MY NOTEBOOK: ARCHAEOLOGY IN MALAYSIA

Archaeology in Malaysia spans over 1.8 millions years of human prehistory,bridging ancient hominid evolutionary markers, Southeast Asia's oldest civilisations and rich maritime trade networks. 

• Alastair Lamb: in 1964, Lamb constructed the evolution of maritime trade on the Malay Peninsula. He categorising the early ports into distinct functional heirarchies. 
• Primary Entreports -Major, large scale international trading hubs such as the Takuapa or Bujang Valleyu. 
• Subsidiary Entreports - secondary hubs such as Kuala Selinsing in Perak, collect hinterland products, including tin ingots and forest goods. 
• Australomelanesoid: indigenous people typical of early Southeast Asia and the Pacific. 
• Avalokitesvara-type statue: was found in Bidor, Perak in 1936. Studies have found that this statue dates back to the Gupta period in India, which existed in the 5th-6th century AD. This proves the existence of the Malay Gangga Negaa Kingdom.  
• Azie Shipwreck: discovered at Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson in 1989. The underwater archaeological investigation was carried out by the Department of Museums and Antiquities (JMA). 
• Buddhagupta Inscription: stone inscription, a 5th century CE Buddhist stone inscription found in the Province Wellesley, Penang, Malaysia in 1834 by Capt. James Low of the East India Company. It is today kept in Indian Museum in Kolkata, India. 
• Bidong Boat: found by fisherman approximately 2 nautical miles from Pulau Bidong, Terengganu in 2012. 
• Bot Jenderam: and ancient wooden boat with its paddles/rowers in a tin mine at Kampung Jenderam Hilir, Selangor in 1940, exposed one of the Peninsular Malaysia's most critical open archaeological sites. Later excavations in 1977 confirmed it as a multi-component settlement dating from the late Neolithic era (c.2000 BC) up to the Melaka Sultanate. 
• Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum: 
• home to Southeast Asia's oldest recorded man-made structures.Excavation at Sungai Batu Archaeological Site have revealed a thriving 2,000 year old multicultural port complete with 12 jetties and major iron-smelting factories. 
• 1938-39: excavation work in Bujang Valley by Dr. H.G. Quaritch Wales and his wife Dorothy, discovered 30 temples of worship.
• Bukit Bunuh: Lenggong Valley - records the earliest hominid presence thus far known in Southeast Asia at 1.83 million years ago with the discovery of some of the oldest hand axes in the world. 
• Bukit Chora : In Yan,Kedah > ongoing archaeological excavations in April 21 and May 21, 2024 led by USM have unveiled the largest, best-preserved Buddhist temple structure in the region. Dating back 1,200 years to the 7th or 8th century CE, this site predates iconic regional landmarks like Ankor Wat and Borodudur. 
• Bukit Melaka (St.Paul Hill): discovery of the Bastion Hendrica Louisa alignment in June 2025 provides critical physical evidence of the original Kota Melayu Melaka (Melaka Fort). 
• Bukit Tengkorak: discovery of several skulls at Bukit Tengkorak in Semporna, Sabah in 1994, identified as the largest pottery-making site in Southeast Asia during the Neolithic Age around 3,000 years ago. 
• Deutro Malay: an Iron Age and Bronze Age people who migrated into the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago around 300 BCE.They are the direct ancestors of today's modern ethnic Malays. 
• Dinosaur:
• 2014 : Spinosaurus dinosaur fossil found in Tasik Bera, Pahang. The first dinosaur fossil found in Malaysia.
• fossils of Ornithischians type dinosaurs were also found in Pahang.
• November 2014 - discovery of Iguanodontian (sub-group of Ornithopoda), Theropod and Sauropod fossils in Gunung Gagau, Hulu Terengganu.
• 2020: Researchers from Universiti Malaysia Kelantan found 7-10 footprints in Quartz Sandstone at Bukit Panau, Tanah Merah, Kelantan. Believed to be from a Sauropod species and a Compsognathus species. Another discovery in 2020 is the discovery of Stegodon fossils, a species of Ancient Elephant found in Gopeng, Perak. 
• Dong Son Drum  :   
• 1905 - the first gragment Dong Son Drums discovered at Kampung Bukit Kuda, Klang, Selangor. 
• in 1926, William Linehan an Irish historian discovered a Dong Son Bronze war Drum along the Sungai Tembeling in Pahang. It is recognised as the earliest bronze drum discovery in Malaysia. 
• 1964 - prehistoric Dong Son Bronze drum accidentally discovered at the Kampung Batu Buruk, Kuala Terengganu by Public Works Department (JKR) bulldozer during road construction. The  same year, 2 drums were discovered in Kampung Sungai Lang, Kuala Langat, Banting, Selangor .
• 1995: discovery of Timbang Dayang Bronze Drum at Bukit Timbang Dayang Burial site, Bangi Island in Kudah Sabah. The first and only Dong Son era bronze drum found in Sabah, and the 3rd ever on Borneo Island. 
• 11 May 1996 - A bronze drum was found in Jertih, Terengganu by villagers in a Sungai Mati cemetery about 2 km from Jertih Town. The same year in 1996, the Bronze Drum was found on the banks of the Sedu River, Kuala Langar, Selangor by brick-making workers.
• Gua Badak: Lenggong Valley - in 1924, I.H.N Evans reported the discovery of ancient paintings in Gua Badak, Lenggong, Perak.It was lost due to quarrying activities before being rediscovered in 1992.
• Gua Bewah: Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu - In 2009: An ancient human skeleton was found in Gua Bewah, Tasik Kenyir in Terengganu, believed to be 16,000 years old, older than Perak Man.
• Gua Cawan: 2018: A group of researchers from UKM and the National Heritage Department discovered a prehistoric human skeleton believed to be a teenage girl aged between 6,000 and 8,000 years old at Gua Cawan in the Nenggiri Valley, Hulu Kelantan.
• Gua Cha: highly significant Hoabinhian and Neolithic archaeological site located on the west bank of the Nenggiri River in Gua Musang, Kelantan. In 1954, excavation by G.de G. Sieveking, uncovered key human burials and thousands of pottery fragments proving an occupational overlap between the Hoabinhian and Neolithic periods. 
• Gua Gunung Runtuh: Lenggong Valley, the home of 11,000 year-old Perak Man. In 1991 his skeletal remains, in a foetal position were unearthed from an elaborate burial site in the cave.
• Gua Harimau: Lenggong Valley - 11 skeletons, pots and bronze tools were found in the cave in 1980's and 90's, proof of the existence of an early Bronze Age in Malaysia. 
• Gua Kajang: Lenggong Valley - the first cave to be excavated by I.H.N Evans in 1917. It revealed urn fragments, stone tools, food deposits and human bones, all evidence of human life 11,000 to 5,000 years ago.
• Gua Kecil:Located at Raub, Pahang - in 1964, Frederick L.Dunn published his landmark findings on Gua Kecil at Raub , Pahang. His excavations revealed a highly significant multi-stage prehistoric occupational sequence spanning the Hoabinhian and Neolithic eras. Reseachers discovered animal bone remain, edible molluscs, resin (damar) and ancient plant food remains.
• Gua Kain Hitam: located at Niah National Park, Sarawak - In 2007: USM researchers discovered 8 prehistoric human skeletons in Lobang Kain Hitam Cave, Sarawak believed to be 2,000 years old (Associate Professor Stephen Chia).
• Gua Madai, Kunak, Sabah: 
• in 1968, pioneering archaeologist Barbara Harrison do-led a monumental reconnaissance in Madai Cave at Kunak, Sabah, uncovering ancient stone tools, distinct earthenware and old burial grounds. This discovery proved human occupation dating back over 10,000 years, establishing the region as a major neolithic and Metal Age cultural crossroad in eastern Sabah. 
• 1979-1980: Excavations at Madai Cave, Kunak, Sabah were carried out by Peter Bellwood, discovering ancient tools, food remains and old burial grounds.
• Gua Ngaum: Lenggong Valley - containing food deposits, stone tools and broken earthernware of early dwellers. It could have been in use 7,000 to 6,000 years ago. 
• Gua Sagu: located at Sungai Lembing in Pahang, archaeological excavations led by Prof. Dato' Dr. Zuraina Majid, revealed important evidence of prehistoric human settlement from the late Pleistocene to Holocene periods. 
• Gua Teluk Kelawar: Lenggong Valley - this cave was used 11,000 to 6,000 years ago from the discovery of stone tools, food deposits (such as river snails, Brotia Costula and Brotia Spinosa) and animal bones. Human remains and burial sites dating 8,000 years indicated that the Paleolithic age in Malaysia in the region continued until the early Holocene era before the Neolithic arriva. The Perak Woman skeleton was found in this cave in 2004.  
• Guar Kepah: Historically famous as the very first archaeological site ever excavated in Peninsular Malaysia, initially dug up by British archaelogists starting in 1863. 
