The Tomb of the Mili Mongga: Fossils, Folklore, and Adventures at the Edge of Reality

by Samuel T. Turvey

A fossil expedition becomes a thrilling search for a mythical beast deep in the Indonesian forest – and a fascinating look at how fossils, folklore, and biodiversity converge.

The need to understand and conserve biodiversity has never been more pressing. This is particularly urgent for vulnerable ecosystems such as islands, which have suffered human-caused extinctions throughout history and recent prehistory.

A tale of exciting scientific discovery, The Tomb of the Mili Mongga is based on the story of expeditions to the island of Sumba in eastern Indonesia. Writer Samuel Turvey discovers an entire recently extinct mammal fauna from the island's fossil record, revealing how islands support some of the world's most remarkable biodiversity, and why many endemics are threatened with extinction.

But as the story unfolds, a new narrative emerges – Sumba's indigenous communities tell of a mysterious wildman called the mili mongga, a giant yeti-like beast that supposedly lives in the island's remote forests. What is behind the stories of the mili mongga? Is there a link between this enigmatic entity and the fossils Sam's looking for? And what did he discover when he finally found the grave of a mili mongga?

The Tomb of the Mili Mongga combines evolution, conservation, anthropology, travel writing and cryptozoology to explore the traditional culture and unique biodiversity of a tropical island that's largely unknown to the outside world, with wider questions about the relationship between biodiversity and cultural diversity, what reality means from different cultural perspectives, and how folklore, fossils and biodiversity conservation can be linked together in surprising ways.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science, Travel, Anthropology, Cryptozoology, Audiobook

304 pages, Hardcover

Published April 30, 2024

Reviews

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

As we finished making fieldwork plans, I thought of something else to ask. “Umbu, have you heard of the mili mongga?” I saw sensible Ibu Jen smile and roll her eyes. But Umbu didn’t laugh. “Yes, Pak Sam!” he frowned in thought. “I have heard people talk about it.” I had to ask more. “Do you know anyone who might be able to tell us about it?” Umbu promised that he’d ask around and see what he could find out. I was definitely not prepared for where that question would take us.

Samuel Turvey, Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Conservation Biology at the Zoological Society of London, was on a fossil expedition on the Indonesian island of Sumba when repeated reports of a legendary “wildman of the jungle”, the mili mongga, demanded his attention. It seems that everywhere his research group travelled, they encountered people who had stories about their village’s past encounters with these hairy giants, and repeatedly, his group would follow these leads into the unknown. The Tomb of the Mili Mongga is the account of several of Turvey’s expeditions to Sumba: part travelogue, part lab report, part social commentary, this book is as much about what a people’s mythology says about them as it is the story of what Turvey actually discovered, and I found the whole thing to be fascinating. Exactly my jam. (Note: I read an ARC through NetGalley and passages quoted may not be in their final forms.)

This book is about my explorations of an island on the other side of the world, to try to understand what kinds of unique species used to inhabit its remote landscapes, and what happened to these now-vanished animals. But it isn’t just a story about biology or biologists, even though I thought it would be when I started out on my adventure. There’s plenty of science and natural history in the pages that follow, which can hopefully also serve to illustrate the steps through which knowledge accumulates and science progresses; how sources of inspiration might be unexpected, requiring new leads to be followed in unplanned directions when confronted with things that we can’t easily rationalise.

The isolation of island ecosystems can lead to the evolution of unique species: Indonesia has not only been home to pygmy elephants and giant rats, but the so-called “hobbit” fossils (Homo floresiensis) found on nearby Flores suggest that it’s not impossible that the little explored (by Westerners) island of Sumba was once home to a vanished hominid like the legendary mili mongga. And everywhere that Turvey inquired about them, locals had stories about how previous generations dealt with the dumb giants (often putting them to work digging gardens or building walls) and could vaguely gesture to where they had been buried outside their villages (with the warning that their remains were not to be dug up). I really enjoyed Turvey’s adventure writing (from his repeated encounters with chewing betel nut with his hosts — unable to master spitting the juices, the red liquid would dribble helplessly down his chin, staining clothes and notepads — to exploring a cave where locals reported once finding a cache of bones, and discovering it was filled with human excrement and medical waste); his experience was consistently interesting and the storytelling is engaging. As a scientist, Turvey also relates everything back to his research, and this was not always 100% engaging for me — but I did enjoy learning about ideas such as “euhemerism” (that mythology — even the warring gods in Ancient Greece — is often history in disguise), the “Romeo Error” (species thought extinct sometimes turn up alive), and Lord Raglan’s theory (from 1939) that nonliterate societies turn memory into myth after about 150 years (interesting because the inhabitants of Sumba all talk as though the last encounter with a living mili mongga had been about that long [about five generations] in the past). There was much that I found fascinating here.

