Learn and Play at the Museum
Tauhid Nur Azhar
In recent times, there have been many exciting developments related to public education media that have taken shape in various edutainment models based on history and nature. Even initiatives from several parties have been launched to organize activities involving many community elements, such as concerts at cultural sites. One of the most up-to-date examples is the Prambanan Jazz 2024 event at the Prambanan temple complex, which was followed by an orchestral music performance initiated by two countries (Indonesia and Australia) at the same location.
In Solo City, there is a unique museum run by a private entity that accommodates various cultural products from different origins and streams, known as the Tumurun Museum. This private museum, built by HM Lukminto, a textile entrepreneur, in the heart of Solo City, is open to the public who want to appreciate various works of art across generations and dimensions as part of personal growth, particularly in terms of “rasa”, aesthetics, and art.
Meanwhile, in DIY, in Yogyakarta City, there is a place to learn about various historical documents and timelines presented in a captivating format. Not only does it display documents alone, but this place also presents data and information through technology-based approaches. Immersive technology, holography, and various multimedia models are available there. The name of the location is Diorama Arsip Jogja.
Still in the same city, there is also the Sonobudoyo Museum, which has been developed to a great extent, presenting not only traditional exhibits but also adopting various technological developments, particularly in the multimedia aspect.
Just a stone’s throw away, across the street, near the 0-point of Jogja, there is the new Vredeburg Museum, which is just as impressive and attractive.
While on the legendary street, not more than 100 meters from the former Dutch fortress museum, there is Hamzah Batik on the 3rd floor, which has a cabaret performance space with popular cultural genres (weekends) and sendratari performances that showcase Javanese cultural heritage during weekdays.
Similarly, in the Taman Budaya area, located next to the fortress and the legendary Beringharjo market, there are almost always cultural events, including nostalgic food markets and traditional music performances like keroncong and karawitan, which seem to bring us back to various aspects of local wisdom.
Still in the same city, there is also the modern museum in Kotagede, located in a private house in Tegal Gandu, which contains various collections and interactive models to learn about history in an enjoyable way. This museum is part of a complex with a mosque and the graves of the founders of the Mataram Islamic kingdom, providing many opportunities to explore historical sites with diverse meanings behind each historical page.
Many cultural events are held at the National Museum of Jogja, ranging from phenomenal and annual rituals for artists at ArtJog to exhibitions by artists, from painters to musicians, who often perform here. I myself had the pleasure of enjoying Faisal Kamandobat’s extraordinary exhibition, just before ArtJog was held the following month.
Let’s not forget that, as a cultural hub, in Solo City, specifically in the Sriwedari park area, the wayang orang stage is always present every night. The regeneration of wayang players to the millennial and Z generations is taking place, along with the improvement of the organization and management of the stage.
Multimedia technology and social media are being used. The storyline and script are being updated. As a result, the Sriwedari wayang orang can exist and may become one of the cultural tourism icons, just like the musical performances on Broadway in New York, which have been a major attraction for the city known as the Big Apple for hundreds of years.
Including myself, who is so captivated by watching Lion King or various classic titles that have been performed for decades, such as Moulin Rouge, Wicked, or Aladdin.
Still around Solo Raya, there is a museum and gallery based on archaeological and paleontological history, known as Sangiran. There, we can learn about fossil discoveries and various geological facts that make Sangiran a special area for learning about ancient history.
Initiated by GHR Von Koenigswald, a German paleoanthropologist who worked for the Dutch government in the 1930s, the Sangiran fossil collection was built. Starting from the collection of Homo erectus fossils found by him, we can now learn about many other related discoveries there.
Talking about geological and ancient history, in the central part of Java, we can see and learn about the mud volcano phenomenon in Bledug Kuwu, as well as the formation of ancient rocks and geomorphology of ancient volcanoes in the Nglanggeran area.
For serious earth science or geology enthusiasts, the Karangsambung site with its Luk Ulo area is a unique geological area with various rock formations, including the Melange formation found in an area believed to be a rising continental plate from the ocean floor, as part of the geological evolution of the Java island.
Initiatives by the community to preserve various historical artifacts can also be seen in the Bumiayu sub-district. There is a private museum called the Bumiayu Ancient Museum, developed by Haji Rafli Rizal to conserve the findings of local archaeology enthusiasts.
Its collection is quite diverse, featuring fossils of the ancient elephant Sinomastodon bumijuensis, Stegodon, and Elephas. Then there are fossils of tigers, river horses, water buffalo, deer, orangutans, and crocodiles. Also, there are fossils of mollusks and other marine species.
In this area, BRIN is currently developing an archaeological research site, due to the discovery of ancient human fossils by Prof. Hary Widianto, which are estimated to be 1.8 million years old. This is older than the fossils of early humans found in Sangiran, Wajak, and Trinil, which were discovered by Dubois, Koenigswald, and Ter Haar.
