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View all search resultsExplainer: Tracing Fadli Zon’s ‘Out of Nusantara’ ancient humans claim
A hypothesis suggesting that ancient humans came from the prehistoric Indonesian archipelago, or Nusantara, is part of a bigger claim that suggests Indonesia as the oldest civilization in the world, Culture Minister Fadli Zon has said.
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Visitors look at an exhibition on the evolution of ancient humans at the Sangiran Museum in Sragen, Central Java, on Feb. 4, 2025. (Shutterstock/Fadhila Hasnah AW)
W
here did ancient humans come from? Most academics have argued they came from Africa before migrating elsewhere, while others point to evidence suggesting the other way around, of them coming from mainland Asia.
But Culture Minister Fadli Zon recently promoted a bold hypothesis: Ancient human beings might have originated in the Indonesian archipelago, or Nusantara, before spreading out to other continents. But the proposition has been met with skepticism from experts, who have demanded the minister show more proof to back his claim.
Fadli, a holder of a doctoral degree in history from the University of Indonesia (UI), first introduced the idea in late October after inaugurating one of the Buddhist temples in the Plaosan temple complex in Klaten regency, Central Java. The temples were previously restored in a project led by the Culture Ministry.
The “Out of Nusantara” claim, Fadli said, would counter the long-backed scientific theory that early humans, such as Homo erectus who lived from around 1.9 million years to some 150,000 years ago, originated in Africa, before making their way to Europe and Asia and going extinct in Java.
The minister shared his theory not long after the Netherlands agreed to repatriate thousands of fossils looted from Indonesia during the Dutch colonial era. The collection could present “fresh evidence” that would support his sweeping narrative, according to Fadli.
“The big narrative,” Fadli said, as quoted by Antara, “is that Indonesia is the oldest civilization in the world.”
Read also: Fadli Zon’s ‘Out of Nusantara’ hypothesis meets pushback