• George Windsor Earl : In 1850, he conducted the very first archaeological excavation at Guar Kepah, Seberang Perai, Pulau Pinang in 1850. He discovered 3 Neolithic shell middens and unburied 27 ancient human skeletons.
• Between 1851 and 1934, British researches excavated 41 other skeletons from the exact shell mounds. 
• Between 1934-1936: excavations led by Pieter Vincent van Stein Callenfels, uncovered the nomadic Semang tribe, these discoveries evidenced a 5,000 to 6,000 year old settled marine community. 
• Hoabinhian: a major prehistoric Mesolithic stone-tool industry and hunter-gatherer culture that thrived across Mainland Southeast Asia from approximaely 30,000 to 3,000 BCE. 
• Homo Erectus: believed to have migrated across the land bridges from Southeast Asia as far as Java 1.8 million years ago.
• Homo Sapiens : Scientific name of the sole surviving species of the genus homo, to which all living modern humans belong. Emerging roughly 300,000 years ago in Africa, Homo sapiens are distinguished by unique anatomical features, complex languages, symbolic thinking and an unprecedented capacity to alter their enviroment. 
• Jenderam Hilir: located at Sungai Langat, Dengkil, Selangor - the 1977 discovery confirmed it as one of the oldest open-air-Neolithic Settlements in Peninsular Malaysia. The 4,500 year old artefacts included pottery sherds, stone adzes and a wooden boat plank. 
• Kampung Bekuku, Ulu Tomani, Tenom, Sabah: the Lumuyu Petroglyph, Malaysia's largest ancient rock carving, the 1,000 years old sandstone boulder features human faces and footprints, was gazetted as a Sabah State Heritage site in 1999. 
• Kampung Bukit Kuda, Kelang, Selangor: a Bronze drum was found in 1944 during construction work during the Japanese period (Leong Sau Heng, 1988). 
• Kampung Sungai Lang, Banting, Selangor: the ancient boat remnants and accompanying artifacts were discovered and excavated in 1964 by the Department of Museums and Antiquities in collaboration with the University of Malaya. Estimated by radiocarbon dating to span from 580 BC to AD 190. The Dong Son bronze drums discovered buried with the boat. 
• Kota Gelanggi : also known as Klang Kio or Ganggayu, a legendary ancient lost city mentioned in the Sulalatus Salatin (Malay Annals). In 2005, independent researchers, Raimy Che Ross reported discovering the potential site of this ancient black stone fortress hidden within the dense forest reserves of Ulu Tiram, Johor. 
• Kota Tampan: Grik, Lenggong Valley, Perak:
• In 1938, Archaeologist H.D.Collings conducted the first excavation at the Kota Tampan Paleolithic site. He discovered ancient Palaeolithic stone tools. 
• In 1958 - British archaeologist, Ann Sieveking published her seminal report, "The Palaeolithic Industry of Kota Tampan, Perak, Malaya" analysing her 1954 excavation at the site. Her work documented 234 stone tools and established a relative Middle Pleitocene date for the site based on geological stratigraphy. 
• Excavation in 1987 led by Malaysian archaeologist, Prof. Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid, uncovered more than 50,000 pebble and stone tools buried beneath the ash of the Youngest Toba Eruption in Sumatra about 74,000 years ago that blanketed the Kota Tampan site under a thick layer of volcanis ash. At Kampung Bukit Sapi, visitors can visited an exposed, vertical wall of pure white and light grey Toba volcanic ash that measures between 6 to 10 meters thick. 
• Kuala Selinsing Archaeological site: a significant protohistoric coastal settlement and ancient port located at Pulau Kalumpang within the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve near Taiping, Perak. 
• Inhabited from roughly 200 BC to 1000 AD, it served as a major regional trading hub and feeder point long before the rise of the Melaka Sultanate. 
• 1932 - I.H.N Evans discovered the Kuala Selinsing Boat. Also discovered was a gold ring in Tanjung Rawa, Kuala Selinsing engraved with the name Cri Visnuvarmasya, possibly the King of Srivijaya as recorded in the Ligor B Inscription. 
• In 1935 , Dr. Ch. Chhabra wrote the hypothesis that the Selinsing gold had a writing pattern from the 8th century AD and the name Visnuwarmasya on the ring was the same as the name Visnuwarman in the Ligor B inscription.
• In 1940 - H.G. Quaritch Wales,British archaeologist - he published his opinion that Kuala Selinsing in Perak was a settlement belonging to Hinduised Indonesian immigrants. Writing in the "Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society". 
• In April 1955, G.de Sieveking,  conducted a second excavations at Kuala Selinsing, Perak. He recovered a remarkable total of 3000 glasses and polished stone beads from an 18-inch layer. 
• Lenggong Valley, Perak: 
• a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring a 1.83 millior-year-old meteorite impact site linked to early tool development. 
• Mansuli Valley: located in the east coast of Sabah, East Malaysia, hosts the oldest chronometrically dated open-air site in Borneo, providing evidence of stone tool manipulation starting 235,000 years ago. 
• Maritime Archaeology : Shipwrecks in Malaysia :
• Atago Maru : Imperial Japanese Navy ship, sunk off Miri, Sarawak on 28 November 1944. 
• Awazisan Maru: Imperial Japanese Navy - A World War II Japanese troopship that was bombed and sunk off the coast of Kota Bharu.
• Bidong Wreck: a 16th century vessel discovered near Pulau Bidong carrying Thai ceramics, offering vital insights into Southeast Asia's monsoonal trading history. 
• Desaru : A Chinese merchank "junk" vessel that sank around 1845 after striking a coral reef off the coast of Johor Malaysia.Discovered in May 2001 at depth of 20 metres, the wreck yielded a massive cargo of over 50,000 Chinese ceramic soup spoons, blue-and-white porcelain and Yixing teapots. 
• Diana: the 176-year disappearance of a British merchant ship that vanished in the Straits of Malacca in 5 March 1817. The wreck was found with a cargo load weighing 11 tons in 1993. 
• Dom Duarte de Guerta: Portuguese warship - Sank 18 August 1606 (Battle of Cape Rachado). Discovered in 1993 at Port Dickson (13 km from Nassau) by Transea Sdn Bhd whence undertaking survey of Caroline (1816). 
• Haguro: Imperial Japanese Navy - A Myoko-class Cruiser that was sunk in the Straits of Malacca by British Destroyer on 18 May 1945. 
• Hatsutaka: Imperial Japanese Navy - A Hatsutaka-class minelayer that was torpedoed by USS Hawkbill off Pulau Tenggol on 16 May 1945. 
• HMS Prince of Wales & HMS Repulse: famous British Royal Navy capital ships were sunk by the Japanese air attacks in 10 December 1941 off the coast of Kuantan, Pahang. They remain protected war graves, though they face modern threats from illegal salvage operators. 
• HMS Stratagem: British Royal Navy ship - an S-class submarine that was sunk by a Japanese Submarine chaser near Batu Pahat, Johor on 22 November 1944. 
• HNLMS O 16 and HNLMS K XVII: Dutch submarines sunk by naval mines in December 1941 off the coast of Tioman in Pahang. 
• Jade Dragon: a 1300 AD Southeast Asian trading vessel discovered by fisherman in 2010 off the northern tip of Borneo in Sabah. 
• KM Sipadan : a former Royal Malaysian Navy Ship intentionally scuttled in 2012 to create a thriving artificial reef systems, sitting at a depth of roughly 30 metres. 
• Kuma: Imperial Japanese Navy - a Kuma-class light cruiser that was torpedoed by HMS Tally-Ho off Penang on 11 January 1944. 
• Kuroshio Maru: a Japanese tanker that was sunk as a target off Pulau Aur on March 1960. 
• La Paix : The French Merchant vessel,sank on 28 November 1895 at Beting Bambek near Cape Rachado (Tanjung Tuan). The Malaysian government authorized commercial exploration contracts to locate the vessel in the 1990s, though initial localized attempts to fully uncover the hull faced significant challenges.
• Longquan: a massive 14th century merchant vessel that sank around 1380 AD off the coast of Terengganu, Malaysia. Discovered in June 1996 at a deep and hazardous depth of 63 metres, it is recognised as one of the largest wooden shipwreck ever found in the South China Sea. 
• Middleburg: Dutch warship, Sank 18 August 1606 (Battle of Cape Rachado) - discovered 1993 at Port Dickson NS (13 km from Nassau) by Transea Sdn Bhd whence undertaking survey  for Caroline (1816).
• Nanyang : A late 14th-century merchant vessel that sank around 1380 in the South China Sea. Discovered in October 1995 at a depth of 54 metres, the wreck is located approximately 10 nautical miles off Malaysia's Pulau Pemanggil (near Tioman Island). 
• Nassau: a Dutch East India Company warship sunk in the 1606 Battle of Cape Rachado, discovered in 1993. The joint survey involving Transea Sdn Bhd, Oxford University and Malaysia's National Museum took place in 1995, recovering over 500 artifacts. 
