ULOG: 18 "Unexpected, Relics of the Mataram Kingdom scattered in Citizens' Settlements"

Img source : pixer.pl

The Research Team of the Center of Ancient Mataram Kingdom and the East Merapi Slope Area of ​​the Archaeological Center of Yogyakarta Special Region found several objects that were thought to be the legacy of the Ancient Mataram Kingdom. In the nine-day excavation at RT 5 in the Village of Balong Bayen, Purwomartani, Kalasan, Sleman Regency, the team found pottery, ceramics and terracotta in the form of drains.

Chairman of the Baskoro Team Ndaru Tjajono said the excavation itself was carried out on 15 September. This excavation is a continuation of research in 2007-2009.

"Before two full years of research, we focused our observations on the existence of large rocks on the surface. Excavation at the location is based on the hypothesis of a settlement between Kedulan temple and Sambisari temple, "Baskoro said in DIY, Monday, September 24, 2018.

"This hypothesis is reinforced by the fact that the location of the discovery was in the middle of the four temple sites, namely Sambisari Temple, Kedulan Temple, Bromonilan Temple and Dhuri site. The four are city limits, "he said.

It is also in accordance with the concept of the establishment of the kingdom with the concept of the universe in which the location is also between two major rivers namely the Opak and Yellow times. Besides that there is also Mount Merapi. In the past, the mountain was considered a place to live in the gods.

In history, before moving four times other than in East Java, the center of the Ancient Mataram government was likely to be between the Kedu and Prambanan regions.

After this discovery, Baskoro added that the research would be stopped and continued next year waiting for budget allocation. From the discovery it is expected to find a bright spot whether Kalasan is a settlement or the center of the kingdom.

According to him, from two digging holes measuring 2 times 6 meters, at a depth of 5 meters, the researchers found 67 pottery, 4 ceramic fragments and 1 water channel terracotta.

Suspicion of ceramics originating from the Tang dynasty or Song dynasty. While the existence of terracotta in the form of a water channel is considered the same as the findings in the legacy of the Majapahit Kingdom.

Baskoro stated that the discovery indicated that this location was formerly a settlement and temple as the center of the Ancient Mataram Kingdom from the 8th to 10th centuries.

These findings allegedly had been closed after the flood of the cold lava of Mount Merapi in the 10th century. The soil layer at the location also shows similarities with Kedulan Temple and Sambisari Temple which are not far from the location, especially the type of soil layer.