Archeological sites' destruction lamented
Archeological sites' destruction lamented
SEMARANG (JP): An archeologist over the weekend lamented the
nationwide destruction of historical sites to make way for
industrial projects.
Mundardjito, a lecturer of archaeology and anthropology at the
University of Indonesia, said the incidence of sites converted
into industrial projects showed that historical sites were
considered less important than industrial development, which
promises prosperity.
Historical sites are those thought to contain valuable
archeological remains that reflect the systems, community and
technology of past societies.
According to Mundardjito, only a few historical sites have
been properly maintained, such as the Muara Takus Buddha shrine
in Riau and a brick shrine in Jambi.
The rest of the historical and prehistorical sites were simply
ignored, he said, citing the ancient city of Majapahit in
Trowulan, East Java, where a brick industry now flourishes.
A similar fate has befallen the Bukit Kerang prehistorical
site on the East Aceh coast, where human bones, shells, remnants
of cooking and Hosbinh stone instruments have been discovered but
since annihilated because of limestone mining.
"There are many other examples, such as the prehistorical
caves of Bojonegoro, East Java, that were turned into an airport
and an industrial estate extension," he said.
These examples reflect archeology's helplessness when facing
intervention by authorities and development jargon, Mundardjito
said in an address to a workshop titled Social Environment
Training Methodologies at Diponegoro University in Semarang.
Mundardjito called for a massive cultural preservation
campaign to keep up with environmental preservation, especially
since archeological data was limited.
"Specifically because information on the topic is very
limited, the presence of historical sites must be conserved to
gather and record information," Mundardjito said, adding that
research and conservation were equally important.
"Archeologists need to conserve historical sites as a part of
culture's preservation," he said. (har/14)