Development of Song Terus Museum Continues to be Needed to Become an Educational Centre

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Culture Minister Fadli Zon has stressed the importance of developing the Song Terus Museum in Pacitan Regency, East Java, as an educational and cultural centre capable of presenting a complete narrative of human civilisation’s journey in the Nusantara archipelago. In a press release received in Jakarta on Saturday, Fadli Zon stated that the Song Terus area preserves important evidence of human life’s continuity, with cultural findings estimated to be up to 300,000 years old, as well as prehistoric human discoveries such as Mbah Sayem, who is around 8,500 years old. “In this museum, we can witness a series of human civilisation’s journey in Pacitan, from the beginning to modern humans as they are now,” said Fadli Zon. The Culture Minister assessed that strengthening the museum’s function needs to be continuously carried out through providing facilities that support the public’s learning experience, including an auditorium, three-dimensional (3D) film screenings, and spaces for cultural arts performances. The Song Terus Museum was built to highlight the results of archaeological research in the Pacitan karst area, which has been ongoing for several decades. That site is known as one of the important locations in prehistoric studies in Indonesia, with findings in the form of stone tools, faunal remains, and evidence of human activities that indicate long-term habitation continuity. The area is also part of the Gunung Sewu karst landscape, which holds significant scientific and cultural value. Culture Minister Fadli Zon hopes that the museum can become one of the active cultural pockets, not only in preservation but also in utilising cultural heritage as a learning medium for the wider community.