Field Survey of The Lamunan Tojolo’-jolo’ Manduk Patinna Funerary Site in Enrekang, Sulawesi Selatan

Adam Wahyu Saputra*, Elba Aulia Maharani Santoso, Shifa Un Shauqiyah, Fiorenza Lailaa Bierdizy, Toetik Koesbardiati, and Delta Bayu Murti

This study aims to describe the complex potential of the Manduk Patinna funerary site as a data source to reveal the history and ancient funerary practices of the Enrekang people in Sulawesi Selatan. The site was known among the Enrekang people as Lamunan Tojolo’-jolo’ Manduk Patinna (ancient Patinna funerary site). Despite the existence of this site being known for years between the locals in Enrekang, documentation and studies of this site is limited. The methods we applied in this study was field observation to document and characterize funerary attributes, such as exposed wooden coffins, human skeletal remains, and other related funerary features. Supporting data was collected through interviews with the local people, including the traditional leader and local authority to reconstruct Manduk Patinna’s historical development and the cultural significance it holds to the local residents. The survey has identified hundreds of individuals who are disposed of around the site and multiple wooden coffins with variations in dimension, size, and intentional carving patterns. These findings indicate that this complexity found within the ancient Manduk Patinna site can serve as a promising scientific landscape for future bioarcheological study and contribute to a deeper understanding regarding the ancient funerary customs found in Sulawesi.