Sungai Batu

Sungai Batu Archaeological Site

Ritual Monument Sungai Batu
Shown within Malaysia
Location	Kedah, Malaysia
Region	Sungai Batu
Coordinates	5°41′43.08″N 100°27′14.76″E / 5.6953000°N 100.4541000°E / 5.6953000; 100.4541000Coordinates: 5°41′43.08″N 100°27′14.76″E / 5.6953000°N 100.4541000°E / 5.6953000; 100.4541000
Type	Archaeological Site
History
Founded	788 BC[1][2]
Cultures	Malay Early Cilivisation
Associated with	Iron Industry and Trade

Sungai Batu is an archaeological site in the Kedah state of Malaysia.^[3]

Site description[]

Archaeologists have found remains possibly belonging to the Kedah Kingdom. Among these ruins are the remains of stone buildings and what may be a boat. Remains from the smelting of iron, including a large clay furnace, have also been found. The site covers approximately 3.9 km² (1.5 sq mi).^[4]

Arthur Demarest of the Vanderbilt Institute of Mesoamerica commented that the city most likely gained power because "any civilization that has iron will win the war because they have efficient tools".^[5][6]

Archaeological discoveries[]

Ruins of the walls of an estimated 500 BC building

iron ingots at the Sungai Batu Archaeological Site

The discovery of the excavation sites within the area of 4 km² (1.5 sq mi) in Sungai Batu, Kedah proves the existence of a prehistoric Malaysian civilization as early as 788 BC.^[7] Archaeological sites in Sungai Batu show evidence of a flourishing industry in iron ore smelting and trade at that time. The current date of the Sungai Batu ancient civilization predates the founding of Ancient Rome making it the oldest civilization in Southeast Asia.^[8] The excavation in Sungai Batu started from a request made by the National Heritage Department (JWN) for the Global Archaeological Research Center (PPAG), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) to complete the Bujang Valley area data. This request was made due to the record in Geographike Hyphegesis. In it Ptolemy, stated there was a trading system between the Western and Eastern worlds through the Golden Chersonese (Golden Peninsula) route, better known as Malay Peninsula in the 1st century.

Findings from archaeological excavations indicate the existence of ancient port center and trade activities. The discovery of building ruins such as ancient jetties, administrative building walls and unique local ritual sites remnants using brick-building foundations show evidence that the local community at that time had high skills in infrastructure and building architecture. In 2015, archaeologists in Sungai Batu managed to find several ancient ships buried at the bottom of the lake around the excavation area.^[9] The ships were found to be 12–30 m (40–100 ft) long and estimated to be 2500 years old believed to be used for commercial purposes.

Timeline of world civilizations.

External records[]

Apart from archaeological findings, external records were also found proving the existence of the early Sungai Batu civilization. Among these are:

1. Arab records (Hoyland and Gilmour 2006; Krenkow, 1936; Rahman, 1955,1959)
2. Tamil records (Nilakanta Sastri, 1038,1949; Thani Nagayam, 1968)
3. Al-Kindi
4. Al-Biruni

In external records, the name of the area of the early Sungai Batu civilization is known through the dialect of the record writer. Among other names for the area of the early Sungai Batu civilization are Kalah, Kataha or Kataram, and Queada. In Al-Kindi 's record in the 9th century it was also mentioned that "the best quality swords are made of Yemeni iron, Qalai (Kalah) and Hindi."

Economic based civilization[]

About 2 million ancient tuyeres found - used in the processing of smelting iron

The early civilization of Sungai Batu was known as a place for smelting iron and wrought iron was used as merchandise. The iron smelting industry is also supported by a network of ports for export purposes within and outside the peninsula. With the discovery of iron smelting furnaces and tuyere, this proved that during the early civilization of Sungai Batu became the focus place for iron trade from other civilizations around the world. Around the excavation area there is also a dumping of iron ore and tuyere. The forged irons were exported to the Western and Eastern worlds via ancient waterways using merchant ships.

The main use of forged iron is to the manufacture weapons because of their good quality. The quality of iron exported from the early civilization of Sungai Batu is self-recognized by Al-Biruni when he mentions the sword of Qala (Kalah) where the original place of the iron used.

Sea level in Sungai Batu

Ritual site[]

The construction of brick blocks and having a round structure is a unique form of ritual site compared to other ritual sites from other civilizations. Researchers found the ritual site to be local in nature and thought it was built by a local community that once lived at that time. This proves that the local community at that time already had high skills in producing bricks as building materials.

Researchers also argue that before the advent of Islam in the 12th century in Kedah and Hindu-Buddhism in the 5th century, ritual sites in Sungai Batu were used for the practice of animism. This is because the circular structure found at the ritual site has the characteristics of animism for the worship at Mount Jerai which is located in the northern part of the area.

Tourism[]

The discovery of Sungai Batu has caused a significant reaction from the Malaysian public and government. Kedah Tourism and Heritage committee chairman Mohd Rawi Abdul Hamid said that the discovery of this site would cause the Kedah province to "become a magnet for the international tourism sector". The site also gained interest from the archaeological community.

References[]

^{[10] [11] [12]}