The looting of Muara Kaman
About 1,500 years ago the area around Muara Kaman was the center of a mighty Hindu kingdom, known as Mulawarman. During a recent trip up the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan, I spent a few days in this village. I had work to do, but I also wanted to see the remains of Mulawarman. While talking to the local people, I became aware that the village had recently developed a keen interest in this Hindu site. Not so much out of interest for its historical and cultural values, but rather for its hidden riches.
Since 1992, the villagers have been actively digging for buried treasures and their harvest has been astonishing. Apparently over 100 items have been found and have subsequently been sold to traders in Samarinda and Balikpapan. A man showed me a little bronze Buddha-like statue, pieces of porcelain and a ring. Some people had photos of what appeared to be ivory and jade statues, and there were many stories of other, apparently extremely valuable artifacts that had been dug up, and either sold to traders or been taken away by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Near Muara Kaman there are two hills that rise out of the riverine flats, and ancient ditches show the approximate location of what may have been palaces or temples. Both these sites are pockmarked by holes where people have dug for treasures. On one of these hills still stands an ancient pillar or gravestone, and this site has been claimed by the Ministry of Education and Culture for exploration. However, officials rarely show up here, and the looting continues. Apparently buyers have paid millions of rupiah, which is probably only a fraction of the real market value. More importantly, the site is being looted without any scientific researchers being able to study it.
I would hereby make a strong recommendation to organizations interested in archeology and the maintenance of cultural and historic sites to investigate the situation in Muara Kaman and work toward protection of its riches. Such action may take away the chance for the villagers and government authorities to become rich overnight, but it will ensure that Indonesia's rich history is respected. I hope that this article will not achieve the opposite, namely an even higher illegal demand for the archaeological finds of Muara Kaman, higher prices and more corruption.
In this respect it should be mentioned that Western people also are after the antiques; a note from a Western collector asked to be informed personally whenever something was found, and a good price was offered beforehand.
ERIK MEIJAARD
Bogor, West Java