West Papua is full of surprises. Visiting the provinces will indeed allow you to enjoy the natural attraction. Still, if you want to go for something further, it will surprisingly offer you another joy through numerous archaeological sites. One of the sites, Tapurarang in Kokas, is amazing and magical as it displays numerous red handprints painted on the cliff wall. The spot situated nearby the beach also establishes mystical characteristics through its blood-red wall prints and past stories.
Below are some highlights about Tapurarang archaeological site. You can learn more about its art and mystical stories as well as how to access the site.
The Art at Tapurarang, Kokas
In Kokas, you can see series of handprints similarly to wall paintings at Sangkulirang (East Kutai, East Kalimantan) or Leangleang Cave (Maros, South Sulawesi). The local people call those in Kokas District, Fakfak Regency, West Papua, as Tapurarang.
Two archaeologists from the Netherland, K. W. Gallis and Josef Roder, researched Papua and mentioned that the painting in Kokas is unique. The color and pattern of the painting are different from those in Kei Islands, Maluku, and Batanta Island, Raja Ampat. The technique used to create the wall painting in Tapurarang archaeological site, Kokas, is stilation or simplified shaping. The colors used are only red, black, and yellow.
Additionally, Tapurarang archeological site is unique because the hand-shaped painting on the cliff wall is made of natural ingredients and remains visible although being there for many centuries. The blood-red painting on the wall is 20 meters above sea level. The exotic art doesn’t only portray human hand palms as you can also find other shapes, like a fishbone, fish body, cockroach, scorpion, human fingers, and a human skull.
Some archaeologists believe that the sea level is as high as the rock cliffs in the past, so people could effortlessly paint here. However, the sea current had dwindled after a thousand years, so the cliffs are seen higher now.
In addition to the blood-red wall painting, you can also find human bones around the beach close to Tapurarang archaeological site. These bones are believed as the bones of ancient people in Kokas. In the past, the people of Kokas used to put dead bodies on rock cliffs, caves, capes, or beneath some sacred trees.
The Mystical Story in Tapurarang, Kokas
Following the prehistoric traces found in Tapurarang archaeological site, the local people also believe in a mystical story. They mention that the wall painting on the rock cliffs is sacred and believe that it was depicted as the symbol of the people cursed by an old woman who had turned to be kaborbor, the most horrendous conqueror of the sea.
The old story said that the old woman died in an accident when a boat she rode was sunk. Of all riders of the boat, only did the woman pass away. Unfortunately, there was no one on the boat who came to survive her. She felt hurt, and her spirit turned to be kaborbor. She cursed all of the riders who only survived themselves on the rock cliffs. After the curse was spelled, all of them and the sea goods immediately became wall cliff paintings.
Those are some highlights about Tapurarang archaeological site in Kokas District, Fakfak Regency, West Papua. To reach the district, it takes approximately 2 hours for a land trip of 50 km. In Kokas, ride a longboat for an hour to reach the spot. You can go up to the cliffs during the flood current and enjoy the painting after your eyes. However, you can only enjoy them from your boat during the ebb current.
