Fwd: Pre-Angkor temple civilization found in Malaysia may be oldest in region

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religious-freedom , " Raghu Rao " <raoraghus wrote:

 

http://www.duniyalive.com/?p=4935

 

Pre-Angkor temple civilization found in Malaysia may be oldest in region

Posted on March 06th, 2009 in Science & Technology

 

Kuala Lumpur, March 6 (ANI): Archaeologists in Malaysia have discovered the main

site of an ancient kingdom that predates the Angkor temples of Cambodia and

could be the oldest civilization in the region.

 

According to a report in Taipei Times, archeological team leader professor

Mokhtar Saidin said the find, which could lead to a rewriting of history books

on the region, was made in two palm oil plantations in northern Kedah State last

month.

 

He said that buildings found at the site indicate it was part of the ancient

Hindu kingdom of Bujang which existed in the area some time in the third

century, predating the Angkor civilization of Cambodia which flourished from the

12th to 14th centuries.

 

" We have dated artifacts from what we believe are an administration building and

an iron smelter to 1,700 BP (250AD), which sets the Bujang civilization between

the third and fourth century AD, " Saidin said.

 

" We have only one date so far so we can say it is one of the earliest

civilizations in the region, but with more dates, we will be able to verify

whether it is the oldest civilization in the region, " he added.

 

Mokhtar said the iron smelter was a surprise find as it showed that such an

early civilization was already quite advanced technologically.

 

" We have 30 more mounds at the site that have to be excavated and we are hoping

to also find the port area for the kingdom as it was near the sea, " he said.

 

" This will give us a clue to how the civilization was trading and influenced by

China and India, who would have been the two main powers back then to have

influenced development in this region, " he added.

 

Malaysian archeologists last month also announced the discovery of stone tools

they believe are more than 1.8 million years old and the earliest evidence of

human ancestors in Southeast Asia.

 

The stone hand-axes were discovered last year in the historical site of Lenggong

in northern Perak State, embedded in a type of rock formed by meteorites. (ANI)

 

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