The Cultural Interaction and Local Identity Formation at the Beteng Sari Archaeological Site, East Lampung

Abstract

The Beteng Sari Archaeological Site in East Lampung represents a socio-historical landscape shaped by long-term cultural interaction within the civilizational networks of the Indonesian archipelago.     It is concluded that Betengng Sari as a space of cultural interaction and dynamic local identity formation, moving beyond the predominantly descriptive approaches of previous research. Employing a qualitative historical case study design, the research is based on field observations, in-depth interviews, and the analysis of archaeological remains and written sources. The main findings indicate that the configuration of earthen fortifications and ditches, the distribution of domestic artifacts, the presence of Chinese ceramics, metal objects, ancient coins, and a cosmologically oriented burial complex demonstrate Beteng Sari’s integration into regional trade networks and cultural mobility. The coexistence of megalithic traditions, Hindu–Buddhist influences, early Islamic remains, and imported material culture reveals a layered process of acculturation characterized by continuity and adaptation rather than cultural replacement. It is concluded that Beteng Sari functioned as an interregional node of interaction in which local agency played a crucial role in shaping spatial organization, social practices, and collective memory, thereby framing local identity in East Lampung as a contextual and non-essentialist historical construction, with theoretical implications for studies of cultural interaction and landscape archaeology.