인도네시아 숨바섬의 고인돌

Sumba Island Dolmen of Indonesia

It is believed that the dolmens of Sumba Island were made since prehistoric times, and they continue to be made to this day. Thousands of dolmen are distributed around the squares and plazas of riverside and oceanside towns. Unique qualities of the dolmen of Sumba Island can be summarized as follows: 1. Dolmen made in the earliest periods are found in high mountain region. This is due to the fact that early towns were formed in high mountain regions in order to make them easier to defend during battles(regional power struggle). 2. Various different types of dolmen can be found on Sumba Island, including Capstone type, Table type, Jejudo type, Paduk Board type, Stone Pillar type, Manger type, and hybrid of Stone Pillar and Table types. Dolmen from earlier periods are generally Capstone type, while more recently created dolmen tend to depart from traditional forms and are more showy. In particular, massive Stone Pillar type dolmen exhibit a unique structure of supporting stones holding up a cover stone, with two to three stone coffin tombs underneath them. 3. Dolmen tend to be larger in size in plain regions compared to high mountain regions. This is because after the Dutch rule, those who seized power in the plain regions built massive dolmen as a show of their power. 4. The heads of the dolmen typically face north towards Flores Island, from where the people of Sumba Island believe their ancestors came. However, more recently created dolmen do not necessarily follow this convention. 5. The cover stone and the supporting stones are transported via the sura. A row of tree trunks are placed below the Sura to act as wheels, and the sura and the cover stone are tied to and pulled by a rope. 6. Erecting a new massive dolmen typically takes 4 to 5 years. However, it’s difficult to estimate the original time of construction for many dolmen. One reason is that the grandson may be buried with his grandfather. Another reason is that as one’s power grows, he may replace the original dolmen through massive reconstruction. 7. It is presumed that during the construction of massive dolmen, the living slaves of the deceased were buried along with the dead. Today, however, this practice has been replaced with the practice of killing a water buffalo living near the dolmen. 8. To this day, Marapus are made and placed in the plaza where the dolmen are, and many people still worship their ancestors through them. Dolmen made for purposes other than burial tombs have yet to be found.