Typology and efflorescence of early Islamic tomb and gravestone forms in South Sulawesi and Majene, West Sulawesi

Abstract

South Sulawesi province and the adjacent district of Majene in West Sulawesi are rich with the historic expressions of Islamic culture, in particular the many ancient tombs that are widespread across the area. The distribution of ancient tombs has had little empirical investigation, limiting our understanding of the cultural meaning of the form and content of these tombs. In order to expand our current knowledge of these memorial sites, as summarised in this paper, the author developed a typology of the tombs and gravestones located in the region with the aim of assisting further studies in the future. In terms of typology, the form of the gravestones in particular indicates influences of Malay culture (the Aceh type of gravestone) and Javanese culture (the Troloyo-Demak type of gravestone), as well as local cultural development (Bugis-Makasar tomb and gravestone types).