Penggunaan Nisan Arca: Wujud Pengaruh Budaya Pra-Islam pada Kompleks Makam Islam di Wilayah Etnis Bugis, Sulawesi Selatan

Unlike several previous studies that focused on the discovery and distribution of tombstone statues in the Makassar ethnic region, this research specifically examines the influence of pre-Islamic culture on the use of tombstone statues in the Bugis ethnic area, including Barru, Bone, Pinrang, Sidrap, Enrekang, and East Luwu Regencies. The study was conducted with the desk study method, reviewing various literature sources that document the presence of tombstone statues in the Bugis ethnic region, including the research reports of Archaeological Center (Balai Arkeologi), scientific articles, books, theses, dissertations, technical study reports, conservation, and zoning report from the Cultural Heritage Preservation Office (Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya), as well as other online reference sources. This research reveals that the use of these tombstones was suspected to be the influence of pre-Islamic culture, which had developed strongly in the previous period. This is evidenced by the discovery of megalithic statues in several areas in South Sulawesi and its neighboring province in Central Sulawesi, which functioned as ceremonial media and representations of ancestral spirits.