• Pulau Melaka Wreck: discovered recently in 2025, off Melaka Island, the 13th to 16th century century wooden ship made of native saga wood dates back to the Melaka Sultanate transition period and contained rare coins and Chinese ceramics. First detected in late 2020 by independent researchers led by Dr. Dionysius Sharma.
• Ranee: SS Ranee, a 317-ton steel steamship owned by the Straits Steamship Company that sank on March 14, 1923, along the Sedili Coast of Johor, after colliding with another vessel named the Boribat. Discovered in 2005, sitting at a depth of 20 metres, approximately 5 nautical miles off Tanjung Sedili Kecil.  
• Risdam : the wreck of Risdam Merchant Ship was found in 1984 in the waters of Mersing, Johor. The ship belonged to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and sank in 1727 AD.
• Royal Nanhai : a mid 15th-century Siamese merchant vesselthat sank around 1460 in the South China Sea. Discovered in 1992 at a depth of 46 metres, the ship was found roughly 40 nautical miles off the coast of Kuantan, Pahang and fully excavated by maritime archaeologist  Sten Sjostrand. 
• Sao Salvador: Sank 18 August 1606 (Battle of Cape Rachado) - discovered in 1993, Port Dickson, NS (13 km from Nassau) by Transea Sdn Bhd whence undertaking survey  for Caroline (1816).
• Singtai  : a mid 16th century trading vessel that sank around 1550 in the South China Sea. Discovered in April 2001 at a depth of 53 metres, the wreck is located roughly 12 nautical miles off the coast of Pulau Redang, Terengganu. 
• SS Amherst: a 108-tonne British steam vessel built in Glasgow in 1886 and registered in Singapore. On November 17, 1901, the ship sank on a sandbank in Sungai Pahang during a storm. Discovered in May 2016, the 30-meter remains of the wreckage were dramatically uncovered by local villagers at Kampung Tanjung, Paloh Hinai. 
• Tanjung Simpang :a 10th-12th century Chinese merchant vessel that sank off the Tip of Borneo (Tanjung Simpang Mengayau) in Kudat, Sabah. Dating to the Northern Song Dynasty, it is recognised as the oldest shipwreck ever discovered in Malaysian waters. It was found by local fishermanin April 2003 at a depth of 40 metres, just 400 metres from the shoreline. 
• Tanjung Tuan: Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan - The ships Nassau, Dom Duarte de Guerta, Middleburg and Sao Salvador were found in Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson in 1993 by Transea Sdn Bhd. The Dutch warship sank on 18 August 1606 in a battle with a Portuguese ship in the "Battle of Cape Rachado".
• Turiang: a 14th century Chinese merchant vessel that sank around 1370 in the southern zone of the South China Sea. Discovered on May 13, 1998 at a depth of 42 metres and roughly 100 nautical miles off the coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is historically celebrated as one of the earliest regional shipwrecks loaded with Thai export ceramics. 
• Vivian & Sons: January 2021: The Kuala Lipis shipwreck surfaced after a flood. The company name was found written "Vivian & Sons" and the year 1824.
• Wanli (1625): located off Dungun,Terengganu, this historic vessel was discovered with thousands of Ming Dynasty ceramic wares. 
• Xuande : a mid 16th century trading vessel that sank around 1540 in the South China Sea. Discovered in 1996 by maritime archaeologist Sten Sjostrand, the wreck sits at a depth of 53 metres,  approximately 30 to 39 nautical miles north of Pulau Tioman, Malaysia. 
• Mek Keldung : or Mek Keledung - a skeleton of 14,000-year-old prehistoric human discovered in Kelantan, Malaysia in November 2022 by a team from UKM, inside the Gua Keledung Kecil cave. 
• Metal Age: 2,500 years ago - The Malay Peninsula became a crossroads in the Maritime trade of the ancient age. Seafarers who came to Malaysia's shores included Malayo-Polynesian people, Indians and possibly Chinese traders among others. Ptolemy named the Malay Peninsula the Golden Chersonese.
• Mongoloid : an obsolete racial grouping of various indigenous to large parts of Asia, the Americas and some regions in Europe and Ocenia.
• Negritos : most probably the first inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula. These Mesolothic hunters were probably the ancestors of the Semang. 
• Neolithic: New Stone Age (10,000 - 5,000 years ago) - archaeological find from the Lenggong Valley in Perak show that people were making stone tools and using jewellery. 
• Niah National Park: 
• A curcial prehistoric cave system in Miri, Sarawak at East Malaysia containing human remains dating back approximately 40,000 years, alongside an extensicve Neolithic burial network. 
• in 1958 - Tom Harrison with his wife Barbara Harrison led the 1958 excavation at Niah Cave.They provide the first evidence of long-term human habitation in the region spanning tens of thousands of years. 
• Wikipedia : Niah National Park
• Palaeolithic : Old Stone Age, a prehistoric period lasting from about 3.3 million years ago to 11,700 years ago. 
• Penang Woman: a highly significant, 5,700 year old prehistoric human skeleton discovered accidentally in April 2017 in Guar Kepah, Seberang Perai, Pulau Pinang. Her ramins represent the first and only Neolithic (New Stone Age) skeleton found inside a shell midden. 
• Perak Man: 
• an 11,000 year old skeleton that represents Southeast Asia's oldest and most complete prehistoric human remains. Discovered in Gua Gunung Runtuh, Lenggong Valley in Perak in 1991.
• The only prehistoric skeleton in the world born with a congenital deformity known as Brachymesophalangia type A2. 
• Perak Woman: Found 13 years after the Perak man in a nearby cave complex, Gua Teluk Kelawar in 2004. living roughly 8,000 years ago. 
• Pioneering Figure: Proffesor Emeritus Datuk Dr. Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid is widely recognised as the founder of modern Malaysian archaeology. She discovered the Perak Man and instutionalised the discipline across the nation. 
• Pleistocene: a geological epoch that lasted from about 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago, famously characterised by repeated global glaciations. Frequently referred to as the Ice Age. 
• Pontian Boat: 
• an early historic lashed-lug wooden boat discovered on the banks of Pontian River in Pahang, Malaysia in 1926 by I.H.N Evans.It was regarded as one of the earliest known archaelogical examples of a lashed-lug boat in Southeast Asia, with radiocarbon dates placing it between the 3rd and 5th centuries CE.  
• C.A. Gibson Hill: discussed in detail the discovery of the Pontian Boat in his writings in 1956. C.A. Gibson Hill - MBRAS
• Proto Malays: Austronesian-speaking seafaring migrants who moved from mainland Asia into the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago between 2500 and 1500 BCE. 
• Pulau Kalumpang: 
• B.W.F Barnard: Deputy Conservator of Forests for Perak North. In May 1924, he discovered proto-historic human skulls, carnelian beads and blue glass at Pulau Kelumpang, Kuala Selinsing in Matang Perak. 
• In 1955, archaeologist G. de G. Sieveking discovered 3 ancient boats at Pulau Kalumpang, Perak. Believed to date between 200 BC and 1000 AD, these vessels are thought to have been used in animistic burial rituals by an early maritime community. 
• In 1987, Nik Hassan Shuhaimi conducted a new excavation in Pulau Kalumpang and succcessfully unearthed 11 burial, house post, wooden rice mortar, earthenware, stone artefacts, food remains, glass and stone beads, ear rings and organic materials. Base on the C14 dates, the site is believed to be inhabited between 200 BC and 1000 AD. 
• Rompin Boat : In 1902, American naturalist, William Louis Abbot documented a traditional wooden bark boat in Ulu Rompin, Pahang. 
• Tambun Rock Art: a series of Neolithic-era cave paintings at Gunung Panjang limestone hill in Tambun, Ipoh, Perak. It was discovered on a rocky overhang in 1959 by 2nd Lt. R.L. Rawlings of the 2nd Battalion, 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles. 
• Sagor Boat: discovered by researchers from the University of Malaya in Baling, Kedah in 1996. It is believed to have been used around the 19th century AD.
• Sungai Batu Archaeoligical Site: in 2007 - The Sungai Batu Archaeological Site, Kedah was discovered by a research team from the USM Global Archaeological Research Centre (PPAG) led by Prof. Dato' Dr. Mohd Mokhtar Saidin.
• Sungai Bewah:  Located at Hulu Terengganu. Prehistoric artifacts including Neolithic pottery, bowls and stone axes were discovered near the Bewah River and Taat Cave. Early excavations in the Lake Kenyir by H.D. Noone in 1959, the finding confirmed that the region served as a vital settlement stie dating back over 10,000 years. 
• Twankoo Boat (Tuan-ku) - discovered by  Carl Alexander Gibson-Hill and  G.de G. Sieveking, a Chinese style Twankoo vessel. Assumed its creation to be in the late 16th century. 

