Ideology, Hegemony, and the Persistence of Living Megalithic Traditions in Central Sumba

Nyoman Arisanti1*, I Gusti Made Suarbhawa2, Ati Rati Hidayah3, and I Putu Yuda Haribuana4

National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Indonesia; *arisanti.nym@gmail.com

The existence and continuity of the living megalithic traditions of the indigenous community in Central Sumba are currently experiencing socio-cultural pressures as well as ideological shifts within the community. The introduction of modern religions, processes of modernization, and broader sociocultural transformations have generated changes in the functions and meanings of megalithic culture. This study not only describes the dynamics of megalithic cultural practices but also examines the factors that sustain the existence of living megalithic traditions. Theories of ideology and hegemony are applied eclectically, drawing upon observations, interviews, and literature review. The megalithic remains found in traditional villages include stone tombs, stone tools, and other artifacts that are placed beneath burial stones and regarded as sacred by the indigenous community. Cultural shifts resulting from modernity, as well as customary and governmental hegemonies, have led to transformations in the function and meaning of these megalithic remains, particularly stone tools and artifacts, which have become sacralised objects. Although members of the indigenous community have embraced modern religions, the enduring ideology of Marapu continues to sustain the existence of megalithic culture to the present day.