Tag: Indonesia
We went to the island of Java in Indonesia to visit Gunung Padang, an enigmatic archaeological site that some have called "the oldest pyramid in the world". From the βOut of Sundaβ theory to the recent surveys with the carbon-14 method, we will try to give a historical location to the βMountain of Lightβ, between (fanta) archeology and folklore.
Kasenian RΓ©ak: the Sundanese horse dance between artistic performance and ceremonial possession (II)
Luigi Monteanni spent a year in Indonesia to study the Kasenian RΓ©ak, the traditional Sundanese horse dance, during which the participants in the ritual are possessed by spirits. Whatβ¦
Kasenian RΓ©ak: the Sundanese horse dance between artistic performance and ceremonial possession (I)
Luigi Monteanni spent a year in Indonesia to study Kasenian RΓ©ak, the traditional Sundanese horse dance, during which the participants in the ritual are possessed by spirits. What we propose in two episodes is a full-bodied extract from his master's degree thesis born from this experience.
Bada Valley: the βxenomorphicβ megaliths in the jungle
We visited the island of Sulawesi, in the Indonesian archipelago, and ventured into the rainforest of Lore Lindu in search of the mysterious Patung, megalithic sculptures of only partly anthropomorphic aspect which constitute for archaeologists (but also for natives) a real enigma. Taking into account the various hypotheses regarding the cults of ancestors, those of fertility and supposed human sacrifices, we will try to connect them in aΒ framework as coherent as possible.
