Kudus, Central Java (ANTARA) – The Kudus district government, Central Java, has prepared Rp2 billion to expand Patiayam Museum’s ancient fossils display room, following an increase in the number of findings at the Patiayam site.
“For now, the Kudus district government can only provide a budget of Rp2 billion for the Patiayam Museum development,” Kudus district head Hartopo said after opening an information gathering session at the Patiayam Archaeological Site Museum, here on Thursday.
During the event, Hartopo also received a memento of ancient stones, bones, and teeth, which are suspected to have belonged to ancient humans.
According to him, the ancient fossil display room’s expansion is urgently needed, as many of the showcases are considered less representative and the space is very limited.
With a budget of Rp2 billion, a new showcase building will be constructed, which can be used for displaying more ancient fossils so that visiting tourists would no longer be disappointed.
“The findings of ancient fossils at Patiayam site, as of July 2022, reached 9,346 fossils,” Hartopo informed.
Cultural officer at the Sangiran Archaic Humans Site Conservation Museum Center (Sangiran BPSMP), Dody Wiranto, said that the findings of ancient fossils at Patiayam site are almost complete and range from ancient human teeth and tools to animal fossils.
The fossils found at the site include a Stegodon trigonochepalus, a prehistoric elephant; Elephas sp., another type of prehistoric elephant; Ceruss zwaani and Cervus lydekkeri martin, types of deer; and Rhinoceros sondaicus, a rhinoceros.
They also comprise a Brachygnathus Dubois, a hog; Felis Sp, atiger; Bubalus palaeokarabau, an ancient buffalo; Bos Palaeo sondaicus, another type of ancient buffalo; Crocodilus sp., acrocodile; as well as hand axes.
The Patiayam site is an archaic human site located on the southern slopes of Mount Muria, in Jekulo sub-district, Kudus, Central Java. The first research at this site was carried out by geologists Van Es in 1931 and Sartono in 1977.
Related news: Fossils in Trinil museum yet to be studied
Related news: Archeologists to study C Java prehistoric stone mounds in 2012