Cosmology in Space: Materializing Order in Batak Kampung Layouts through Pangulu Balang and Pustaha at North Sumatra

Stefani Adelia Tiurma Mukti

This study examines how Batak village layouts reflect cosmological principles through the spatial organization of key ritual artefacts in North Sumatra, Indonesia. Moving beyond functional explanations of settlement patterns, it explores how spatial arrangements actively structure social relations, authority, and ritual practice. Focusing on pangulu balang and pustaha, the study investigates how these artefacts contribute to the organization and meaning of village space. Pangulu balang is understood as a protective and authoritative marker that defines spatial boundaries and orientation, while pustaha is a traditional Batak bark manuscript containing ritual knowledge, divination practices, and cosmological guidance. Methodologically, this research adopts ethnoarchaeological insights, combining spatial analysis of artefact distribution and settlement layout with contextual interpretation. The results demonstrate that Batak village organization follows a coherent spatial logic in which cosmology is materially enacted through the placement and relational positioning of artefacts. Spatial organization is therefore not merely functional, but actively produces systems of protection, social hierarchy, and engagement with the spiritual realm. The novelty of this study lies in demonstrating how cosmology operates as a structuring principle embedded in spatial practice, where material culture actively shapes settlement organization rather than simply reflecting belief systems. By doing so, this study redefines the interpretation of settlement layouts in Southeast Asian archaeology, shifting the analytical focus from passive representation to active material production of socio-cosmological order. It offers a new framework for understanding how belief systems are operationalized in space, with broader implications for interpreting settlement organizations across the region.