Nicholas Gani

The megalithic and non-megalithic monuments of the Kelabit Highlands gained prominence in archaeological circles and in public eyes through the pioneering research conducted by Tom Harrisson from the late 1940s to the 1970s. From the mid-1970s to 2000, however, there was a lack of new archaeological research on the monuments of the Kelabit Highlands. This changed beginning in the 2000s with new interests in the monuments of the Kelabit Highlands in terms of their preservation and conservation (Cluny and Chai 2007; Hitchner 2009), as well as in archaeological research (Barker et al. 2008; Barker et al. 2009; Lloyd-Smith et al. 2010; Lloyd-Smith 2012; Lloyd-Smith et al. 2013; Lloyd-Smith et al. 2017). With new findings coming to the fore in recent years, this paper reviews the present state of knowledge on the megalithic and non-megalithic monuments in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak. This review is based on the study of existing literature and archival research, as well as archaeological excavations and surveys, and ethnographic research conducted in the field by the author. First, this article discusses previous archaeological research conducted on the monuments. Following that, this article discusses the chronology of the monument building tradition in the Kelabit Highlands and the typology of monuments. Next, this article focuses on the social contexts of monument building, as well as the cultural significance of monuments to the Kelabit people. By employing both archaeological and ethnographic perspectives, this article contributes a more holistic and nuanced understanding of a monument building tradition in the Kelabit Highlands that began more than 2,000 years ago and continued until around the middle of the 20th century.

This paper explores the role of religious conversion in the cessation of megalith building among the Kelabit people of the Kelabit Highlands in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. The religious conversion and the cessation of megalith building that followed are contextualised within the wider changes that impacted the local or native communities in the interior of Sarawak during the colonial period (1946-1963). More specifically, this article considers the impacts of Christianity on the Kelabit society, and demonstrates the incompatibility of the rituals of megalith or monument building with the 'newly' adopted Christian religion, which ultimately contributed to the abandonment of practice. This article contributes not only a better understanding of the cessation of the megalithic practice in the Kelabit Highlands, but also provides a portrayal of a local culture undergoing change during the colonial period of Sarawak.

Most of what is presently known about megalithic remains in Sarawak have come from research conducted in the Kelabit Highlands, in the Upper Baram. Another area in the Upper Baram where megalithic remains are known to be present is Punang Kelapang, south of the Kelabit Highlands. Compared to their counterparts in the Kelabit Highlands, however, much less is known about the megalithic remains in Punang Kelapang. In order to obtain more information about the megaliths in Punang Kelapang, an archaeological survey was conducted over a period of about five-and-a-half weeks in March, April and August 2016. This article presents the results of the survey. A total of twenty megalithic sites were recorded, out of which fourteen were visited. The megaliths in Punang Kelapang consist of megalithic cemeteries such as dolmens, stone jars, stone trough, cist graves, and rock burials; and non-cemetery megaliths such as stone mounds, carved stones and a standing stone. Keywords: Megalith, archaeolo...

Industri pelancongan merupakan salah salah satu aktiviti ekonomi yang mampu memberi pelbagai impak, baik yang positif mahupun yang negatif, kepada penduduk setempat. Makalah ini membentangkan hasil awalan kajian yang telah dijalankan terhadap impak industri pelancongan masyarakat Melanau di Lamin Dana kepada penduduk setempat yang tinggal di Kampung Tellian Tengah, Mukah. Pengumpulan data untuk kajian ini menggunakan kaedah pemerhatian dan temubual yang telah dijalankan di kalangan penduduk Kampung Tellian Tengah. Data kajian dianalisis secara kualitatif untuk mengenalpasti impak-impak hasil daripada aktiviti pelancongan di Lamin Dana. Hasil analisis awal mendapati impak yang telah dialami oleh penduduk setempat adalah dalam aspek ekonomi, budaya dan kehidupan, serta infrastruktur dan persekitaran.