In Papua and West Papua, there are multiple historical heritages that we can still see until now. From their traditional house Honai, bark-fiber bag Noken, to unique traditional cloth Ewer. Among those cultural legacies, there is one that came from thousands of years ago. It is Pusparagam Cycloop, also known as the last Papuan pottery on the shores of Lake Sentani. Let’s find out more.
Papuan’s Pottery Sites
The culture and mastery of pottery making in Papua and West Papua were first introduced by people who spoke Austronesian three thousand years ago. This detail was stated by a researcher at Papua Archaeological Center named Hari Suroto.
To National Geographic Indonesia, Hari revealed that archeology sites storing pottery civilization in Papua and West Papua are some located off the coast of Papua, north coast of Papua, to the island’s bird head coastal area. Meanwhile, researchers can’t locate any pottery civilization in the Papuan mountains as well as the south coast of Papua.
Furthermore, Hari added that the area of Lake Sentani became the oldest Yomokho site; east Sentani dated 2,590 years ago. In the land of Papua itself, these pottery cultures are rarely found. The oldest culture of pottery making in Papua and West Papua is laid in Kayu Batu in Jayapura, Kurudu in Yapen, Abar in Sentani, and Mansinam in Manokwari.
Abar Village
However, Hari said the pottery culture that still lasts up until now is the one in Abar. Today, the only Papuan community preserving this Papuan pottery tradition is Abar village residents. This village is located on the border of Lake Sentani, not so far from the Yomokho site.
Hari further explained that Abar village residents make the pottery using the material clay. They later form this clay into various handicrafts. Some of them are hele as a place to store sago, helai or sempe as a place to make papeda and a place to eat, ebe hele as a place to cook fish and veggies, hote as a place to serve fish and vegetables, bhu ebe as a water place, and kendanggalu as a place to print grilled sago.
Served With Mauka
According to Hari, the pottery from Abar village features its unique characteristic, which is a convex base. That is why their pottery always comes with mauka, circular rattan woven used as a base.
They also have a traditional custom which is done from generation to generation. The traditional custom is enjoying papeda using sempe. Once papeda is served, children will gather around along with their parents. During that time, elders will give some words of wisdom to the children. There is always a story during the papeda servings.
In 2021, the head of Abar village, 58-year-old Naftali Felle, explained the existence of their village in Sentani and the other twenty-four villages nearby. Abar village consists of twelve ethnic groups, but only five are still remaining now. Naftali felt proud that Abar became the only historical-cultural village and is also considered the first village than appear in Lake Sentani.
Pottery Process
Naftali said that the process of making pottery is first started by separating pebbles from clay by rubbing gently. By rubbing the clay, the pebbles will separate themselves from the clay. The clay resulting from those selection processes is later formed into thick utensils. She added that making pottery takes time, practice, and hard work.
The making of pottery craft was at first done by women. But now, men also work on the making. Long ago, the processing of pottery was conducted inside the house behind closed doors so that no one would be able to see the process. The activities were also done at night, usually over nine o’clock.
Taboos While Making Pottery
People believed some kind of taboo in making pottery they had to obey. The first taboo was that the female makers were not in their period. Another taboo was there shouldn’t be any children crying inside the house during the process. Next, there must not be any single family who was in a state of anger. If the taboos were neglected, the pottery they tried to make would be torn into pieces or broken.
Back in 2008, Naftali Felle established a pottery group called Titian Hidup which in English means Living Footbridge. After two years, the district government provided workshops to the people in Abar village to enrich and preserve the pottery culture.
The representatives of the group were sent to workshop pottery in Kasongan, Bantul, Yogyakarta. Naftali also joined the activity. The pottery-making culture has been preserved for thirteen generations. Their traditional handmade crafts such as roasted sago containers, roasted sago printing, sempe, and water place have started to disappear. All of these kinds of stuff become something rare to see since many factory-made things are replacing them.
It is our duty to preserve historical culture, including pottery culture coming from Papua and West Papua. Since each of these historical objects has its own uniqueness and cultural value, protecting these traditional legacies is important so that they can be used for generations to come.
