Archaeologists in Indonesia have announced that a newly identified megalith in Central Sulawesi may date back around 1,000 years, adding to the region’s long-known tradition of ancient stone monuments.
The carved stone was discovered in the village of Toni-Toni in Poso Regency, an area already known for its rich concentration of prehistoric megalithic remains. According to archaeologist Iksam Djorimi, the monument likely belongs to a later phase of the region’s megalithic culture.
“The megalith is estimated to be about 1,000 years old,” Djorimi told the Indonesian news agency ANTARA on March 7.
Central Sulawesi contains one of the most unique and remarkable megalithic collections in Southeast Asia. Many of these structures are found in the Behoa and Bada valleys, located south of the newly reported discovery.
In those valleys, the monuments are said to date back as far as 2,000 years, Djorimi said. Researchers say the age of the monuments seems to differ according to geographical region. The megaliths appear to get younger as archaeological sites stretch northward from the Behoa Valley toward other areas including the Baru Valley.
“As you travel north from the Behoa Valley, the megaliths become younger,” said Djorimi, who previously served as deputy director of the Central Sulawesi Museum.
While the Behoa and Bada valleys are known for large stone statues and cylindrical stone containers called kalamba, these features are not typically found farther north. Instead, northern areas such as the Baru Valley contain other types of stone monuments and carvings.
Examples of these carvings can be seen in locations such as Watunonju village in Sigi Regency, where engraved stones have been documented by researchers.
Megaliths are prehistoric structures or monuments created using large stones, either as single standing objects or as complex arrangements of multiple stones. Such monuments appear in many parts of the world and are commonly associated with societies from the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods.
Archaeologists believe these structures often served ceremonial or symbolic roles. They may have functioned as grave markers, sites for religious rituals, or monuments connected to ancestor worship.
The newly reported megalith in Donggi Donggi consists of a large boulder featuring carvings that resemble human faces. Similar carved stones have previously been recorded in the nearby Nap Valley, suggesting possible cultural links between sites across the region.
Researchers hope further study of the stone will provide additional insight into the development of Central Sulawesi’s megalithic traditions and the communities that created them centuries ago.
Sources : ANTARA/HO
