Cultural Heritage Site of Mejan Ompung Mardugu Banjarnahor (Toga Sehun), Buluampa, Marpadan Village, Tarabintang, Humbang Hasundutan, North Sumatra

Abstract

Mejan Ompung Mardugu Banjarnahor (Toga Sehun) is a Cultural Heritage Site comprising a mejan and several guri-guri associated with secondary burial practices, and it possesses historical and cultural significance. This study examines the cultural significance of the site by investigating the meanings reflected in the mejan, the arrangement of the guri-guri, and their relationship with secondary burial traditions. Employing a qualitative approach, the research documented existing objects, conducted conservation by removing moss, and analyzed their aesthetic value, spatial arrangement, and cultural meanings. The findings reveal that the guri-guri functioned as containers for cremated remains within a secondary burial tradition and indicate Indian cultural influence. The mejan, depicting a human figure riding an elephant and oriented eastward, symbolically corresponds to Indra, the deity associated with the eastern direction. Pupuk was placed in a hole in the mejan as part of the cultural practice of ritually animating it. These findings demonstrate that Mejan Ompung Mardugu Banjarnahor is not merely a preserved archaeological object but material evidence of the interaction between burial traditions, symbolic beliefs, artistic expression, and external cultural influences in the historical development of the local community.