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Treasure hunting on burned peatland puts South Sumatra authorities on guard
Residents of Ogan Komering Ilir regency discovered last week archeological objects on burned peatland, with some people having reportedly taken home some of the treasure.
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An exhibit at Kedatuan Sriwijaya: The Great Maritime Empire exhibition at the National Museum in Jakarta in 2017. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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uthorities in South Sumatra are on the alert as they tighten security to put a stop to any attempts of treasure hunting in areas where centuries-old ancient valuables were recently unearthed following months of wildfires in parts of the province.
Residents of Ogan Komering Ilir regency discovered last week archeological objects on burned peatland, with some people having reportedly taken home some of the treasure ─ the origins of which are believed to date back to the Sriwijaya Kingdom era in the seventh century ─ without reporting the findings to authorities.
South Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Firli Bahuri launched an air patrol on Sunday to monitor the location of the findings, while regency officials urged district and village heads to make sure no one from outside the region paid a visit without permission to look for ancient treasures. “We are anticipating the possibility [of treasure hunting] in the area,” said Ogan Komering Ilir administration secretary Husin.
Ogan Komering Ilir Regent Iskandar has called on people to refrain from carrying out mass excavations and to report any archeological findings, in accordance with a 2010 law on cultural heritage.
“It is important to report any findings so we can protect and preserve them,” Iskandar said, adding that people could file a report with local police or village administration.
The locations of the unearthed ancient treasure ─ where people reportedly found gold and jewelry, among other things ─ were thought by archeologists to have been trading centers during the Sriwijaya Kingdom era until the emergence of the Palembang sultanate in the 12th century.
It is believed that people’s lack of understanding of the importance of preserving cultural heritage and economic motives have played a key role in treasure hunting in a number of districts in the regency.
