A Formal-Logical Interpretation of Animal Rock Art in Liang Kabori Karst and a Comparison with the Storytelling Interpretation of Animal Rock Art in the Ladhaniha Rockshelter, Muna Island, Indonesia
Abstract
The purpose of the research paper is to demonstrate that analysis using a storytelling approach can serve as an alternative means of achieving a deeper interpretation of rock art.
The novelty of the research paper lies in its comparison of the results of analysis using a formal approach and a storytelling approach in the interpretation of rock art. Through the storytelling approach, it is possible to trace the connection between rock art and the traditional culture of the Muna Indigenous people in the present.
Conclusion. The Liang Kabori karst on Muna Island contains caves with a wide variety of rock art. A total of 37 caves in the area have been identified. The rock art also includes diverse depictions of animals and humans interacting with animals. Such depictions were identified in 120 images across 21 different caves. Through a formal approach, we identified 19 typologies of images that characterize animal domestication. The typology is based on the characteristics of each image, classified according to the main attribute – namely, the figure, and additional attributes, including the presence or absence of weapons, horns, necks, or tails, gesture characteristics, and variations in coloring techniques (thick and thin applications). In determining the typology, the images were documented and processed using digital methods. This approach made it possible to trace color pigments and more clearly visualize depictions of animals and humans interacting with animals in the prehistoric caves of Muna Island. The storytelling approach in this study was applied in one of the caves in the Liang Kabori area, namely the Ladhaniha rock shelter, as a basis for comparative interpretation. This research concludes that the storytelling interpretation of animal imagery and human–animal interactions is closely related to representations of animal domestication on Muna Island in the past and that these relationships can still be observed today. Therefore, rock art in prehistoric caves can serve as a source for strengthening the cultural identity of the Muna people.
Funding: This research was supporting by Indonesian Education Scholarship (BPI), Center for Higher Education Funding and Assessment (PPAPT), and Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP).
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