We may see the universe as fundamentally rational and following immutable natural laws, but to others it remains an enchanted place. As Christopher Hadley wrote in his fascinating investigation of the mythical English dragon-slayer Piers Shonks, “Searching for a kernel of truth by trying to remove the legendary elements misses something, it gets rid of the best bits.” Even amongst researchers, there is increasing recognition that “anthropology should always be open to the possibility of wonder.” It is imperative to consider the mystery of the mili mongga not just from our perspective as outside observers (the so-called etic perspective in anthropology), but also from the perspective of the culture that holds this differing worldview (the emic perspective). This can be extremely difficult — we are all brought up within our own specific cultures, with their own explicit and implicit conventions, assumptions and prejudices about structuring experience and making sense of the world. But if we can gain a different perspective, we might receive some truly surprising insights into how other cultures think about reality.

I particularly engage with these ideas of being “open to the possibility of wonder” and making a real effort to understand each culture’s unique worldview: as Turvey’s ultimate realm of concern is the conservation of threatened species, he ably makes the case that the best way forward just might take a detour through the folklore from the past. Fascinating read.

[Ula Tardigrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travelogues about scientific fieldwork have the same appeal for me as mystery novels do for fiction fans. I like them because they always tell entertaining stories, are often funny, and can also teach you a lot.

You will find plenty of all this in "The Tomb of Mili Mongga" - Samuel Turvey is a wonderful guide to the Indonesian island of Sumba. He comes across as a very warm, considerate person, with an eye for humorous detail, as in this example: „It was a relief to land, as the local airline names and logos hadn’t filled me with confidence: ‘We strive to succeed!’ ‘Flying is cheap.’ ‘We make you fly.’ And we definitely hadn’t wanted to travel with Icarus Air.”

But there is much more here than scientific adventure. For the author, the colorful recollections of his expeditions are only the starting point for a deep dive into disciplines as diverse as island biogeography, species extinction, cryptozoology, and folklore, to name just a few. The result is a fascinating volume written in a similar vein as Elizabeth Kolbert’s or David Quammen’s books - and mind you, they are writers, not active scientists like Turvey. This makes him a creature almost as rare as the mili mongga.

Here is another short quote: “The existence of endemic human species on islands brings home the fact that we are just another animal that adapts to local environmental conditions, with an evolutionary tree that radiates and branches in response to ecological and geographic barriers just like we see in other non-human species. The hobbit reminds us forcibly that we are not divorced from the natural world; instead, we are dependent upon nature and fundamentally shaped by it.”

His search for an Indonesian wildman resonated even more deeply with me after reading two interesting books on Bigfoot recently - it is extraordinary that such different cultures create such similar myths and legends.

And it is also an urgent call to save the richness of our planet. As Turvey writes towards the end: “The same processes of globalisation that are driving the loss of global cultural diversity are also responsible for much of the world’s ongoing biodiversity loss, thanks to worldwide demand for tropical timber; the clearance of rainforests to make room for rubber and oil palm plantations and mineral extraction; the unsustainable demand for threatened wildlife species from traditional Chinese medicine, the luxury food market and other commercial drivers; and increased opportunities for accidental transport of invasive species and pathogens. So, as we move ever closer to becoming a unified ‘global village’, the path we’re travelling is bringing about the destruction of global biodiversity, the traditional cultures that live alongside nature, and their unique ways of thinking and perceiving reality. We are in a biocultural diversity crisis”.

Many thanks to the publisher, Bloomsbury Sigma, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loooooved this. Part travel memoir, part scientific survey, part archive of Indigenous folklore.

Throughout his hunt for fossils of extinct animals/hominids on the Indonesian island of Sumba, Turvey is constantly met with stories of the mili mongga - an ape-like creature discussed in the lore of seemingly every one of the island's villages. Turvey's paleontological research, and the stories of the mili mongga, provide a great starting point for a deeper exploration of the relationship between Indigenous oral tradition and biological/evolutionary history. The writing was straight-forward, compelling, and at times, surprisingly funny. I appreciated Turvey's balance of simplicity and depth - his explanations of even the most complex scientific processes were thoughtful and clear, but he never came across as patronizing.

Thank you to Bloomsbury for providing me an advance copy ahead of publication, in exchange for my honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I listened to the eAudiobook.

This was interesting, but hard for me to follow in this format. The author swoops around a hits on a lot of different topics-- bipedal cryptids all over the world, extinction of many species, evolution, psychology, archaeology-- all wrapped in the frame of a journal of the author's research party's expedition, and including many of the details of travel (bugs, local culture, animals, etc.). The emphasis on the party's travel was a bit heavy for me-- I don't find the paragraphs about this car trip up this dirt road, that evening drinking coffee, this story about being arm-twisted into a local celebration, to be useful.

It's very possible I missed a few key descriptions, but it seemed like the author assumes the reader to already have a pretty strong base on a number of topics, including Indonesian geography; regional birds, animals, and insects; and human evolution(ary dead-ends). Very casual science readers might to best to have a few reference resources at hand.

The narrator might not have been my choice for this work. There were numerous distracting parts: 1) the narrator is British (as, apparently, is the author), and I found the British pronunciation of some words quite surprising. I listen to a fair number of audiobooks with British narrators and watch British TV, but I had no idea that they pronounce "conquistador" with a q like quiz. And 2) the narrator seemed to be pretty unsure of several words, hesitating before committing to it, and even narrating a sentence in a way that made it seem like he did not understand what he was reading. I would probably not listen to this narrator again.

