Malangke

Malangke lies near the head of the Gulf of Bone in southern Sulawesi. It was a centre of Luwu, the Bugis kingdom whose influence rested in part on control of iron from the highlands around Lake Matano. Rivers connected the coast with the interior, while the gulf gave access to the maritime routes of southern Sulawesi. Archaeological remains include fortifications dated to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. During Luwu's period of prominence, high-quality iron tools and weapons moved from the inland sources towards coastal markets. The kingdom's centre later shifted to Palopo, farther south along the same gulf.