On 9 May 1955, Father Kelly, the first European missionary from the Divine Word Missionaries, arrived at the Malipin Angalean Yainanda site from St. Damien Yampu Hospital in the Yampu Region.
Before that, the mist-draped highlands of Papua New Guinea held a legacy as ancient as it is mysterious — a relic of a civilization lost in the folds of time.
Among the rugged limestone valleys of Enga Province, deep within the territory known to its traditional custodians as Yampu, stands a cultural monument that defies modern understanding: the Ambum Stone.
Known to the Malipin Angalean people as Yainanda Kuli, this enigmatic artifact has captivated archaeologists, anthropologists, and cultural historians around the world. But beyond academia, the stone tells a deeper, spiritual narrative rooted in the soil and soul of its people.
This is the untold story of the Ambum Stone — not merely as a prehistoric sculpture, but as a sacred embodiment of a people’s ancestral consciousness: the living stone of the Malipin Angalean tribe.
The Land of the Ancestors: Malipin Angalean and Yampu
The Malipin Angalean people trace their lineage through more than 75,000 years of continuous habitation. This makes them one of the world’s oldest known cultures. Their homeland, the Yampu region — now part of the Ambum Local Level Government Area in Enga Province — is a cradle of prehistoric activity and cultural endurance.
The Malipin Angalean regard their land not merely as geography, but as a sacred canvas upon which the stories of the past are painted, lived, and retold.
In their cosmology, the land and its creatures — human, animal, and spiritual — are interwoven in a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. At the heart of this spiritual world is Yainanda Kuli, a name loosely translated as “the Sacred Ancestor of the Inner Stone.”
Unearthing the Ancestor
Discovered in the 1960s by tribesmen in the Ambum Valley, the Ambum Stone is a 20 cm greywacke sculpture dating to around 1500 BCE — one of the Pacific’s oldest artworks. Shaped like a zoomorphic figure, it may represent an extinct echidna or fetal marsupial.
To the Malipin Angalean people, it is Yainanda Kuli — a sacred ancestor and tribal authority, linked to knowledge, fertility, and peace.
According to oral tradition, Yainanda Kuli emerged during the First Fire, when humans and spirits shared form. Elders say the carving was guided by lyaa manangi — spirit dreams revealed through fasting, smoke bathing, and drumming.
The Ambum Stone’s Departure and Cultural Loss
In 1977, the Ambum Stone was illegally taken from its sacred site and later housed at the National Gallery of Australia — sparking ongoing disputes over its ownership.
For the Yampu people, the loss was spiritual. Elders recall crop failures, illness, and conflict following its removal. Rituals were performed to recall Yainanda’s spirit, but the damage was done.
“We lost part of our being,” said elder Tultul Arnold Etapae. “Yainanda Kuli was living.”
The event, known as Yainanda Peyaa (“The Day the Ancestor Cried”), marks a deep rupture in the tribe’s spiritual legacy.
Symbolism and Spiritual Resonance
In the Malipin Angalean language, kuli means both “stone” and “life vessel,” making Yainanda Kuli “the stone that holds ancestral life.” Its form reflects humility, foresight, and cosmic memory.
Traditionally used by Nemago Pii in rituals for fertility, peace, and leadership, only the initiated could touch it — a sacred act of responsibility.
Far from being a mere artifact, the Ambum Stone is seen by its people as a living spiritual being with memory and purpose.
Calls for Repatriation and Justice
Efforts to repatriate the Ambum Stone have grown, with PNG’s National Cultural Commission and Enga leaders urging its return as a form of healing and justice.
“Our people need it in a sacred hut, not a glass case,” says Engan anthropologist Kirelan Kalyakali.
A 2023 visit by Australian gallery officials opened dialogue, but no decision has been made. For the Malipin Angalean, repatriation is a spiritual duty—vital to restoring ancestral harmony.
Art, Memory, and Continuity
Though the Ambum Stone is physically absent, stone carving lives on in Yampu. Sculptors like Lumbu Mai and Pokari Nomakam revive ancient techniques, creating Mala Kuli pieces that honor Yainanda’s spirit across generations.
A Cultural Preservation Centre in Wabag is being developed to house replicas, oral histories, and artifacts to educate youth and support the stone’s return.
Global Significance, Local Heart
While renowned worldwide, the Ambum Stone’s true meaning is rooted in Papua New Guinea’s highlands as a symbol of resilience, spirituality, and ancestral ties.
Its story highlights indigenous identity and challenges museums to respect sacred cultural heritage amid globalization.
The Road Ahead: Yainanda Kuli’s Return
For the Malipin Angalean, Yainanda Kuli’s return would restore spiritual balance, complete a sacred cycle, and reconnect youth with their heritage.
“When Yainanda returns, our forests will sing again, our rivers will run sweet again,” says Tultul Arnold Etapae. “He is more than stone — he is our breath.”
The Ambum Stone remains a powerful symbol of ancestral wisdom, carrying the prayers and spirit of its people across generations.
