Agop Lintaga

Agop Sawat

Agop Dimunduk

Agop Batu Tulug is a steep limestone cliff that stands 39 meters high and is part of the 20-25 million- year old Labang limestone formation. The word ‘agop' in the Orang Sungai language means cave.

There are four main caves:

1) Agop Suriba (lower) on the forest floor,

2) Agop Lintaga (middle) and

3) Agop Sawat (upper) betweeen 12-15m high.

4) Agop Dimunduk



A site Museum since 1996, it has facilities such as an information center, stairs leading to the caves, toilets and resting huts.

The Agop Lintanga and Agop Sawat (middle and upper caves) contain more than one hundred carved coffins of about 200 - 250 years of age. These coffins were made from 'belian' hardwood, Eusideroxylon zwager and decorated with carvings of buffalo head, crocodile, house lizard and snake.

The carvings on the coffins reflect the myths and legends of the Kinabatangan people, e.g., a crocodile is related to death and the power darkness while the bugang bird, dog, rooster and deer were friends of their heroes.

The origin of the burial activities is still a mystery. Some were of the opinion that these caves were the former burial sites of the Chinese people who had a settlement in Kinabatangan. The form of the carved coffins resemble those which were used by the Orang Sungai community in the past such as those found in the Agop Masias.

Human bones were also found in the coffins together with a number if gong, blowpipe, spear, Chinese artefacts, ceramic and personal ornaments.

Agop Suriba is occupied by bats and swallows.

Agop Lintanga is the biggest of the caves with a ceiling height of 12 - 15 meters. The surrounding areas are covered with jungle except for Batu Putih village.

Agop Batu Tulug (Batu Tulug Cave) is an isolated limestone hill located in Kinabatangan District, Sabah. It is about 40 metres in height, and part of the Labang limestone formation, dated 20-25 million years ago.

There are three main caves in Agop Batu Tulig :

1) Agop Sawat (Uppermost Cave),

2) Agop Lintanga (Middle Cave)

3) Agop Suriba (Lower Cave).

Another smaller cave, Agop Dimunduk is located near the summit of a cliff along the slope of the hill.

Agop Batu Tulug was used as an ancient log coffin burial site from about 500 to 900 years ago. This practice of log coffin burial is prevalent in this part of Sabah.

The caves here (Agog Sawat, Lintanga and Dimunduk) contain more than 125 ancient log coffins, making it a unique cultural heritage of Sabah, Malaysia.
 

Batu Tulug Archaeological Museum
(Muzium Arkeologi Tulug)
Kampung Batu Putih

Batu Tulug Caves
45 minutes from Lahad Datu

Inside the middle and upper caves are more than a hundred carved wooden coffins dating back 200-250 years, watched over by bats and swallows.

The coffins resemble different animals associated to the beliefs of the Orang Sungai but it has also been said that they are the coffins of the Chinese who once settled in the area as Chinese artifacts were found among the remains.

AGOP LINTANGA

AGOP SAWAT

The long stretch of parking space in front the museum office can park 30 passenger vehicles.

Batu Putih village can be viewed from here as well.

Open Daily:

9:00 am to 5:00pm

THE PROJECT:
AGOP BATU TULUG, Kinabatangan, Sabah
(CONTRACT NO: T/KPKKW/JWN/P5/70/2008)

PROPERTY OWNER:
Sabah Museum Department
W.D.T. NO. 197, 90200 Kota Kinabatangan, Sabah
 

START DATE: 25 MAC 2009
COMPLETE DATE: 24 January 2010
 

PROJECT CONTRACTOR:
CEMERLANG ENTERPRISE
LOT, TINGKAT 1, BLOCK C, BANGUNAN SEDCO, PEKAN MEMBAKUT, SABAH

CADANGAN PROJEK PEMBANGUNAN DI
AGOP BATU TULUG, KINABATANGAN, SABAH
(NO. KONTRAK: T/KPKKW/JWN/P5/70/2008)