Reference:

1. Zulheimy Maamor : Nota Ilmu: Arkeologi di Malaysia > Penemuan artifak, Prasasti, Candi-candi dsb.
2. Ian Glover : Southeast Asia from Prehistory to History. 
3. Abu Talib Ahmad : Museums, History and Culture in Malaysia. 
4. Arkeologi Maritim: Kapal Karam di Semenanjung Malaysia > Zainuddin Baco, Baszley Bee Basrah bee & Stephen Chia. 
5. Khazanah Kapal Karam : Nor 'Asykin Mat Hayin, Harian Metro
6. Penyelidikan Arkeologi Bawah Air di Semenanjung Malaysia (1902-2015) - Zainuddin Baco & Stephen Chia.
7. Islam dalam Sejarah Asia Tenggara Tradisional - Abdul Rahman Haji Abdullah:Penerbitan Pena Sdn Bhd, 1989.
8. Zamir Mohyedin : Penemuan Rangka Berusia 14,000 tahun di Kelantan. 

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

26 July 2026: 11.32 am

WARKAH CINTA TERTUA DUNIA

Sumber: Dark of Mystery

Siapa sangka batu bersurat yang dijumpai di lembah Nippur, Iraq menjadi satu artifak yang cukup berharga dalam penyelidikan arkeologi. Apa yang menariknya, batu bersurat tertera tulisan Cuneiform ini sebenarnya adalah sebuah warkah cinta yang tertua pernah direkodkan.  

Mula dijumpai pada tahun 1889, ukiran batu ini telah ditemui seorang ahli arkeologi dari Universiti Philadelphia, Amerika Syarikat, Profesor Noah Kramer. Difahamkan, ukiran batu bersurat ini merupakan sebuah artifak peninggalan masyarakat Sumeria- sebuah bangsa yang menduduki tamadun awal Mesopotamia.  

Pada mulanya, objek ukiran batu tersebut hanya dianggap sebagai penemuan biasa sahaja. Bagaimanapun, selepas 58 tahun kemudian barulah diketahui  artifak berkenaan sebenarnya sangat bernilai terutamanya membongkar rahsia kisah kehidupan masyarakat kuno itu. 

Berdasarkan penyelidikan lanjut dan proses terjemahan mendapati, batu bersurat tersebut merupakan surat cinta yang diukir khas sempena hadiah perkahwinan. Surat ini dikatakan milik seorang bangsawan wanita yang bernama Inanna. Ia merupakan sebuah puisi cinta yang ditujukan khas kepada bakal suaminya.  Dianggarkan, warkah  cinta tertua di dunia itu ditulis sekitar tahun 2030 Sebelum Masihi.  

Berikut adalah terjemahan daripada petikan ayat surat berkenaan “Bridegroom, dear to my heart,Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet,Lion, dear to my heart,Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet. You have captivated me,Let me stand tremblingly before you. Bridegroom, I would be taken by you to the bedchamber,You have captivated me,Let me stand tremblingly before you.Lion, I would be taken by you to the bedchamber”.

“Bridegroom, let me caress you,My precious caress is more savory than honey,In the bedchamber, honey-filled,Let me enjoy your goodly beauty,Lion, let me caress you,My precious caress is more savory than honey.Bridegroom, you have taken your pleasure of me,Tell my mother, she will give you delicacies,My father, he will give you gifts.Your spirit, I know where to cheer your spirit”.

“Bridegroom, sleep in our house until dawn,Your heart, I know where to gladden your heart,Lion, sleep in our house until dawn.You, because you love me,Give me pray of your caresses,My lord god, my lord protector,My Shu-Sin, who gladdens Enlil’s heart,Give my pray of your caresses.Your place goodly as honey, pray lay your hand on it,Bring your hand over like a gishban-garment,Cup your hand over it like a gishban-sikin-garment”. 

Dalam tradisi masyarakat Sumeria, seseorang wanita yang ingin melangsungkan perkahwinan hendaklah melakukan kejutan istimewa buat pasangan mereka. Seperti mana yang sering dilakukan, mereka akan menulis puisi cinta yang diukir khas pada satu kepingan batu bersaiz kecil. Ia dianggap satu hadiah istimewa dan sebagai tanda kesetiaan serta kasih sayang golongan wanita Sumeria terhadap pasangan mereka. Kebiasaannya, amalan menulis puisi ini   dilakukan pada malam perkahwinan.

Tamadun Mesopotamia merupakan salah satu tamadun terawal di dunia yang wujud sekitar tahun 6,000 Sebelum Masihi. Lokasi tamadun kuno ini dikenal pasti terletak di Teluk Parsi iaitu di antara dua batang sungai utama yang dikenali Sungai Tigris dan Sungai Eupharates.  

Ketika zaman perkembangan tamadun ini, masyarakatnya terkenal dengan pelbagai ciptaan dan teknologi baru pada masa itu. Sebagai contoh, sistem pengairan yang sistematik bagi mengelakkan bencana banjir dan kemarau, pelopor pertama dalam penciptaan roda, memperkenalkan sistem nombor baru dan kalendar tahunan.

