Having the opportunity to look back at the traces left by former generations is a great thing. While pulling the thread of knowledge from ancient wisdom in the old days, we enrich our perspective of rooting the existence of civilization before our times.
As the largest archipelago, Indonesia has rich discoveries of historical relics and sites that hold important shares in the archaeological world. Visiting these prehistoric sites will be an interesting journey to have the perfect visual reference to read the past.
SOLO: SANGIRAN & SUKUH TEMPLE
Sangiran is an archaeological excavation site in Solo – Central Java, acknowledged as UNESCO’s world heritage center and recognized as one of the world’s most important sites to study fossils. Here the fossils of Early Man, the Homo Pithecanthropus Erectus, were found. Interesting collections of the museum is displaying specific attractions of the archaic culture.
Candi Sukuh, a Javanese – Hindu temple located on the slopes of Mount Lawu, is set out the 15th- century monument in a pyramid structure with a range of compelling statues throughout the property. BALI: SAMOAN TIGA TEMPLE, YEH PULU
TEMPLE & GEDUNG ARCA MUSEUM
Dating back to the Warmadewa dynasty in the 10th century, Samuan Tiga Temple features unique sandstone carvings and majestic gates protecting the sacred temple. There are seven riveting courtyards separated by walls and gates. Surrounded by banyan and aged trees, the temple is purposefully flanked by two rivers, Pande and Tegending. The temple still preserves several of the original 11th-century statues.
While Yeh Pulu, a temple of the 14th-century, is a captivating site where inspiring ancient reliefs are perpetuated. Its exceptional location on a ravine between Petanu and Pakerisan rivers and lovely surroundings is enticing to enjoy a fantastic experience hiking through a forest trail to a peaceful nature with rice field, freshwater springs, and a walkway featuring rock carvings of impressive images. Gedung Arca is home to a splendid collection of ancient relics featuring over 3,000 objects like household and hunting tools and remarkable pieces related to religious purposes dating from the 8th to 15th century. The three courtyards with chambers and charming gardens and pond make this place an excellent place to have some reflective thoughts.
SULAWESI: LEANG LEANG & BANTIMURUNG
Leang Leang is a prehistoric park with hundreds of primitive caves straggled in a karst mountain range. Some of the caves treasuring the evidence of early civilization estimated as old as 5,000 BC marked by amazing rock paintings of animals and dozens of palms on the cave wall and remains of tools from primordial humans.
Not far from the prehistoric park lies the Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park that is also become ASEAN Heritage Park. This exotic park is dominated by a steep limestone valley and karst mountain landscape recorded by UNESCO as one of the largest cretaceous hills in the world. This conservation area protects many kinds of rare tropical vegetations, waterfalls, and caves with beautiful stalagmites and stalagmites which are the habitat for various endangered species.