In my hometown, Bandung, there are several museums that have been revitalized and can become educational tourist destinations. Related to natural history and cultural history, at least two main museums can be considered bucket list destinations, namely: the Sri Baduga Museum and, of course, the famous Geology Museum, which has become a popular destination for many school groups from various parts of Indonesia.
The establishment of the Geology Museum was an initiative of the Dienst van den Mijnbouw (Mining Department) during the Dutch East Indies era. At that time, the department wanted to have a place to store the results of mining research conducted.
On April 23, 1927, the construction of the museum building, designed by Ir. Menalda van Schouwenburg, began. In its development, the museum also housed many collections of fossils and paleoanthropological artifacts, such as ancient human fossils, etc.
Meanwhile, at the Sri Baduga Museum, we can learn and study various insights related to the history and culture of Sunda. This includes the figure who is the namesake of the museum.
Sunda and West Java are often associated with the era of the great king known as Prabu or Prebu Siliwangi, even the name and emblem of the military territorial unit of the Indonesian Army in West Java and Banten is named Siliwangi, with a tiger as its emblem.
Prabu Siliwangi is a legendary figure who is very popular in Sunda and West Java society. The popular figure in the legend of the people is believed to be Sri Baduga Maharaja (1482–1521). However, many historians also argue that the title Prebu Siliwangi is an honorific title from Prabu Niskala Wastukencana, who ruled for 104 years from 1371–1475.
Or there is also the version of Prabu Jayadewata or who is known as Ratu Purana Prebu Guru Dewataprana, the son of Prabu Anggalarang, who was known for his knowledge of black magic and eventually lost his memory and wandered around Java with a confused condition.
Pangeran Jayadewata is also known as Raden Pamanah Rasa due to his bravery. His condition of losing his memory was eventually cured by Ki Gedeng Sindangkasih, and he married Nyai Ambetkasih, the daughter of Ki Gedeng. Raden Pamanah Rasa is also known as Prebu Siliwangi.
Returning to the early kingdom era in the western part of Java, as can be learned from various historical facts that are part of the collection of the Sri Baduga Museum, the kingdom that has historical evidence in the form of inscriptions or manuscripts is Tarumanegara, which eventually split into Galuh and Sunda. Where Prabu Tarusbawa is the first king of Sunda.
He is the grandson of Prabu Linggawarman, the 12th king of Tarumanagara. In 669 CE, Maharaja Linggawarman, the 12th king of Tarumanagara, passed away. He was eventually succeeded by his grandson, Tarusbawa, with the title Sri Maharaja Tarusbawa Darmawaskita Manumanggalajaya Sundasembawa.
His coronation took place on the 9th day of the bright half of the month of Jesta in the year 591 Saka (May 18, 669 CE).
Prameswari (queen) Maharaja Tarusbawa was Manasih, the daughter of Linggawarman, the 12th king of Tarumanagara.
His brother, Manasih Sobakancana, became the wife of Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa, who founded the Kingdom of Sriwijaya, which also rose to power in 669 CE.
It can be said that the kingdoms of Sunda and Sriwijaya are siblings, at least having a close family relationship.
Similarly, the ancient kingdom of Mataram was originally the kingdom of Kalingga. The point of connection is Sanjaya. Prince Sunda, who became the founder of the Sanjaya dynasty in Mataram, is the son of Bratasenawa, the son of Mandiminyak.
Meanwhile, the kingdom of Galuh, located in eastern Citarum, was led by Wretikandayun or Maharaja Suradarma Jayaprakosa, who was originally the king of Kerajaan Kendan under Tarumanagara, and later the first king of Galuh until he ruled for 90 years from 612–702 CE.
Wretikandayun freed the kingdom of Galuh in 670 CE, when Sri Maharaja Tarusbawa changed the name of Tarumanagara to the Kingdom of Sunda after receiving the throne from Linggawarman.
Wretikandayun is the great-grandson of the founder of the Kerajaan Kendan, Maharesi guru Manikmaya. Maharesi guru Manikmaya is a Hindu priest from the Calankayana family in India. Maharesi guru Manikmaya married Dewi Tirtakencana, the daughter of Maharaja Suryawarman, the king of Tarumanagara. After marrying, Maharaja Suryawarman gave him the land and the complete army of the kingdom in the Nagreg Kendan area in Bandung, which later became the Kerajaan Kendan.
The legacy of the Kerajaan Kendan is the foundation of Bandung, and is located in the Ujung Berung-Cibiru-Nagreg area.
The reconciliation between Galuh, Sunda, and Mataram occurred when the king of Galuh succeeded his son, Rahyang Mandi Minyak. In 695 CE, Rahyang Mandiminyak, the son of Galuh, married Dewi Parwati, the daughter of Ratu Sima with Kartikeyasinga, the king of Kalingga Jepara, who was based in Central Java. Therefore, Mandiminyak stayed in Kalingga and became the ruler of Kalingga Utara.
