Beyond Fieldwork: Udayana Archaeology Students Contribute to Research Dissemination in Lombok

• By Admin
• Sabtu, 17 Oktober 2026

Lombok, 17 October 2026 — Two students from the Archaeology Study Program, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University, Nicolas Nesta Rama Umbu Lado and Lalu Sunandy Teguh Drayanata, contributed to the dissemination of research findings by the Vaivasvata Research Team across Lombok on 14–15 October 2026. Their contributions included event planning and coordination, presentation preparation, publication, technical coordination, and documentation, supporting efforts to make archaeological knowledge more accessible to the public.

The dissemination activities took place at SMAN 1 Praya in Central Lombok and Gairah Kopi in East Lombok on 14 October, followed by SMAN 1 Tanjung in North Lombok and the Rinjani Geopark Office in Mataram on 15 October 2026. The events brought together high school students, history enthusiasts, lecturers, researchers, journalists, and members of history-focused communities.

Nicolas, a member of the Class of 2023, was involved in preparing presentation materials and managing publications related to the activities. Teguh, from the Class of 2024, handled technical coordination and documentation. Both students also participated in planning and coordinating the events, contributing to the delivery of research findings to audiences with diverse backgrounds.

“Research does not end when data collection and analysis are completed. Its findings need to be communicated to the public so that they can be understood and become a starting point for further discussion. Through this dissemination, I learned that communicating research requires different approaches depending on the audience, without compromising the academic rigour behind the findings,” Nicolas said.

For Nicolas, the experience highlighted the importance of science communication as an integral part of academic work. Preparing presentation materials and publications was not merely a supporting task, but also a way of bridging research findings and the wider public.

Teguh, meanwhile, emphasised the importance of coordination and technical preparation when organising activities across multiple venues. His responsibilities in technical coordination and documentation provided an opportunity to understand the organisational aspects of academic research that are not always visible during fieldwork.

“This experience showed me that the success of a research activity also depends on the work behind the scenes. Coordination, technical preparation, and documentation are essential to ensuring that research findings can be communicated effectively. Interacting with participants from different backgrounds also demonstrated that archaeology offers opportunities for meaningful conversations with the public,” Teguh said.

The dissemination featured Lalu M. Balia Farsahin, S.Hum., M.Si. (Department of Anthropology, University of Indonesia), and Muh. Nur Rahmat Yasim, S.Sos., M.Si. (Department of Anthropology, Hasanuddin University). Their presentations explored decorated ancient gravestones as sources of information about cultural interaction, identity, social status, and the dynamics of death-related traditions among the Sasak people.

The research demonstrates that decorated gravestones are not merely material remains but also preserve evidence of relationships between communities and broader cultural transformations. Studies of funerary practices and burial ornaments also provide opportunities to examine how social status and identity were expressed through mortuary traditions in Lombok.

By presenting these findings through public dissemination activities, the team introduced archaeological and ethnographic research to audiences beyond academic institutions. The participation of high school students and history-focused communities also created opportunities to discuss cultural heritage through research grounded in evidence, documentation, and social context.

Before participating in the dissemination activities, Nicolas and Teguh had taken part in the Vaivasvata Research Team’s fieldwork in February 2026. This inter-university research project involved documenting, measuring, recording attributes, and cataloguing gravestones at burial sites across Lombok. Nicolas participated from the preliminary survey stage, contributing to site mapping, database development, and the preparation of research publications, while Teguh joined during the main data-collection phase.

Their fieldwork experience provided a foundation for their subsequent involvement in research dissemination. Through these activities, the students gained experience connecting archaeological research with academic material preparation, event coordination, publication, and public communication. These competencies are relevant to their academic development and future work in archaeology and cultural heritage management.

The Vaivasvata Research Team’s activities also included ethnographic fieldwork in several parts of Lombok. From 7 to 11 October 2026, the team collected ethnographic data in Bayan, North Lombok, and participated directly in the implementation of a local mass circumcision tradition. Following the dissemination events, the team continued its ethnographic research on the Boda community on 16 October in Tendaun and Ganjar, Mareje Timur, West Lombok. Further data collection took place in the Terara area of East Lombok on 17 October.

These activities brought together archaeological investigations of material remains and ethnographic approaches to living cultural practices. By examining different forms of evidence, the research seeks to develop a broader understanding of Lombok’s history and cultural dynamics while considering the social contexts of the communities involved.

The students’ participation was supported by the Archaeology Study Program at Udayana University, which granted academic leave permission for their involvement in the research activities. This support provided opportunities for the students to develop their competencies through field research and public dissemination beyond the university campus, while contributing to inter-university academic collaboration.

The Vaivasvata Research Team’s project received funding through the 2025 DanaIndonesiana programme, under the category “Program Layanan Lainnya Kategori Kajian Objek Pemajuan Kebudayaan dan Cagar Budaya dalam lingkup Program Pemanfaatan Hasil Kelola Dana Abadi Kebudayaan Tahun 2025”, supported by Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture (Kementerian Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia) and the Education Fund Management Institution (LPDP).

The involvement of Nicolas Nesta Rama Umbu Lado and Lalu Sunandy Teguh Drayanata demonstrates that student contributions to archaeological research extend beyond field data collection. Through planning, publication, technical coordination, documentation, and dissemination, students can participate in the broader process of making research accessible to society. These experiences support their academic development while helping expand public access to knowledge about Lombok’s history and cultural heritage.

This experience also reflects the important role of the Archaeology Study Program at Udayana University in fostering students’ academic growth and professional development. By supporting student participation in research and public engagement beyond the classroom, the programme helps cultivate a generation of archaeologists equipped not only with research skills, but also with the ability to communicate knowledge and contribute meaningfully to the preservation and promotion of Indonesia’s cultural heritage.