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Experts believe wall structure in Mojokerto to be burial site of Ken Arok's descendant
A thick wall structure found in Kumitir Village, Mojokerto, is believed to be part of the burial ground of Narasinghamurti, descendant of Ken Arok.
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An ancient wall in Kumitir village, Mojokerto, East Java, is believed to be part of a burial ground of Narasinghamurti, descendant of Ken Arok, a historical figure in East Java. (JP/Asip Hasani)
E
xperts from the Trowulan Heritage Conservation Agency (BPCB) believe that a thick wall structure found in Kumitir village, Mojokerto, East Java, is part of the burial ground of Narasinghamurti.
The grandson of Ken Arok, founder of the Singasari kingdom that ruled East Java in the 13th century, Narasinghamurti’s grandson Raden Wijaya went on to found the influential Majapahit kingdom.
Around 200 meters of the wall have been fully uncovered after the archaeology team dug for 10 days in late October. It is 1.4 m in height and is built from bricks believed to be typical of those used in the Majapahit era.
“Around 250 m from our last spot, we found a similar wall structure. This means that the wall stretches for more than 450 m,” archaeologist Wicaksono Dwi Nugroho told The Jakarta Post in early November.
According to the team, the wall faces east and stretches from north to south. It is located in the digging field of brick makers in the area. The archaeologists believe that the wall will lead to three other walls, which together encompass a sacred site of 16 hectares.
Wicaksono said the structure probably acted as a barrier against soil erosion. “The bricks on the inside part are rough and covered by soil. Also, the surface outside the wall is lower by 1 m than the soil behind,” he said.
The interior part of the wall is believed to be a temple with several levels. The center, or the most sacred spot, is thought to be located in a graveyard around 200 meters from the excavation spot. At the graveyard, the team found dozens of andesite stones and antefix, which could mean the ruins of a temple.