Selain itu, tamadun ini juga memiliki sistem pengurusan yang cekap terutamanya dalam urusan perdagangan dan pentadbiran. Menariknya, apa jua yang melibatkan kedua-dua aktiviti ini akan direkodkan pada plat-plat yang diperbuat daripada tanah liat. Rekod-rekod ini ditulis dengan menggunakan sistem penulisan mereka sendiri yang dikenali Cuneiform atau tulisan pepaku. 

C&P

19 Julai2026: 10.24 p.M

PEJABAT WARTA KINTA, IPOH, PERAK

Imej yang anda kongsikan menunjukkan bekas pejabat akhbar Warta Kinta yang terletak di Jalan Datoh, Ipoh, berhampiran Masjid Paloh. Bangunan ini merupakan sebahagian daripada deretan rumah kedai yang dibina pada tahun 1912 di atas tanah milik Toh Puan Sharipah Duakap. 

Berikut adalah beberapa fakta penting mengenai bangunan dan akhbar ini:

• Penerbitan Akhbar: Warta Kinta mula diterbitkan pada 24 Disember 1937 dan merupakan akhbar harian berbahasa Melayu pertama yang diterbitkan di Negeri-negeri Melayu Bersekutu.
• Tokoh Terlibat: Tokoh politik dan sasterawan tersohor, Ahmad Boestamam, pernah berkhidmat sebagai wartawan di sini pada sekitar tahun 1937-1938.
• Kepentingan Sejarah: Ia asalnya dicetak dalam tulisan Jawi oleh Persama Press, Pulau Pinang, sebelum dicetak sendiri oleh Warta Kinta Press Co. di Ipoh. Akhbar ini memainkan peranan besar dalam menyedarkan masyarakat Melayu pada waktu itu tentang isu pendidikan dan sosial.
• Keadaan Semasa: Bangunan bernombor 5 ini kini berada dalam keadaan usang dan terbiar serta ditumbuhi tumbuh-tumbuhan liar, namun ia tetap dianggap sebagai monumen penting dalam sejarah kewartawanan di Perak. 

Anda boleh melihat lokasi ini dengan lebih dekat melalui Google Maps atau membaca lebih lanjut mengenai sejarahnya di portal warisan seperti Ipoh Echo atau Penang Travel Tips.

Rujukan:

1. Sinar Harian: Kisah Boestmam dan rumah No. 5
2. Ipoh Echo : The Old Building on Datoh Street holds the long history of Ipoh.
3. Penang Travel Tips : Former Warta Kinta Newspaper office .

C&P

5 Mei 2026: 8.18 p.m

MYSTERY OF DIANA SHIPWRECK

The "mystery" of the Diana refers to the 176-year disappearance of a British merchant ship that vanished in the Straits of Malacca in 1817. While it wasn't a "ghost ship" in the supernatural sense, its exact resting place remained a legend among divers and historians until its discovery in 1993.

The Tragic Night (March 4, 1817)

The Diana was a "country ship" licensed by the East India Company, owned by the "Prince of Merchants," John Palmer. On its final voyage, it was sailing from Canton (China) back to Madras and Calcutta (India).

• The Incident: After a brief stop in Malacca, the ship hit a submerged reef known as Karang Lintang (off Tanjung Bidara).
• The Captain's Condition: Captain Alexander Lyell was reportedly incapacitated with dysentery. The First Officer, James Crichton, was navigating a pitch-black night without modern charts.
• The Sinking: The ship crashed into granite boulders. Despite efforts to lighten the load by throwing cannons overboard, the ship slipped off the reef and plunged into 34 meters of water.
• Casualties: Captain Lyell and two crew members (Lascars) went down with the ship. The rest of the crew survived.

The Recovery (1993–1994)

The wreck was located by Dorian Ball and his firm, Malaysian Historical Salvors, after three years of searching. They actually found 11 other wrecks before finally identifying the Diana just four days before Christmas in 1993.

The "Blue and White" Treasure

The recovery was famous not for gold, but for its massive "Diana Cargo":

• 11 tons of porcelain: Over 24,000 individual pieces of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain were recovered.
• Unique Statues: Most notably, the wreck contained nearly 900 terracotta figurines—including ducks, dogs, and a "boy on a buffalo"—which were rare for export at that time.
• Alcohol: Divers found over 400 bottles of wine, beer, and port intended for the three British officers. Interestingly, the Muslim crew members were teetotalers, meaning the three officers had a massive private stash, which some historians jokingly suggest might have contributed to the navigational error.

Aftermath

In 1995, the cargo was auctioned at Christie's in Amsterdam, fetching nearly $3 million. Today, pieces of the Diana cargo—often still bearing the original Christie's auction stickers—are highly prized by maritime collectors and can be found in museums like the British Museum.

Note: There is often confusion with another Diana—a famous steamship from 1823 that was used to fight pirates in the same region. The 1817 shipwreck, however, was a sailing vessel primarily used for the lucrative tea, silk, and porcelain trade.

Reference:

1. Gotheborg: Shipwreck 1817, Diana
2. The Thrifty Traveller : Tanjung Bidara - The Diana Shipwreck.
3. Free Malaysia Today: The Diana Shipwreck off Melaka

