Sangiran Museum
Address:
Kalijambe, Sragen, Krikilan, Kalijambe, Kabupaten Karanganyar, Jawa Tengah
57275
Phone:
0822-9540-6302
Hours:
Open today · 8AM–4:30PM
Province:
Central Java
Destinasi Pariwisata Indonesia-Sangiran
is an archaeological excavation site in Java in Indonesia.[2] According to a
UNESCO report (1995) "Sangiran is recognized by scientists to be one of
the most important sites in the world for studying fossil man, ranking
alongside Zhoukoudian (China), Willandra Lakes (Australia), Olduvai Gorge
(Tanzania), and Sterkfontein (South Africa), and more fruitful in finds than
any of these."[3]
The
area comprises about 56 km² (7 km x 8 km). It is located in Central Java, about
15 kilometers north of Surakarta in the Solo River valley. Administratively,
Sangiran area is divided between 2 regencies: Sragen (subdistricts of Gemolong,
Kalijambe, and Plupuh) and Karanganyar (subdistrict of Gondangrejo). An
important feature of the site is the geology of the area. Originally a dome was
created millions of years ago through tectonic uplifts. The dome was then
eroded exposing beds within the dome which are rich in archeological records.
Sangiran
Early Man Site
Excavations
here from 1936 to 1941 led to the discovery of the first hominid fossil at this
site. Later, 50 fossils of Meganthropus palaeo and Pithecanthropus erectus/Homo
erectus were found – half of all the world's known hominid fossils. Inhabited
for the past one and a half million years, Sangiran is one of the key sites for
the understanding of human evolution.
Outstanding
Universal Value
Brief
synthesis
Sangiran
Early Man Site is situated about 15 kilometers in the north of Solo town in
Central Java, Indonesia, covering an area of 5,600 hectares. It became famous
after the discovery of Homo erectus remains and associated stone artifacts
(well-known as Sangiran flake industry) in the 1930s. There is a very
significant geological sequence from the upper Pliocene until the end of Middle
Pleistocene by depicting the human, faunal, and cultural evolutions within the
last 2.4 million years. The property also yields important archaeological
occupation floors dating back to the Lower Pleistocene around 1.2 million years
ago.
The
macrofossils that appear abundantly from the layers provide a detailed and
clear record of many faunal elements, while the property reveals more than 100
individuals of Homo erectus, dating back to at least 1.5 million years ago.
These fossils show human evolution process during the Pleistocene period,
particularly from 1.5 to 0.4 million years ago. Inhabited for the past one and
a half million years, Sangiran is one of the key sites for the understanding of
human evolution. More discoveries of stone tools have been made since. These
human, fauna, and stone tool materials were deposited within its unbroken
stratigrafical layers.
Criterion
(iii): This property is one of the key sites for the understanding of human
evolution that admirably illustrates the development of Homo sapiens sapiens,
over two million years from the Lower Pleistocene to the present through the
outstanding fossils (human and animal) and artefactual material that it has
produced.
Criterion
(vi): The property is displaying many aspects of very long-term human physical
and cultural evolution in an environmental context. It will continue to be so and remain
dynamically informative.
Integrity
All
the potential aspects of the property such as human and animal fossils, as well
as the artifacts, are found in their natural context within the boundaries of
the nominated area. As normal with discoveries from open sites, the evidence is
rarely found intact due to erosion and transportation processes. One has to
acknowledge that these natural agents have been for long the most efficient
actors in excavating Sangiran Early Man Site.
Authenticity
This
property illustrates the sequences of human, cultural, and environmental
evolutions over two million years by means of the cultural materials from their
original layers, which show specific periods and environments.
Protection
and management requirements
In
order to protect the whole property, the Ministry of Education and Culture of
the Republic of Indonesia issued the decree Number 070/1977. This decree
declared the Sangiran area as a nationally protected cultural site of human
evolutions during Pleistocene. As for comprehensive protection such as prevention
against illegal trading of the fossils and area maintenance (including zoning
of the property), the goverment has published the Indonesian Law Number 5/1992
then revised to Number 11/2010. The erosion, landslide, and transportation
processes on the property have been countered by continuous reforestation
conducted by local government. Sand mining activity was stopped in 2008 and
there is no more sand mining activity now. Since 2008, the property has been
declared as National Vital Object, which means that it is protected by the
Government of Indonesia and regarded as a very important site for the nation
due to its significant cultural resources. The property is fully managed and
regulated now by the Directorate General of Culture, Ministry of Education and
Culture, due to the bureaucratic changes at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism
in 2012. The government takes all stakeholders i.e. local communities, local
governments, and universities, to manage the property under the supervision of
the Ministry. A Master Plan and a Detail Engineering Design are established for
long term management, consisting of research, protection, and public
utilization.
In order to effectively maintain the property,
four thematica clusters are developed, namely the Krikilan Cluster (as visitor
center), Ngebung Cluster (the history of site’s discovery), Bukuran Cluster
(human evolution), and Dayu Cluster (modern research). Regarding tourism
management, the four clusters will be connected by means of a special tourism
route. People are expected to visit all clusters which will take more than one
day. A long-term property’s protection is conducted by designating the property
as a National Strategic Area (in-progress), involving the local community in
conservation aspects. On the other hand, the management of the property is
conducted firmly and not-for-profit by a Coordinating Board, involving all the
stakeholders under the direction of Directorate General of Culture, Ministry of
Education and Culture.
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