New Evidence of a Śailendra Presence Found in Central Java

A depiction of the Śailendra royal court on one of Borobudur's bas reliefs. Source: wikimedia.org

After a week of excavation, in Ngreco hamlet, Kesongo village, Tuntang District, Semarang Regency, possible evidence of a Śailendra presence in the area has been found by a team archaeologists comprising members of the National Research Center for Archaeology (Indonesian: Pusat Arkeologi Nasional), Gadjah Mada University's Archaeological Center, Bandung Institute of Technology’s Geomorphology Department and the French Cultural Center in Jakarta.¹

Location of the finding. Larger map: maps.google.com

The discovery of a foundation adds to previous findings of a jaladwara—a water sewage system—along with pieces of bricks and artifacts. The foundation may be that of a since-demolished temple, and according to National Research Center for Archaeology team leader Indrajaya Agustijanto, exceeds 3.6 meters (11' 9'') and was made of brick.

Combined with the jaladwara, one can paint a picture of a temple and waterway in the area, and with it an ancient civilization.

Initial evidence that this area was inhabited by people during the Śailendra period came from the discovery of a plaque near the current excavation site in Tuntang. The plaque was inscribed with the number “685”. Because the Śaka calendar², which starts in 78 CE, was used in Java during this period³, this plaque would have been inscribed in 763 CE, 15 years before the inscription linked with Candi Kalasan, which is the first⁴ in Indonesia to mention the Śailendra dynasty. Indrajaya notes, “When compared to the Canggal plaque in Magelang, the time span is between 20 and 40 years, so it can be said that the finding in Ngreco is quite old when associated with the Sailendra period.”