C&P

6 April 2026: 12.37 p.m

PENEMUAN ARKEOLOGI DI MALAYSIA

• 1834: Prasasti Buddhagupta ditemui oleh Kapten James Low di Seberang Perai, Pulau Pinang. Dianggarkan berasal dari kurun ke-4-5 Masihi ditulis dalam bahasa Sanskrit dengan menggunakan aksara Pallava (India Selatan). 
• 1840: penemuan arkaeologi di Lembah Bujang oleh James Low. 
• 1850: 
• Tapak Arkeologi Bukit Chora di Yan, Kedah pertama kali dilaporkan oleh seorang pegawai British yang mencari harta karun. 
• ditemui 27 tulang manusia di Guar Kepah, Kepala Batas, P.Pinang oleh pegawai British G.W. Earl. 
• 1902 : Bot kayu Rompin ditemui di Ulu Rompin, Pahang dan direkodkan oleh W.L. Abbot pada 1907. 
• 1917: Gua Kajang - gua yang pertama dijalan ekskavasi di negara ini oleh I.H.N Evans, ditemui pecahan tembikar alat batu, sisa makanan dan rangka manusia. Kajian mendapati gua ini telah dihuni sejak 11,000 - 5,000 tahun dahulu. 
• 1924: 
• I.H.N Evans melaporkan penemuan lukisan purba di Gua Badak, Lenggong, Perak. 
• Penemuan tengkorak manusia purba di Matang, Perak oleh B.W.F Barnard. Penyelidikan arkeologi pertama dijalankan oleh I.H.N. Evans  pada 1932. 
• 1926:Gendang Gangsa ditemui di Kg. Batu Pasir Garam, Sungai Tembeling, Pahang oleh William Linehan. 
• 1927: 
• Pontian Boat ditemui oleh I.H.N Evans di Pahang. 
• C.A. Gibson Hill mengupas secara terperinci mengenai penemuan boat tersebut dalam tulisannya pada 1956. 
• dianggarkan dibina sekitar abad ke-3 hingga ke-5 Masihi berdasarkan kajian karbon yang dilakukan. 
• Perahu Pontian adalah perahu tertua yang pernah ditemui di Asia Tenggara. 
• 1932: 
• Bot Kuala Selinsing ditemui oleh I.H.N.Evans. Pakar Sejarah Zuliskandar Ramli dan Nik Hassan Shuhaimi menyatakan bahawa tapak itu didiami antara 200 S.M dan 1000 Masihi. 
• Penemuan cicin emas di Tanjung Rawa, Selinsing, Perak yang terukir nama Cri Visnuvarmasya, berkemungkinan Raja Srivijaya seperti tercatat dalam prasasti Ligor B. 
• Dr.Ch.Chhabra menulis pada 1935, dengan hipotesis emas Selinsing mempunyak corak tulisan pada kurun ke-8 Masihi dan nama Visnuwarmasya pada cincin itu sama seperti nama Visnuwarman di prasasti Ligor B. 
• 1934-35: Ekskavasi di Guar Kepah, Kepala Batas, P.Pinang dilakukan oleh Van Stein Callenfels,  menemui bukti-bukti kehidupan orang Asli suku Semang. 
• 1936: ditemui sebuah patung jenis Avalokitesvara di Bidor, Perak. Kajian mendapati patung Buddha itu adalah zaman Gupta di India yang wujud kurun ke-5-6 Masihi. Ini membuktikan kewujudan Kerajaan Melayu Gangga Negara. 
• 1938: Ekskavasi di Kota Tampan di Grik, Perak oleh H.D.Coolings. 
• 1938-39: kerja ekskavasi di Lembah Bujang oleh Dr. H.G. Quaritch Wales isterinya Dorothy, menemui 30 kuil ibadat.
• 1940: Sebuah Pendayung Kayu Purba ditemukan di Jenderam Hilir, Selangor, selain ditemui juga serpihan tembikar dll.
• 1944: Gendang Gangsa ditemui di Kg. Bukit Kuda, Kelang, Selangor ketika kerja-kerja pembinaan diwaktu zaman Jepun (Leong Sau Heng, 1988).
• 1953: 
• Perahu Twankoo dikaji oleh Gibson Hill dan G de G Sieveking di Sungai Johor. Dianggarkan perahu sekitar abad ke-16 Masihi. 
• Tapak ekskavasi di Tebing Sungai Nenggiri, Ulu Kelantan dilakukan oleh G de G Sieveking, bertujuan untuk menyokong Teori G.H. Geldern bahawa manusia yang menjadi penduduk alam Melayu datang dari Utara dan berhijrah ke Selatan dalam Zaman Neolitik. 
• 1954: Ditemukan tengkorak kanak-kanak Homo Sapien Sapien di Gua Niah, Sarawak oleh Tom Harrison. 
• 1955: Perahu purba ditemui di Pulau Kelumpang, Perak oleh Sieveking.Dipercayai wujud sekitar 200 - 1000 S.M.
• 1956: Barang-barang purba ditemui oleh H.D. Noone di Sungai Bewak, Hulu Terengganu seperti tembikar, mangkuk dan kapak. 
• 1958 : 
• rangka manusia purba ditemui di Gua Niah, Sarawak oleh Kurator Tom Harrison  dan isterinya Barbara Harrison. 
• Ekskavasi di Kota Tampan, Grik, Perak oleh Ann Sieveking. 
• 1959 : Lukisan purba di Gua Tambun, Perak ditemui oleh Pegawai Tentera British, Lt. R.L. Rawlings ketika sedang membuat rondaan ketika Darurat. Lukisan yang sama dengan lukisan gua di Gua Tham Rob di Thailand dan beberapa gua di India dan Sri Lanka. 
• 1964: 
• Perahu Sungai Lang ditemui oleh para penyelidik dari Universiti Malaya dianggarkan berusia antara 580 - 190 S.M. 
• Gendang Gangsa ditemui di Kg.Batu Buruk, Kuala Terengganu. 
• Gendang Gangsa ditemui di Kg. Sungai Lang, Kuala Langat, Selangor. 
• Penyelidikan arkeologi di Gua Kecil,Raub, Pahang oleh F.L.Dunn, penemuan budaya Hoabinhian, merangkumi alat batu repeh dll. 
• 1966-67:  Rangka manusia Gua Niah di bawa ke Nevada, U.S.,untuk kajian. Disahkan oleh pakar Arkaeologi University of Cambridge bahawa Rangka manusia Gua Niah berusia lebih 42,000 tahun. 
• 1968: penemuan alat purba dan perkuburan lama oleh Barbara Harrisson di Gua Madai,Kunak, Sabah. 
• 1971: Petroglif Lumuyu dikenali juga sebagai Ukiran Batu Lumuyu di temui di Kg. Bekuku di Ulu Tomani Daerah Tenom di Sabah. 
• 1977: 19 artifak ditemui di kawasan lombong di Jenderam Hilir, Sungai Langat kira-kira 6 km dari pekan Dengkil. Dianggarkan berusia 4,500 tahun yang lalu. Kajian dijalankan oleh Leong Sau Heng dan Brian C. Batchelor. 
• 1979-1980: Ekskavasi di Gua Madai, Kunak, Sabah dilakukan oleh Peter Bellwood, penemuan alat purba, sisa makanan dan perkuburan lama.
• 1984: Bangkai kapal Dagang Risdam ditemui di perairan Mersing, Johor. Kapal milik Syarikat Hindia Timur Belanda  (VOC) karam pada tahun 1727 M. 
• 1987 : ekskavasi di Kota Tampan, Grik, Perak oleh Zurina Majid.
• 1987,1988 & 1999 : Ekskavasi di Gua Harimau di Lenggong, Perak menemukan tapak pengkebumian manusia berusia 2,000 - 5,000 tahun dahulu.
• 1989: 
• Kapal Azie ditemui di Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson, tarikh tenggelam tidak diketahui. 
• Penggalian arkeologi di Gua Sagu, Sungai Lembing, Pahang oleh pasukan penyelidik yang diketuai oleh Prof. Dato' Dr. Zuraina Majid, mendedahkan bukti penting mengenai penempatan manusia prasejarah dari zaman Pleistosen Akhir hingga Holosen. 
• 1991 : Rangka 'Perak Man" ditemui di Gua Gunung Runtuh, Lenggong, Perak, dianggarkan berusia antara 10,000 tahun. Ditemui oleh pasukan ahli arkeologi dari USM diketuai oleh Prof. Emeritus Datuk Dr. Zuraina Majid. 
• 20 Mac 1992: ditemui lukisan gua di Gua Badak, Lenggong, Perak. Pernah direkodkan oleh I.H.N.Evans pada 1920'an, ianya telah hilang akibat aktiviti kuari sebelum dikesan semula pada 1992.
• 1993: 
• Kapal Diana milik British ditemui bersama muatan kargo seberat 11 tan. Kapal tersebut karam diperairan Tanjung Bidara, Melaka pada 5 Mac 1817. 
• Kapal Perancis La Paix tenggelam pada 28 November 1895 di Beting Bambek, Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson.
• Kapal-kapal Nassau, Dom Duarte de Guerta, Middleburg dan Sao Salvador ditemui di Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson oleh Transea Sdn Bhd. Kapal Perang Belanda tenggelam pada 18 Ogos 1606 dalam Pertampuran dengan Kapal Portugis dalam "Battle of Cape Rachado". 
• 1994: Penemuan beberapa tengkorak di Bukit Tengkorak di Semporna, Sabah.Bukit Tengkorak dikenal pasti sebagai tapak pembuatan tembikar terbesar di Asia Tenggara pada Zaman Neolitik sekitar 3,000 tahun dahulu.
• 1995: 
• Muzium Negara, University Oxford dan Transea Sdn Bhd menemui bangkai kapal Nassau yang tenggelam 5 km dari pantai Port Dickson, dipercayai karam 389 tahun yang lalu. Kapal milik Belanda ini tenggelam dalam pertempuran dengan Portugis di luar pantai Melaka dalam "Battle of Cape Rachado". Turut tenggelam ialah sebuah lagi kapal Belanda iaitu "Middleburg" dan 2 buah kapal Portugis iaitu "Don Duarte de Guerra's Galleon" dan "San Salvador".
• Kapal Nanyang milik China ditemui di perairan Johor dan dipercayai tenggelam pada tahun 1380 M. 
• Kapal Royal Nanhai ditemui 40 batu nautika dari pantai Kuantan, dipercayai tenggelam pada 1460M. 
• Gendang Gangsa ditemui di Tapak Pengkebumian di Bukit Timbang Dayang, Pulau Bangi, Kudat, Sabah. 

