Intersecting Identities: Prevailing Megalithic Phenomenon in Eastern Java Post‑13th Century CE

M. Dziyaul F. Arrozain1*, Abednego Andhana Prakosajaya2, and Rizal Hendra Pratama3

1Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia; 2History Programme, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, Indonesia; 3Pati Heritage Society, Indonesia; *dziyaularrozain@gmail.com

After the 13th century AD, eastern Java became a prominent region known for its hegemony of Hindu‑Buddhist culture. However, at the same time, several megalithic remains were scattered throughout the region, reflecting older prehistoric traditions. This circumstance illustrates a remarkable cultural dynamic within a single regional landscape. This research aims to deconstruct this phenomenon as a subculture that reshapes local identity in eastern Java. This work examines the character of megalithic remains and their distribution patterns in sites located in four regencies of the most eastern part of Java in relation to other remains from the Hindu‑Buddhist period. The findings indicate that the distribution of megalithic remains bears a close spatial relationship to Hindu‑Buddhist remains. This proximity is thought to have influenced the emergence of various distinctive Hindu‑Buddhist features in some megalithic remains. We argue that megalithic culture in eastern Java represented a persistent, long‑standing tradition that endured as a subordinate subculture operating within the broader hegemony, which in turn forms dynamic negotiations between communities that redefine the hegemony of the well‑known “Hindu‑Buddhist cultural order”. From the examined distribution of sites, megalithic culture serves as an indication that it shaped a unique cultural landscape. This uniqueness was formed by adapting and making relevant megalithic culture, such as burial and other religious practices, clearly observed at the sites analysed. Furthermore, these results provide a better understanding of a distinct cultural niche in eastern Java that stood apart from the dominant Hindu‑Buddhist culture of its time.