The Batu municipal administration plans to work together with the Center for Archeological Conservation (BPPP) in Trowulan, Mojokerto, East Java, to excavate three historical sites in the area.
Archeologist Widya Heri Setyawati, from the Batu Tourism and Culture Agency's cultural affairs division, said Tuesday the sites were the Sumber Jeding ritual bathing place, the Sumber Beji site in Beji village, Junrejo district, and the Punden Mojorejo site, both believed to be temples dating back to the Majapahit era.
The three sites are believed to be linked to the Gading Melati site in Punten village, Bumiaji district in Batu, which is currently being excavated by a team from BPPP Trowulan.
Archeologists from the tourism and culture agency speculate the three sites are related to one another because a number of findings show some resemblance.
"At the Punden Mojorejo site, we found bricks identical to those used at the Gading Melati site, which is now under excavation," Widya told reporters at the excavation site.
"So there's a very big possibility they're related. They are located around 7 kilometers apart."
Prapto Saptono, conservation and application division head at BPPP Trowulan, which oversees the East Java area, said that based on a number of historical facts found at the 8-by-9-meter site, Gading Melati is believed to be located on top of a temple.
"We found traces of a building at the base, or the foundation of the temple," said Prapto, who heads the 11-member team of experts from BPPP Trowulan.
The Gading Melati site, located on Jl. Melati in Punten village, is believed to sit on top of a temple dating back to the 13th or 14th century.
Studies carried out by Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta and Udayana University in Bali show the Hindu temple was likely built around the middle of the Majapahit era.
The Majapahit empire, based in Java, held sway over much of Southeast Asia, from Malaysia to the Philippines, between the 13th and 16th centuries.
The BPPP Trowulan archeological team and the Batu Tourism and Culture Office have been conducting observations at the site for the past few days. They also carried out topographical observations before excavating the site.
According to Widya, so far there was no special documentation on the presence of a temple in Batu.
In spite of this, the Batu area could serve as a place of worship due to its elevated position at around 1,300 meters above sea level.
"During ancient times, places of worship were usually located in elevated areas, such as Batu," she said.
"The temple could have also been built by people from the Majapahit kingdom who had spread to Batu."
The Gading Melati site was renovated to resemble a temple by residents between 2004 and 2005. Residents were only aware of its historical value during the 1960s.
The site was not yet discovered before that because a large banyan tree grew on top of it.
When the tree fell, bricks similar to those used in temple foundations were found underneath it, including a stone in the shape of a phallus, from which water streamed.
Should the team find a temple after excavating the site, the Batu mayor will be notified so the administration can take the necessary steps to preserve the site.
The Batu municipal administration has set aside Rp 25 million (US$2,200) from its local budget to unearth the Gading Melati site.
It will consider land acquisition if it turns out the size of the temple extends beyond areas around it after excavation.
"We'll think about it later, but the most important thing is proof of whether a temple exists, and from which era it dates," Widya said.
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