• 1996: 
• Kapal Longquan yang tenggelam pada tahun 1400M ditemui sekitar 23 Batu Nautika dari Pantai Timur. 
• Kapal Xuande karam pada 1540M ditemui 34 batu nautika dari pantai. 
• Perahu Sagor ditemui oleh para penyelidik dari Universiti Malaya di Balin, Kedah. Dipercayai digunakan sekitar abad ke-19 Masihi. 
• Bangkai kapal Ranee ditemui pada Mac 1996 di Sedili, Kota Tinggi, Johor, Dipercayai karam pada 15 Mac 1923. 
• 11 Mei - Gendang Gangsa ditemui di Jertih, Terengganu oleh penduduk kampung disebuah kawasan perkuburan Sungai Mati kira-kira 2 km dari Bandar Jertih. 
• Gendang Gangsa ditemui di tebing Sungai Sedu, Kuala Langar, Selangor oleh pekerja-pekerja pembuat Bata. 
• Perahu Sagor ditemui di Baling, Kedah oleh sekumpulan penyelidik dari Universiti Malaya. 3 buah perahu dijumpai di 3 tempat yang berbeza iaitu di Kg.Sungai Bemban, Kg. Sungai Ketil dan Kg.Padang Pulai.Dipercayai digunakan sekitar abad ke 19 Masihi. 
• 1998: Kapal Turiang dari China tenggelam pada tahun 1370M ditemui di perairan Johor. 
• 2001: 
• Kapal Desaru yang karam pada tahun 1830M ditemui pada kedalaman 20 meter dari paras laut berdekatan Mersing, Johor. 
• Kapal Singtai karam sekitar 1550M ditemui 12 Batu Nautika darim Pulau Redang, Terengganu.
• 2003: 
• Bangkai Kapal karam di temui lebih kurang 400 meter dari Tanjung Simpang Mengayau di Kudat, Sabah. Nama kapal tidak dikenal pasti. 
• Bangkai Kapal Jade Dragon dipercayai kapal dari Dinasti Song di China ditemui di Tanjung Simpang Mengayau. 
• ditemuai tapak arkeologi di Lembah Mansuli, Lahad Datu, Sabah. 
• 2004: 
• Kapal Wanli, kapal Portugis dipercayai karam pada 1625 M ditemui berhampiran pantai Dungun,Terengganu.
• Perak Woman ditemui di Gua Teluk Kelawar, Bukit Kepala Gajah, Lenggong, Perak. Usia dianggarkan sekitar 8,000 tahun (Zaman Neolitik). 
• 2005: Tapak Klang Kio atau Ganggayu ditemui di Ulu Tiram, Johor. Laporan penemuan dibuat oleh Raimy Che Ross, seorang penyelidik bebas dalam bidang manuskrip lama. Nama Klang Kio disebut di dalam Sulalatus Salatin. 
• 2007: 
• Penyelidik USM menemui 8 rangka manusia pra-sejarah di Gua Lobang Kain Hitam, Sarawak dipercayai berusia 2,000 tahun (Prof.Madya Stephen Chia). 
• Tapak Arkeologi Sungai Batu, Kedah ditemui oleh pasukan Penyelidik dari Pusat Penyelidikan Arkeologi Global (PPAG) USM diketua oleh Prof. Dato' Dr. Mohd Mokhtar Saidin. 
• 2009 : Rangka manusia purba ditemui di Gua Bewah,Tasik Kenyir di Terengganu, dipercayai berusia 16,000 tahun, lebih tua dari Perak Man.
• 2010: Penemuan rangka manusia pra-sejarah di Gua Bewah, yang terletak di Tasik Kenyir, Hulu Terengganu. Dianggarkan berusia 8,000 hingga 11,000 tahun, namun ujian radiokarbon mengesahkan rangka ini berusia sekitar 13,400 tahun, berkemungkinan besar adalah seorang remaja perempuan. 
• 2012 : Perahu Bidong ditemui oleh Nelayan lebih kurang 2 batu nautika dari Pulau Bidong, Terengganu. 
• 2014: 
• ditemui fossil dinosaur Spinosaurids di Tasik Bera, Pahang. Fosil dinosaur pertama yang ditemui di Malaysia.
• ditemui juga fossil dinosaur jenis Ornithischians di Pahang. 
• November - penemuan fosil Iguanodontian, Theropod  dan Sauropod di Gunung Gagau, Hulu Terengganu. 
• 2016: Kapal SS Amherst ditemui di Pekan,Pahang. Dipercayai tenggelam pada tahun 1901. 
• April 2017 : Penemuan rangka manusia purba berusia 5,000 ke 6,000 tahun di Gua Kepah, Pulau Pinang dipercayai wanita (Penang Woman), berasal dari zaman Mesolitik.  Team PPAG dari USM diketuai oleh Prof.Datuk Dr. Mokhtar Saidin.    
• 2018: sekumpulan penyelidik daripada UKM dan Jabatan Warisan Negara menemui rangka manusia prasejarah dipercayai remaja perempuan berusia antara 6,000 hingga 8,000 di Gua Cawan di Lembah Nenggiri, Hulu Kelantan. 
• 2020: 
• Penyelidik Universiti Malaysia Kelantan menemui 7-10 kesan tapak kaki di Batu Pasir Kuarsa di Bukit Panau, Tanah Merah, Kelantan. Dipercayai dari spesis Sauropod dan spesis Compsognathus. 
• Penemuan fosil Stegodon, spesis Gajah Purba ditemui di Gopeng, Perak.  
• Penemuan artifak Prasejarah di kawasan Gua di Gunung Pulai, Baling Kedah, dianggarkan berusia 17,000 tahun (Zaman Paleolitik).
• Januari 2021: Kapal karam Kuala Lipis muncul selepas banjir.Nama syarikatditemui tertulis "Vivian & Sons" dan tahun 1824. 
• November 2022: Penemuan rangka manusia lengkap dianggarkan berusia antara 14,000 hingga 16,000 tahun di Gua Keledung Kecil, Lembah Nenggiri, Kelantan, kewujudan masyarakat zaman Mesolitik di Malaysia. Rangka ini digelar Mek Keledung. 
• 2023: penemuan Candi di Bukit Choras, Yan,Kedah oleh pasukan penyelidik dari Pusat Penyelidikan Arkeologi Globl (PPAG), USM. Dua arca Buddha ditemui disamping Batu Bertulis tulisan Pallava abad ke 8 Masihi. 
• 2024: Ahli arkeologi USM menemui 2 arca Buddha berukuran manusia berusia sekitar abad ke-7 hingga 8 Masihi. Arca Buddha ini lebih tua dari Angkor Wat dan Borobudur. 
• 2025: 
• Jun - Penemuan Struktur Bastion Hendrica Louisa di Bukit Melaka (dulu Bukit St. Paul). Ditemui di sekitar Taman Larangan dilereng bukit tersebut. 
• Oktober - Penemuan Kapal Karam Pulau Melaka dianggarkan berusia 800-1,200 tahun dahulu. Pertama kali dikesan pada akhir tahun 2020 oleh penyelidik bebas yang diketuai oleh Dr. Dionysius Sharma.

Rujukan:

1. Zulheimy Maamor : Nota Ilmu: Arkeologi di Malaysia > Penemuan artifak, Prasasti, Candi-candi dsb.
2. Ian Glover : Southeast Asia from Prehistory to History. 
3. Abu Talib Ahmad : Museums, History and Culture in Malaysia. 
4. Arkeologi Maritim: Kapal Karam di Semenanjung Malaysia > Zainuddin Baco, Baszley Bee Basrah bee & Stephen Chia. 
5. Khazanah Kapal Karam : Nor 'Asykin Mat Hayin, Harian Metro
6. Penyelidikan Arkeologi Bawah Air di Semenanjung Malaysia (1902-2015) - Zainuddin Baco & Stephen Chia.
7. Islam dalam Sejarah Asia Tenggara Tradisional - Abdul Rahman Haji Abdullah:Penerbitan Pena Sdn Bhd, 1989.
8. Zamir Mohyedin : Penemuan Rangka Berusia 14,000 tahun di Kelantan. 

