Re-thinking the Betel-Nut Chewing Tradition of Java and Bali in the Context of Interpretive Archaeology

Citra Iqliyah Darojah

The betel-nut chewing tradition has long been known as one of the oldest habits embedded in cultural and social settings. Historical records indicate that people in Island Southeast Asia used betel (Piper betle) leaves and areca nuts (Areca catechu) mixed with other ingredients. This practice was considered to have health benefits, especially for the teeth and mouth. Biocultural analysis of protohistoric burial context shows traces of dental modification associated with betel-nut chewing. In addition, there is an ample amount of material culture related to the tradition, ranging from modest to highly elaborate paraphernalia. The words ‘sireh’ and ‘pinang’ themselves carry important social meanings among Austronesian-speaking communities. However, since the colonial era, this habit has slowly been left behind, influenced by the perception that ‘chewing’ and ‘spitting’ are impractical and dirty. Moreover, the introduction of tobacco smoking has been regarded as a cleaner habit that produces similar effect. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened awareness of oral and dental health that significantly reshaped public health protocols and influenced everyday lifestyle practices, including those in traditional communities. This paper discusses the impact of cultural shift on the betel-nut chewing tradition based on observation and literature studies, extended to old Javanese texts and paraphernalia kept in museum collections in Java and Bali. These data are examined to synthesise how the betel-nut chewing tradition persists within cultural and social settings, gender dynamics and global contexts.