GS4-1

Megalithic Culture Research in Banyuwangi, East Java Province, Indonesia

Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (National Research and Innovation Agency), Indonesia

Previous research on the megalithic cultures of East Java was carried out in the regions of Situbondo, Bondowoso, Jember, and Probolinggo. The results have demonstrated that there is a diversity of megalithic monuments and cultures in the area, both in terms of form and chronology. The latest project undertaken by the Megalithic Culture Research in Banyuwangi Team focuses on the megalithic monuments in Banyuwangi, the easternmost region of East Java. This research was conducted using surveys and excavations. The project has demonstrated that Banyuwangi possesses dolmens, a type of megalithic monument uncovered by excavation. Pottery fragments and beads were also recovered from the megalithic sites. Dating of pottery retrieved from the same contexts as the dolmens, suggests that the megalithic culture of Banyuwangi originated in the 2nd to 4th centuries CE, or in the protohistoric period. This date is the oldest when compared to other megalithic cultures in East Java. Thus, the results of this study contribute important new archaeological data to the diversity of megalithic cultures in Indonesia.