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, K.L

19 Mac 2026: 5.34 a.m

PENEMUAN RANGKA MEK KELDUNG PADA 2022.

Penemuan Mek Kaldung di Gua Keledung Kecil, Lembah Nenggiri, Ulu Kelantan pada November 2022, merupakan satu pencapaian besar bagi sejarah arkeologi negara. Ia bukan sekadar "artifak", tetapi merupakan rangka manusia lengkap yang memberi gambaran jelas tentang kehidupan zaman prasejarah di Semenanjung Malaysia.

Pasukan penyelidik dari Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) yang diketuai oleh Profesor Dr. Zuliskandar Ramli telah memulakan proses ekskavasi tersebut sejak September 2022. 

Berikut adalah beberapa fakta ringkas mengenai penemuan ini:

• Dianggarkan berusia sekitar 14,000 tahun, menjadikannya lebih tua daripada Perak Man (yang berusia sekitar 10,000–11,000 tahun) dan Perak Woman (8000) yang ditemui di Lenggong, Perak. 

• Rangka ini dikenal pasti sebagai seorang wanita, yang kemudiannya diberi gelaran "Mek Kaldung" oleh komuniti setempat.

• Ditemui dalam posisi melingkar (fetal position), menunjukkan amalan pengebumian yang sistematik pada zaman tersebut iaitu zaman Epipaleolitik / Hoabinhian.

• Penemuan ini membuktikan bahawa Lembah Nenggiri telah didiami sejak zaman Pra-Neolitik dan merupakan tapak warisan yang sangat bernilai sebelum kawasan tersebut dibangunkan untuk projek hidroelektrik. 

• Ianya lebih lama dari Tempoh Ketamaddunan manusia iaitu al insan (Manusia pertama iaitu Nabi Adam a.s.). Malah 14,000 tahun ini lebih lama dari lokasi penempatan manusia di atas muka bumi iaitu di Jericho, Palestine iaitu 10,000 tahun. 

Allah SWT berfirman kepada malaikat: –

*”Sesungguhnya Aku hendak menjadikan seorang khalifah di bumi. Kemudian, malaikat menjawab dengan katanya: Adakah Engkau (Ya Tuhan) hendak menjadikan di bumi itu orang yang akan membuat bencana dan menumpahkan darah (berbunuhan), pada hal kami sentiasa bertasbih dengan memuji-Mu dan mensucikan-Mu? Lalu, Allah menjawab persoalan itu dengan menyatakan: Sesungguhnya Aku mengetahui akan apa yang kamu tidak mengetahuinya.” (Surah al-Baqarah, ayat 30).

Adakah rangka prasejarah 14000 tahun ini berkait dengan soalan/dialog Malaikat kepada Allah dalam surah Al Baqarah ayat 30. 

Persoalannya adakah Wujud makhluk lain sebelum Adam a.s………Penemuan rangka-rangka ini di Lenggong, Gua Cha dan terkini iaitu di Lembah Nenggiri ini telah membuka sebuah penemuan yang lebih luas akan Mukjizat Al Quran. Untuk kita fikirkan.

Kalau rangka Mek Keldung ini berusia 14,000 tahun dan lebih tua dari Nabi Adam a.s., adakah dia manusia SAPIENS yang tidak berakal dan saling berbunuhan sesama sendiri sebagaimana yang dinyatakan oleh Malaikat itu. 

Dalam ilmu Sains, Homo Sapiens moden telah wujud lebih 200,000 tahun. Beberapa pendapat umum menganggarkan Nabi Adam a.s hidup sekitar 6,000 hingga 10,000 tahun dahulu. Jika mengikut kaedah ini, rangka Mek Keldung berusia lebih tua dari Nabi Adam a.s. 

Pendapat ramai ulama bahawa Al Quran dan Hadis tidak menetapkan tarikh khusus bila Nabi Adam a.s diciptakan.

Kesimpulannya, secara saintifik Mek Keledung adalah antara manusia tertua di Malaysia, namun kedudukannya berbanding Nabi Adam a.s. kekal sebagai perbincangan terbuka kerana ketiadaan tarikh rasmi dalam agama.

Sebagaimana Allah pupuskan makhluk-makhluk Dinosor yang lain, begitu juga Allah pupuskan Makhluk seperti manusia ini yang digelar SAPIEN supaya mereka tidak berevolusi sehinggalah Allah mencipta Khalifah yang mempunyai akal menggantikan tempat SAPIEN ini.

Allah lebih Mengetahui akan apa yang Malaikat tidak ketahui.

Persoalan sama ada wujud manusia sebelum Nabi Adam a.s. sering dibincangkan dari dua sudut utama: pandangan Islam (Agama) dan penemuan Sains (Arkeologi).

1. Pandangan Islam

Secara dasarnya, majoriti ulama berpegang bahawa Nabi Adam a.s. adalah manusia pertama yang diciptakan oleh Allah SWT dan digelar sebagai Abu al-Basyar (bapa sekalian manusia).

Walau bagaimanapun, terdapat beberapa tafsiran mengenai kewujudan makhluk sebelum baginda:

• Keresahan Malaikat: Berdasarkan Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 30, malaikat bertanya mengapa Allah ingin menciptakan khalifah yang akan "melakukan kerosakan dan menumpahkan darah". Sesetengah mufassirin (ahli tafsir) berpendapat ini kerana malaikat telah melihat makhluk terdahulu yang berkelakuan sedemikian.
• Makhluk Al-Hin dan Al-Bin: Sesetengah riwayat menyebut tentang kewujudan makhluk berakal seperti Al-Hin dan Al-Bin (dari golongan jin atau spesies lain) yang mendiami bumi sebelum manusia, namun kesahihan riwayat-riwayat ini sering diperdebatkan oleh para ulama.
• Beza 'Basyar' dan 'Insan': Ada teori kontemporari yang membezakan antara Basyar (makhluk fizikal menyerupai manusia yang hidup mengikut naluri) dan Insan/Adam (manusia yang diberi akal, syariat, dan tanggungjawab sebagai khalifah).

2. Pandangan Sains dan Arkeologi

Dari sudut sains, penemuan fosil menunjukkan kewujudan spesies hominid (manusia purba) yang hidup beratus ribu tahun dahulu:

• Spesies Purba: Penemuan rangka seperti Homo Sapiens (sekitar 300,000 tahun dahulu), serta manusia Peking dan manusia Jawa, membuktikan adanya hidupan menyerupai manusia dalam garis masa sejarah bumi yang sangat lama.
• Zaman Batu: Bukti arkeologi menunjukkan tamadun awal manusia telah wujud jauh sebelum tarikh yang sering dikaitkan dengan sejarah bertulis manusia moden.

Kesimpulan

Secara ringkas, jika "manusia" ditakrifkan sebagai keturunan Adam yang mempunyai akal dan syariat, maka Nabi Adam a.s. adalah yang pertama. Namun, jika merujuk kepada makhluk fizikal yang menyerupai manusia (hominid), sains dan sebahagian tafsiran agama menunjukkan kemungkinan adanya makhluk terdahulu sebelum baginda diturunkan ke bumi.

Banyak pihak, termasuk Pejabat Mufti Wilayah Persekutuan, menyarankan agar kita berlapang dada dengan penemuan sains selagi ia tidak bercanggah dengan akidah bahawa Adam a.s. adalah manusia pertama yang bergelar khalifah.

Nota Penting: Penemuan ini melibatkan kerjasama antara pakar arkeologi dari Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) dan pihak TNB bagi memastikan warisan sejarah ini diselamatkan sebelum kawasan tersebut ditenggelami air.

C&P

16/3/2026:3.58 p.m