THE PYRAMIDS

Before the Minahasan people converted to Christianity, a process that began in earnest only in the mid-1800s, they buried their dead in stone tombs called waruga. The affluent Minahasan tribes would place the tombs next to their homes, a practice the Dutch discouraged on hygienic grounds. After their conversion to Christianty, a large group of waruga were collected and taken to the village of Sawangan, Kecamatan airmadidi, about an hour southeast of Manado. The Waruga Cemetery now consists of 144 stone sarcophagi, wich are remnants of the Megalithic age. Waruga sarcophagi are unique, rectangular in shape and above the ground, are hollow in the middle and are fitted with prism shaped stone lids. These stone coffins are various heights, the tallest being approximately 175 cm. There's believed to be a relation between the height of the waruga and the deceased status. If one looks closely, the story of the person's life and or death can sometimes be understood quite easily. The status of the person is another story that is often told when looking at the carvings on the tombs. Take the time to have a close look at the sarcophagi, and see if you can discern the story and travel back in time 500 years ago.