[Tri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read. A vast book, covering so many interesting things, I was glued to the pages. Although nonfiction, at times I felt as if I was reading an adventure story of years gone by, all the detail of the landscape and science mixing with folklore made the edges of reality blur a bit. And that’s what was so captivating and suspenseful about this book- rarely do you get a nonfiction science novel that’s truly a page turner where you’re waiting for the ending, but here’s one!

I learned so much about island ecology and evolution. I have a fairly good background understanding of prehistory, biology, and geology and I do think that that really helped me dive into this book. But Turvey does a fantastic job explaining scientific concepts and gives historical context in an engaging way so don’t let unfamiliar subject material stop you.

I love fossils. I love paleontology. I love folklore. I previously have read The First Fossil Hunters by Adrienne Mayor, a book about the Ancient Greek and Roman relationship to fossils, and this was a great addition to that category of books. We get fossils, we get folklore, and we get possibilities of how the two are linked. Folk memory of extinct creatures by indigenous groups is something I’ve never thought about before, but is so fascinating. We get a wonderful glimpse into worldwide folklore and where it could have come for, discussion over whether it’s important to even know, and a good look at what it really means to be human.

This is also a devastating look into the science of extinction, and especially the impacts of human settling and later European colonization, on island nations. “We are in a biocultural diversity crisis,” Turvey says in his conclusion. We are at a time of ecosystem collapse and the loss of huge amounts of language and culture as globalization becomes mainstream. This book is so well written, and really tugs at the heartstrings.

Do we find a mili mongga? I’ll let you read and find out. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Patricia Vroman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A professor leads fieldwork on the small island of Sumba in Indonesia, hoping to find fossils of flora, fauna and human to give a picture of the prehistory of the island, compare that with other islands in the area, and examine ancient and recent extinction of species. The book reads somewhat like a comedic adventure novel with the researchers frequently led astray by the local people with their tales of wild people, the bones of people and animals, and the constant offering of betel nut. The author provides an interesting account of the prehistory of the area, and prehistory in general, the unique nature of island inhabitants, and the difficulty of separating myth from folk history from real events. As the people of Sumba are not literate this proves to be an intriguing task. Between spurts of betel nut, traipsing through muddy caves, being led in circles, the team does not find the wild people, the potential Mili Mongga, but there's always a next time. In addition, Turvey's research into extinction history aims to find clues to aid in preservation and survival of current species and cultures. An enlightening book without being over academic.

[Holly Taggart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ultimately, this was not a book for me. But, hear me out, it might be for you.

Turvey takes us on an adventure doing field work in Sumba, discovering new species of giant rats, prehistoric tools, and stories of a mythical wild creature the Mili mongga.
While doing this, the reader is also educated on topics such as biodiversity, the interconnectedness of eco systems, and beliefs about cryptids across the globe. It is very thorough,
For me, I envisioned the researchers absolutely falling in love with the idea of the Mili mongga and dedicating much more time and energy to chasing this wild monster. The monster, it seems, was more of a side quest ( probably appropriate given the way research funding is allocated!).
This book is written in a very academic style and is well organized, edited, and annotated. If you have a Cryptid lover on your holiday gift list, this might be a winner for them!

[Keith Good · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Tomb of the Milli Mongga is most interesting when it toes the line between scientific inquiry and Turvey’s Indiana Jones-style archeological adventure through Indonesia. The book aims to reconcile folklore and the fossil record; could stories of yeti and ape-men be clues to humanity’s past? Sections explaining island geology, ecology and evolution tend to drag, though, and it’s 1/4 into the text before we really get any explanation of what a Milli Mongga is (a small, hairy cryptohomonid in Indonesian folklore). Stories of remote villages and tripping on Betel Nuts with locals, combined with Turvey’s unique insight, make Mili Mongga an enlightening read.

[Scotty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read, the author taking us along with him on his ventures across the islands of Indonesia in search of remarkable creatures and/or fossils, specifically the local legend, the mili mongga. Interspersed amongst the narrative, Turvey analyzes and considers the importance of culture, the ways that oral histories and traditions shape the ways we think, and more. Honestly, this book calls to mind The Mind in the Cave by David Lewis-Williams, another book I greatly enjoyed, as well as Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was unexpectedly gripping! I learned so much about so many things: fossils, cryptids, folklore, islands, evolution, and rodents of unusual size. Highly recommend for anyone with a casual interest in anthropology or conservation biology.

[Rob Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and wide ranging account to investigate accounts of a mythical giant wildman in remote Indonesia. It encompasses fossil hunting, the grubby tiring reality of research in the field, new species, and why you should probably avoid chewing betel nuts, wrapped up in folklore, myth, extinction theories, and a host of literary references. What more could you want? You won't be disappointed.

[Elizabeth Judd Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book that combines anthropology, (giant rat) fossils, and cryptozoology, and does so very well. A great look at the differences between local folk beliefs and wider scientific studies and how the two can actually both help our understanding of the world.

[Christine Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book on how biology and folklore interact. Full of facts and also quite funny in parts.A fun read for anyone thinking of studying biology (or anthropology).