Archeologists find ancient Buddhist relic<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Klaten\/Denpasar<\/p>\n
A gold inscription, believed to have been an inheritance from the
\nRakai Pikatan kingdom in the eighth century, was discovered by a
\njoint team of students from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and
\narcheologists in Central Java.<\/p>\n
The ancient artifact was found at Plaosan village, Prambanan
\nsubdistrict, Klaten regency, by the team comprising students of
\nUGM's Schools of Archeology and the province's Ancient
\nArcheological Preservation Agency (BP3).<\/p>\n
A member of the team, Tjahjono Prasodjo, confirmed that the
\nrelic, 18.5 centimeters in length and 2.2 centimeters wide, was
\nmade of gold.<\/p>\n
It is reportedly so thin it can be folded. It contains
\nengravings of Buddhist mantras written in ancient Javanese script
\n(similar to sanskrit) on its surface.<\/p>\n
\"As the script is a slightly faded, we will try to translate
\nit as soon as possible to understand its meaning,\" Prasodjo said
\non Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"We will also take a test to determine the content of the
\ngold. Judging from its shape and character, it is sure that the
\nscript contains Buddhist mantras,\" he added.<\/p>\n
He said the relic was discovered at a stupa-shaped building
\nburied in the ground and supposedly to enliven temples and to
\nworship gods and goddesses.<\/p>\n
\"In former times, people believed temples were not lifeless
\nbuildings. To them, they were places of worship, where gods
\nresided,\" Prasodjo said.<\/p>\n
Wahyu Broto Rahardjo, another archeologist, said that
\ninitially, the team excavated the location in search of a major
\ntemple following earlier findings that there was a main temple
\nsomewhere in the vicinity.<\/p>\n
\"The relic finding is a clue to finding the main temple,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
The team stated that the excavations, which began on Sept. 23
\nhad ended for the time being on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Separately, a number of stone hunting tools, believed to have
\nbeen made by people during the Paleolithic era, were discovered
\nby an archeological team on the banks of the Hu'u river on
\nSumbawa Island in West Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
Head of the Denpasar archeology office Ayu Kusumawati said on
\nThursday that the team, comprising archeologists from Denpasar,
\nYogyakarta and Jakarta, also found Megalithic stone graves.<\/p>\n
\"The discovery is a follow-up to the findings of the Oeipusi
\nand Nangasea sites in the area a few months ago. It is a
\nsurprise. This shows that Dompu in rich in archeological
\nremains,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She said the tools resembled axes, chisels and knives made of
\nstone, while the stone grave, found on the top of Dha'a hill,
\nHu'u, was a half-meter in diameter with a height of 1.2 meters.<\/p>\n
Both site's findings were related to the extended research and
\nexcavation at the Oeipusi site, which lasted for 11 days until
\nSept. 30.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/archeologists-find-ancient-buddhist-relic-1447893297",
"image": ""
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