THE 5TH INDONESIAN INTEGRATED ARCHAEOLOGY RESEARCH (PATI V)
MANYAREJO SITE, MANYAREJO VILLAGE, PLUPUH DISTRICT, SRAGEN REGENCY
08 AUGUST 2023
The 5th Indonesian Integrated Archeology Meeting (PATI) in 2023 is a joint field excursion inviting archeology departments from six universities in Indonesia (Jambi University/UNJA, University of Indonesia/UI, Gadjah Mada University/UGM, Udayana University/UNUD, Hasanuddin University/UNHAS, and Halu Oleo University/UHO). Each departments sent one supervisor and five students as representatives. PATI V was carried out at Manyarejo Site, Sangiran Area, Sragen Regency, Central Java. The site is a Pleistocene prehistoric site (250,000 to 1.2 million years ago), and as a World Heritage Site, it provides novel experience for the lecturers, researchers, and students involved. Research in this area shows findings including several fauna fossils, human fossils, and paleolithic artifacts. There is even one area with many fossils visible on the surface, untouched as it is designated as an education zone.
The site is tremendously significant as part of the long history of human evolution, and also serves as a witness of the role of community in the development of its culture becomes one of the reasons why it was chosen as the site for the collaboration project. PATI I, II, III, IV, and now V are sponsored by the ARSARI Djojohadikusumo Foundation, led by Hashim Djojohadikusumo. The project was implemented from 1 to 8 August 2023, under the leadership of Rochtri Agung Bawono from Udayana University (UNUD), Bali. PATI V also collaborated with the Museum and Cultural Heritage (MCB) Sub-Coordinator of the Sangiran Museum, the Brayat Krajan Community, and also open to the participation of community including the Manyarejo Village officials. The total number of participants was 36 people, with one supervisor and five archeology students representing each university.
PATI V focused on three research fields, as follows:
- Excavation at the Education site, by opening 1 Trench and 1 excavation box with findings in the form of 2 paleolithic stone balls, 1 bone, and fossil bone fragments of faunas such as Bovidae, Cervus sp, and Bos sp as well as Stegodon tusks in the rock layers. Stratigraphically, bone artifacts and fauna fossils found in these rocks are thought to be 500,000 to 800,000 years ago, belonging to the Kabuh Formation. Some of the fossils were handed over to the Bukuran Unit Museum and some are still in the excavation box for scientists to study and tourists to see.
- The fossils conservation is carried out at the house of the 5 Empu (Masters) of Balung Buto (Mbah Asmorejo, Mbah Siswanto, Mbah Setu, Mbah Mintorejo, and Mbah Parmin) and at the joglo house of Mbah Sugi which is managed by the Brayat Krajan Community. The collection consists of a total of 497 fossils in the database, 73 of which has been conserved. Excavated fossils and artefacts are also undergoing conservation. In the future, ,the management of fossil conservation will be the responsibility of MCB Sangiran Museum.
- In addition, the team conducted surveys on the community to determine cultural resource management (CRM) in the Manyarejo Site. The result was a recommendation for conservation, management, and utilization of the environment and cultural heritage at the Nature Museum and the Village Museum. This recommendation will be used by the Brayat Krajan Community together with the Manyarejo Village community in collaboration with MCB Sangiran Museum.
PATI V owed its success to the support of many stakeholders and partners, whom we are extremely grateful for. We would like to extend our gratitude to: the experts, Sangiran Museum and Heritage Site, BRIN, Sragen Regency, our colleagues at Brayat Krajan as well as the Manyarejo Village community and officials.