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Ken Arok's offspring burial site believed to be in Mojokerto
Remains of a golden age: A man looks at a wall believed to have been built in the 13th century, in Kumitir village, Mojokerto, East Java, on Nov
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emains of a golden age: A man looks at a wall believed to have been built in the 13th century, in Kumitir village, Mojokerto, East Java, on Nov. 2.(JP/Asip Hasani)
Experts from the Trowulan Culture Heritage Preservation Center (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 m from the excavation spot. At the graveyard, the team found dozens of andesite stones and antefix, which could mean the ruins of a temple.
Wicaksono believes that the recently found wall is the outermost part of the Kumeper temple, mentioned in ancient texts as the burial ground of Narasinghamurti’s ashes. The archaeologist cited Negarakertagama, written by Majapahit literary figure Mpu Prapanca; Pararaton (Book of Kings), a genealogy of Singasari and the Majapahit kings written in the early 17th century; and Kidung Wargasari from Bali.
He added that “Kumeper” and “Kumitir” were believed to mark the same area.
“Narasinghamurti was the grandfather of Raden Wijaya who founded the Majapahit kingdom. That would mean Raden Wijaya built the capital in Trowulan, not far from his grandfather’s burial ground. It confirms Majapahit as a continuation of Singasari,” he said.
Several historians believe that Ken Arok came from a village in Blitar and later seized the Tumapel kingdom after killing its ruler, Tunggul Ametung. He also took the widow of Tunggul Ametung, Ken Dedes, as his wife along with his other wife, Ken Umang. Ken Arok built the Rajasa dynasty, which ruled Tumapel in 1222 and rebelled against the Kadiri kingdom.
According to Pararaton, Tumapel saw constant bloodshed as descendants of Tunggul Ametung, Ken Dedes, Ken Arok and Ken Umang were always at war with each other. Numerous acts of vengeance came to a halt when Wisnuwardhana, grandchild of Tunggul Ametung and Ken Dedes, shared the throne with Mahesa Cempaka, or Narasinghamurthi, grandchild of Ken Arok and Ken Dedes.
Historian Ferry Riyandika said that according to Kidung Wargasari, the Kumitir temple is located not far from the capital of Majapahit. “While in Pararaton, it is written that Mahesa Cempaka or Narasinghamurti died in 1268. Some of his ashes were buried in Kumĕpĕr or Kumitir, while some were buried in Wudi Kuncir,” he said.
Kidung Wargasari mentioned that Kumitir was a temple site located in the southeast, based on the Hindu concept. It also referred to the Majapahit division of a town into nawasanga (nine parts). The concept stated that the middle part of the town was considered the most sacred, which would become the location of the palace.
“If we assume that the center part is around Sumur Upas and the Kedaton site in Trowulan, Kumitir is at the southeast point in the nawasanga concept,” he said.
Wicaksono added that the finding of the Kumitir site confirmed the nawasanga concept in the map of prehistoric sites in Trowulan.
