Modern material culture

Nowadays most Engganese live in houses made of cement which are built directly on the ground,

Bapak Jacobus and his wife in front of their house in Meok, 1994.

although a fairly considerable number of people still live in rectangular houses made of wood and other natural materials, built on pillars. The old beehive houses have disappeared, probably since 1903 ^[70].

There are only a few television sets on Enggano. Electricity is available only in some houses (and usually only for part of the evening), since not everybody can afford an aggregate. Those who can afford them use Japanese motorbikes, although there is only one small road on the island. In 1994 there was only one car, used for transporting coconuts to the boat landing.

Iskander with his wife and son. The man with the sunglasses is Thaufik Yusba from the museum in Bengkulu.

Fish nets are now made of modern materials, and are imported. Outboard engines are used on the single-hull canoes, mainly for transport close to the coast. The open sea is avoided, because of the dangers involved. Even on the coral reef, the waves can be high and wild.

Traditional clothing has disappeared completely in daily life. On special occasions some headdresses, spears and loin decorations are still used. The women's headdress with the image of the slain enemy is no longer used.

There are some small shops on Enggano, which sell products imported from the mainland, such as sweets for the children.

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