TWO prominent archaeologists have called for more patience and cautioned against jumping the gun after the recent stunning discovery of a fully preserved life-sized Buddha statue in Bukit Choras, near the Bujang Valley archaeological zone in Kedah.

Preliminary findings indicated that it dated back to the 8th or 9th century.

This may mean that the site is older than the Unesco World Heritage treasures in Angkor Wat, Cambodia and Borobudur, Indonesia.

The archaeologists – Zuliskandar Ramli from the Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and Nasha Rodziadi Khaw, a senior lecturer at the Global Archaeological Research Centre in Universiti Sains Malaysia – told The Vibes that caution must be exercised over the dating of the stunning discovery.

While both concur that Bukit Choras in Yan, Kedah must be protected and preserved at all costs because it was unearthed as a major archive site, more studies and calculations are needed to determine the exact date of the finding.

Nasha said that the dating is still preliminary, and researchers need time to cross-reference it but the authorities definitely need to focus on the cultural significance of the site.

He stressed that archaeology is an evidence-based field with data which can be interpreted as fairly academic and accurate.

“But more work needs to be undertaken,” he stressed in a briefing about the latest findings at the Bujang Valley Museum in Kedah.

Zuliskandar, meanwhile, stressed that there might be discoveries in Angkor Wat and Borobudur, which are older, but it has not been publicised as means to protect their natural heritage site and to prevent illegal excavation.

So, the authorities need not get ahead of everything but to focus on the science and to yield the facts about the finding, he said.

Earlier, Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry secretary-general Datuk Roslan Abdul Rahman said this discovery by a research team led by Nasha is an archaeological tourism asset and Kedah tourist attraction.

“We will hold an exhibition soon after USM completes a thorough study on the relic, and we have not made a decision yet on whether such discoveries will be exhibited at a selected museum or if Bukit Choras will be developed as a new archaeo-tourism product like as has been done in Cambodia and Indonesia. The discovery is older than Angkor Wat and Borobudur. This is interesting.”

The team led by Nasha involved a collaboration between the National Heritage Department and the apex university.

Nasha said the phase three of the archaeological probe revealed a building, with its north and west walls evident, clearly showing the main structure of the Bukit Choras temple has a unique architecture.

The important discovery at the site was the human-sized Buddha statue made of stucco, which is a mixture of lime, water and sand, found at the temple’s north wall.

“As a safety measure and for further research, the relic has been taken out of the Bukit Choras site and temporarily placed in the university laboratory for comprehensive conservation work,” he said.

The latest discoveries at the site opened up a new discourse for a fresh interpretation of the Kedah Tua civilisation’s geostrategic position in the ancient Southeast Asian maritime trade route. – July 19, 2024.