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Medan. A recently discovered megalithic site and a mass grave in South Sumatra is now regarded as sacred and the land on which it was found as holy ground by the villagers of Segayun in the Gumay Ulu district of Lahat.

The South Sumatra Archaeology Center has said it would first need to coordinate with the Segayun villagers, who are defending the site as their own protected land, before any excavation could begin or survey plans could materialize.

A researcher for the center, Kristantina Indriastuti, suggested on Tuesday that the site was a prehistoric residential area, judging by a statue of half a human body found 30 meters away from the grave.

“The site was discovered in the middle of a one-hectare coffee plantation owned by Segayun resident Thamrin,” Kristantina told the Jakarta Globe.

She confirmed that a team of researchers would soon be sent to study the site, adding that she believed the villagers of Segayun would never allow any harm to come it.

“Nobody would dare interfere with that site. The villagers themselves are afraid to disturb it as they believe it is holy and has mystical powers,” she said.

Although it was too early to know the exact date of the site, she said, it almost certainly predated the spread of Islam to Indonesia.

“I have yet to see the site myself, but I understand it contains objects that appear to date to prehistorical times, she said.

The site is difficult to reach as it sits several hours away by car from the South Sumatran capital of Palembang.

“Palembang is about 600 kilometers away from Lahat. From there it is still few hours to the border area of Pagar Alam, and further again to the mass burial ground,” she said.

“We suspect that the villagers actually discovered this site sometime ago but only made it public recently.”

She added that the center needed to survey the ground and find out more about the people or objects possibly buried there thousands of years ago.

Thamrin told state news agency Antara on Monday that a gravestone found in the area was carved with batik-like motifs.

Kristantina said reports from the site stated that the batik motifs on the gravestone were about 50 centimeters high and 15 centimeters wide.

She told the Globe that a temple complex — now named Bumi Ayu — had previously been discovered in the South Sumatran district of Muara Enim and has since become a popular tourist site for people outside the province.