the most south-easterly group in Britain.
The Coffin Stone, also known as the Coffin and the Table Stone, is a large sarsen stone at the foot of Blue Bell Hill near Aylesford in the south-eastern English county of Kent. Now lying horizontally, the stone probably once stood upright nearby. Various archaeologists have argued that the stone was part of a now-destroyed chambered long barrow constructed in the fourth millennium BCE, during Britain's Early Neolithic period.
Chestnuts Long Barrow, also known as Stony Warren or Long Warren, is a chambered long barrow near the village of Addington in the south-eastern English county of Kent. Probably constructed in the fifth millennium BC, during Britain's Early Neolithic period, today it survives only in a ruined state.
Addington Long Barrow is a chambered long barrow located near the village of Addington in the southeastern English county of Kent. Probably constructed in the fourth millennium BCE, during Britain's Early Neolithic period, today it survives only in a ruined state. Built of earth and about fifty local sarsen megaliths, the long barrow consisted of a sub-rectangular earthen tumulus enclosed by kerb-stones. Collapsed stones on the northeastern end of the chamber probably once formed a stone chamber in which human remains might have been deposited, though none have been discovered.
Lore Lindu National Park is a protected area of forest on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in the province of Central Sulawesi. The Indonesian national park is 2,180 km2 covering both lowland and montane forests. It provides habitat to numerous rare species, including 77 bird species endemic to Sulawesi. The national park is designated as part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. In addition to its rich wildlife, the park also contains megaliths dating from before 1300 AD.
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The Pokekea Megalithic Site is a megalithic archaeological site in the Lore Lindu National Park. It is located in the Behoa (Besoa) Valley northwest of Bada Valley. The Behoa valley is notable for its preserved kalambas, megaliths shaped like large cylindrical stone vats. The kalambas served as communal funerary urns and resemble in form and function the monuments on the Plain of Jars in Laos.
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1°52′48″S120°15′00″E / 1.88000°S 120.25000°E
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