15 new prehistoric sites found in Central Java

JAKARTA - Archaeologists have found up to 15 new prehistoric sites in Purbalingga regency, Central Java.

According to Prayitno, the head of Purbalingga administration’s Media Information Division, the sites were spread across the upper stream sections of the Klawing and Tungtung Gunung Rivers and the up and downstream areas of the Laban and Kuning Rivers.

“The regency administration is currently asking experts of related fields to study the sites more thoroughly,” Prayitno told The Jakarta Post.

He said from the 15 sites, hundreds of prehistoric stones and artifacts had been found and are currently being kept in a workshop in Pasir Luhur, West Java.

“Among the findings are the remains of bracelets and axes believed to be from the Neolithic age,” said Prayitno.

The discoveries were made possible thanks to cooperation between archeologists at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and the Purwokerto-based Jendral Sudirman University.

“They were conducting research on the flow of important rivers passing through the regency last June when they found the sites,” said Prayitno.

The archelogists who made the discoveries were Sudjatmiko and Budi Brahmantyo.

Prayitno said that the ITB research team had predicted that the sites along the upper stream of Klawing Rivers were remains from the Neolithic Age (1,000 - 6,000 years), while those in the downstream were believed to be from the Palaeolithic Age (6,000-60,000 years).

“The results of the research are really spectacular, though so far the administration and the public have not had a chance to see them,” Prayitno said.

Apart from the archeological items, a number of valuable geological stones have also been found along the rivers.

Among them included are the Heliotrope, popularly known as the Pierre du sang du Christ (Christ blood stone).

“In the rivers, the archeological and prehistoric artifacts were mixed with raw materials of rather valuable stones,” Prayitno said.

The Community of Indonesian Valuable Stones, according to him, predicted that tens of tons of valuable stones including green jaspers had been found in the rivers.

Both the archeologists (Sudjatmiko and Budi Brahmantyo) said the regency was rich in valuable stones.

“They were convinced if the resources were managed well, Purbalingga could become an attractive geological and archeological tourist destination,” Prayitno said. (ANI)