REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, AMBON -- People of Saparua Island, Central Maluku District, Maluku, are still using ancient astronomical calculation, known as "tanoar" (calculation of good and bad days), to determine the day they can build traditional boats.

"Tanoar is a part of Ethnoastronomy. Despite the changing era, the system is still being preserved by the local people of Saparua, used since Holocene period," Archaeologist of Ambon Archaeology Agency Lucas Wattimena said here on Tuesday.

Wattimena had recently conducted a study from June 5 to 18, 2014, in Jazirah Hatawano and Jazirah Tenggara of the Saparua Island, an island east of Ambon and Haruku Islands.

The study has revealed that the local people calculate by counting the number of full moons to determine the auspicious day to make traditional boats.

Tanoar is applied when timber for building the boats is chosen, before starting the boat construction, and when the boats are lowered to the sea.

"Their calculation is based on full moon--the number of occurrences of the bright moon and the dark moon," Wattimena said.

Based on the calculation, local people identify the strength of the wood that will be used to build boats. If the wood is harvested during the wrong moon, it will not be termite resistant.

The ancient knowledge of local people of Saparua Island is written in a guidebook called "Nats." The book is used by all traditional boat makers in the island.

"Nats is a guidebook written by hand. In the book, there is a benchmark time based on animal species, moon, and stars. It is owned by all boat builders," Wattimena said.

The wood is not only determined using special astronomical calculation, but it is harvested from the tree planted by the local people particularly for building boat.

The trees are called titi, salawaku, gaposa, and samar wood. They are planted in a smallholder plantation.

The titi wood is mostly preferred for building boat because it is light and strong enough to withstand the waves.

The price of the wood ranges from Rp300,000 (about US$26) to Rp850,000 (US$73) per log.

Two kinds of traditional boats are used in Saparua. The first is Kole-kole, having balancers at its right and left sides, and is used for travelling in sea.

The other is Belang boat, a large canoe, which is used only for the "Manggurebe" traditional boat race.

Saparua has a population of 32,312 as of the 2010 census. It is the location of Indonesian national hero Pattimura's rebellion against the Dutch forces.

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