Page 76 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

and megalithic multilevel terraces. The function of temples in India was to worship their
gods while in Indonesia they served as the King’s Dharma embodied in certain deities
(Prasetyo, 2011).
Other significant Austronesian influence in this period was megalithic culture; with
veneration for big stones as the way to respect ancestral spirits. In Papua, the remains of
megalithic culture are found in the fortresses at the site of Claudi in Tomolol village, Raja
Ampat Misool. There were stone jars or crocks in Fafanlap and Misool; there were also
figurines in Biak, and menhir at Sosoraweru Cave in Forir village, Fakfak. Other megalitic
elements, such as offering places have been discovered in small islands surrounding Papua
(Soekmono, 2005). In Tutari, besides engraving arts and stone sculpting, there were also
menhir and stone enclosures (Mahmud, 2011).

Sustainable Cultural Traditions
The Melanesian populations in Indonesia have pre-historic cultures either as their
indigenous culture or as adopted Austronesian culture. Concerning material culture, one
of sustainable traditions is the functions of moko, a small bronze kettledrum, which is still
preserved by the people of Alor today. It is similar to bronze drums, and has an important
role in social and cultural life of Alor community. It functions as a symbol of richness, pride,
the existence of family and tribes. It is also used in as marriage dowry. Furthermore, moko
can also be used as a payment for fines, or trading, and it is even used in unifying families
and tribes (Prasetyo, 2011).
The origin of the moko kettledrum is not known with certainty, but historically, but
it is similar to bronze drums of the Dong son, which is the most probably the product of
Dong Son Culture that entered Indonesian archipelago in the early AD. The bronze drums
found in other islands were predicted arrival from the activity of insular trading where the
traders bartered their bronze wares of Dong Son with the commodities of the Indonesian
archipelago. The bronze kettledrum which functioned as status symbol and was used for
ceremonies had important role in social life of Alor community; it continued at a later time.
Nevertheless, since the number of bronze kettledrums was decreasing, they substituted
them with small bronze kettledrums made in Surabaya and Makasar. Interestingly,
although the moko kettledrum was not produced by the Alor people, they were used
from generation to generation not only as things of value, but also for several purposes
described above. With these functions the moko kettle drum became a distinctive part of
Alor cultural identity.

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