Projects 'endanger archelogical site'

BANDUNG: New luxury housing projects and golf courses are threatening to destroy archeological remains of the ancient Sundanese kingdom of Pajajaran in Rancamaya, Bogor, 60 kilometers east of Jakarta, an archeological official said.

New housing complexes in the Rancamaya area are sitting on land which, according to historical records, was once the site of buildings of the Pajajaran kingdom, Hidayat Suryalaga, head of Pasundan University's cultural center, was quoted by Antara as saying Monday.

Edi S. Ekajati, dean of Padjadjaran University's School of Letters, said a 16th century manuscript, Cerita Parahyangan, described Rancamaya as part of the Pajajaran kingdom.

Bogor Mayor Eddy Gunardi, however, denied that any archeological sites were buried under the 257-hectare tract of land developed into housing complexes.

Gunardi said a statement from the National Center for Archeological Research had certified that the Rancamaya area did not contain any objects of historical significance.