Traditional Stone & Wood Monuments of Sabah

This special monograph on the stone and wood monuments of Sabah is a culmination of thirty years of observing and studying the culture of different groups that involve these fascinating monuments. It documents the menhirs found in wet rice fields, the guardian stones, and stones used for oath-making, commemoration and burial purposes, and considers the cultural practices involving stone monuments and their possible origins. The book also devotes considerable attention to the special class of wooden monuments (the sininggazanak) erected to commemorate the childless and as guardians of crops and graves. These monuments, some of which are increasingly rarely employed nowadays, are part of the rich variety of traditions that have been preserved from prehistoric times.