Wakatobi islands: Archaeological, historical, and maritime tradition perspectives

Abstract

Wakatobi Islands, which are located east of Buton Island, were part of the territory of the Buton Kingdom in the past. Wakatobi Islands cover an area known as a shipping route connecting the eastern and western regions of the Nusantara archipelago. The historical journey of the people of Wakatobi Islands led them to have a strong maritime tradition in Nusantara. This paper discusses issues related to the initial overview of the Wakatobi Islands from the perspectives of archaeology, history, and maritime traditions. The methods used include survey and observation as well as literature study and interviews. The results obtained provide a regional profile of the Wakatobi Islands, which shows that archaeological remains and the traditional fortresses spread in the area are residential sites that reflect the archaeological character of the islands. The identification that we have conducted on the ceramics shows that they date from at least the 15th century, with ceramics from the Qing dynasty (17th to 19th centuries) being the most dominant. The historical perspective also gives an understanding that the maritime tradition of the Wakatobi people has strong historical roots in the formation of communities in this region. Likewise, the history and maritime traditions of the Wakatobi people are correlated with archaeological remains which are the traces of immigrants who developed the communities of the Wakatobi Islands.