Archeologists find ancient Buddhist relic
The Jakarta Post, Klaten/Denpasar
A gold inscription, believed to have been an inheritance from the Rakai Pikatan kingdom in the eighth century, was discovered by a joint team of students from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and archeologists in Central Java.
The ancient artifact was found at Plaosan village, Prambanan subdistrict, Klaten regency, by the team comprising students of UGM's Schools of Archeology and the province's Ancient Archeological Preservation Agency (BP3).
A member of the team, Tjahjono Prasodjo, confirmed that the relic, 18.5 centimeters in length and 2.2 centimeters wide, was made of gold.
It is reportedly so thin it can be folded. It contains engravings of Buddhist mantras written in ancient Javanese script (similar to sanskrit) on its surface.
"As the script is a slightly faded, we will try to translate it as soon as possible to understand its meaning," Prasodjo said on Thursday.
"We will also take a test to determine the content of the gold. Judging from its shape and character, it is sure that the script contains Buddhist mantras," he added.
He said the relic was discovered at a stupa-shaped building buried in the ground and supposedly to enliven temples and to worship gods and goddesses.
"In former times, people believed temples were not lifeless buildings. To them, they were places of worship, where gods resided," Prasodjo said.
Wahyu Broto Rahardjo, another archeologist, said that initially, the team excavated the location in search of a major temple following earlier findings that there was a main temple somewhere in the vicinity.
"The relic finding is a clue to finding the main temple," he added.
The team stated that the excavations, which began on Sept. 23 had ended for the time being on Thursday.
Separately, a number of stone hunting tools, believed to have been made by people during the Paleolithic era, were discovered by an archeological team on the banks of the Hu'u river on Sumbawa Island in West Nusa Tenggara.
Head of the Denpasar archeology office Ayu Kusumawati said on Thursday that the team, comprising archeologists from Denpasar, Yogyakarta and Jakarta, also found Megalithic stone graves.
"The discovery is a follow-up to the findings of the Oeipusi and Nangasea sites in the area a few months ago. It is a surprise. This shows that Dompu in rich in archeological remains," she said.
She said the tools resembled axes, chisels and knives made of stone, while the stone grave, found on the top of Dha'a hill, Hu'u, was a half-meter in diameter with a height of 1.2 meters.
Both site's findings were related to the extended research and excavation at the Oeipusi site, which lasted for 11 days until Sept. 30.