Megalithic site discovered in Dongi-Dongi illegal mining area

Palu (ANTARA) - A resident of Dongi-Dongi Village, Lore Utara District, Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi, has found a megalithic site in the area of illegal gold mining within Lore Lindu National Park (TNLL).

“Culture greetings. I am now in the Dongi-Dongi mining area. This is the immersion area. So I have found something very unique. There is a depiction of a human face on this rock. Like the one in Napu,” the resident said in a video received in Palu on Thursday.

The video was also uploaded via the Facebook account of Antun Lawani Mosiang. The footage shows a large rock with carvings resembling a human face, similar to the kalamba stones commonly found in the Napu Valley.

This discovery has drawn attention because its location is in an area said to be soon excavated with heavy equipment. There is even an area where soil material is soaking which would be processed into gold.

“There are several of these findings today. If possible, how to do it, preservation or what is the term. Because this is about to be excavated entirely, excavators will dig,” he said.

“This is an area of the company. If it isn’t saved, it could all be dug up. Because it’s already in the hands of the company,” he added.

The man in the video emphasised the rock’s large size and distinctive features.

“Its diameter is quite large. So one of the findings bearing a face in our area. This is very unique,” he said.

The Dongi-Dongi gold mine has long been known as a location for illegal mining (PETI) within the TNLL. Although it was permanently closed in December 2021, illegal mining activity is frequently reported to recur and is dominated by miners from outside the region.

The activity not only risks damaging the conservation forest ecosystem, but is now feared to threaten the preservation of cultural heritage believed to be megalithic remnants in Central Sulawesi.