Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) stated a series of archaeological discoveries at Bongal Site in Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, could significantly reshape the historical map and understanding of the early arrival of Islamic civilisation in Indonesia.
Head of BRIN’s Research Center for Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology, Irfan Mahmud, on Wednesday, explained the excavations conducted by the research team have yielded significant results, reshaping the established historical timeline.
“The team discovered an important finding suggesting that Islam arrived earlier than previously believed, possibly as early as the 7th or 8th century, around the early period of Islam’s emergence. This finding provides broader opportunities to test several hypotheses related to the archaeology of Islam at the grassroots level,” Mahmud said.
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The archaeological findings, dating from the 7th to 8th century AD, represent a gap of approximately seven centuries when compared to the prevailing historical narrative, which often suggests that Islam only became firmly established as a political entity between the 13th and 15th centuries AD.
Mahmud outlined the lengthy period remains a historical gap that requires archaeological investigation to understand the daily lives of early Islamic communities.
“Seven centuries is no short period and there were many such sites founded. I believe the discoveries will create opportunities and spur efforts to uncover new insights,” he noted.
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The findings are believed to broaden the scope of grassroots Islamic archaeology and encourages historians and researchers in seeing history through the lens of ordinary people in the past, rather than focusing solely on the lives of the nobility within royal courts.
Echoing the sentiment, Head of the Archaeology, Language, and Literature Research Organization (Arbastra) at the BRIN, Hery Yogaswara, said the findings from Bongal Site have indeed sparked a new dialogue among scientists and academics.
He acknowledged the reinterpretation of the historical landscape has triggered academic debate, yet he viewed those as a highly constructive and healthy dynamic within the scientific community.
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“In the world of research, debate is not an issue; provided it is grounded in evidence,” he said.
By refining the data collection, preserving artifacts, and verifying the missing pieces of early Islamic civilisation’s history, Yogaswara noted BRIN plans to facilitate the large-scale research along the west coast of Sumatra.
“We are also considering to establish a field station in order to conduct a long-term research in the Bongal area or, more broadly, along the west coast of Sumatra. Ultimately, the goal is to strengthen the field of archaeology itself, particularly research related to Islamic civilisation,” Yogaswara conveyed.
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Translator: Sean Filo M, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Fransiska Ninditya
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