The Quick and the Dead
Mummies and accoutrements from ancient tombs in Toraja are becoming popular with thieves. The precious items from the cultural preserve have found their way to souvenir shops in Toraja. The sales network includes Makassar, Bali and Yogyakarta, and some are even smuggled abroad. At the end of last May, the Semarang Customs Office succeeded in foiling an attempt to smuggle 33 archeological items—including statues from ancient Toraja graves—to Europe.
June 26, 2001
In a souvenir shop in Rantepao, Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, the middle-aged man introduced himself. His name was Rukka Lindung. In his dank shop, the 50- year-old vendor displayed various souvenirs unique to Toraja's culture. There were statues normally displayed on the verandahs of ancient graves known as tau-tau, cloth as well as various offerings to the dead.
The musty smell of the black and gray artifacts assai
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