In 702 CE, Rahiyang Mandiminyak received the throne of Galuh, succeeding his father Wretikandayun, who had ruled for 90 years, so Rahiyang Mandiminyak ruled in two states, namely the Kingdom of Kalingga (Central and East Java) and Galuh (in West Java).
Rahiyang Mandiminyak’s position was very strong, and in 703/704 CE, Mandiminyak arranged the marriage of his grandson, Sanjaya, Rakai Mataram, the son of Bratasenawa, the son of Mandiminyak, with Dewi Sekar Kancana (Teja Kancana Ayupurnawangi), the daughter of Rakyan Sundasembawa (died young), the son of Sri Maharaja Tarusbawa. The grandson of the king of Sunda, Sanjaya, Rakai Mataram, was based in Pakuan Bogor. Therefore, in Pakuan Bogor, there was a king of three states, Rakai Sanjaya.
The connection between Sriwijaya, Sunda, Galuh, and Mataram began with the figure of Aki Tirem, the goddess Sari Pohaci. Meanwhile, archaeological evidence has been found in the Medang era, including Rakai Pikatan and Pramodawardhani. According to Krom, Balaputradewa is the king of Sriwijaya, the son of Samaragrawira. Since Prof. N.J. Krom considers Samaragrawira to be identical with Samaratungga, Balaputradewa is automatically considered the brother of Pramodawardhani.
According to Dr. De Casparis, there was a civil war to claim the throne after Samaratungga’s death, between Balaputradewa and Pramodawardhani. Eventually, Balaputradewa was defeated by Rakai Pikatan, the husband of Pramodawardhani. He then fled to Sumatra and became the king of Sriwijaya.
De Casparis’ theory is based on the Wantil inscription of 856 CE, which mentions a war between Rakai Pikatan and an enemy who was hiding in a stone fortress (possibly the Ratu Boko site). The Wantil inscription also mentions the term Walaputra, which is interpreted as another name for Balaputradewa.
The existence of Balaputradewa and his connection with Crivijaya, as well as Dapunta Hyang in Sriwijaya, which had a hot and cold relationship, is depicted in the Kota Kapur inscription found in Mendo Barat, Bangka Regency, which was translated by a Dutch epigraphist, Kern and George Coedes. This inscription was written before the Cri Vijaya army attacked the land of Java.
The opening sentence: Siddha titam hamba nvari i avai kandra kayet ni paihumpaan namuha ulu lavan tandrun luah makamatai tandrun luah vinunu paihumpaan hakairum muah kayet ni humpa unai tunai…
The translation is quite eerie, but considering the cultural and historical dynamics of that time, it seems to be a common phenomenon.
Inscriptions and relics of a civilization in the Medang-Mataram, Cri Vijaya, and its successors are closely related to geological dynamics, which brought about several catastrophic episodes, such as massive volcanic eruptions, which are believed to have buried the Liyangan civilization at the foot of the twin mountains Sindoro-Sumbing, and the eruption of Mount Merapi, which may have been one of the reasons why Maha Mantri Mpu Sindok moved the capital of Mataram to East Java and established the Isyana dynasty there.
Jumping back to a different timeline, talking about the emblem of Kodam III Siliwangi and the status of endemic animals that are still extinct today, despite reports of their existence in some areas of Java, we will briefly discuss the Javan tiger. Of course, this is still based on various historical facts that are also available at the Sri Baduga Museum.
When talking about Prabu Siliwangi or Sri Baduga Maharaja, there is an endemic animal that is often mentioned in his legend. There are many versions and stories related to the species of the forest king that received the title Maung Siliwangi. Some link it to the event of Prabu Siliwangi’s disappearance, while others take a more ecological approach, stating that the area of Pakwan to Leuweung Sancang is indeed the habitat of Panthera tigris sondaicus.
The early expedition to the inland area in the early 17th century did indeed find an area with good tropical vegetation cover and well-preserved biodiversity. Until then, the population of Javan tigers was relatively still very large, due to the supporting environment and the availability of prey in the food chain.
The first Dutch expedition to inland West Java was conducted in 1687, led by Pieter Scipio van Oostende. Scipio brought an expedition team to explore the forest in southern Batavia to the former capital of Pakuan and eventually reached Wijnkoopsbaai (now Palabuhanratu).
During the mission, one expedition member was killed by a tiger in the Pakwan area where many artifacts and ruins were found.
Scipio received information from his subordinate, Letnan Tanuwijaya from Sumedang, that the ruins were the remains of the Pakwan/Pakuan Pajajaran kingdom.
On December 23, 1687, Governor-General Joanes Camphuijs wrote a report stating that in the former palace with a raised terrain, near the Batutulis inscription, there was a silver-colored relic of the Pajajaran king, which was revered, and the area was guarded by many tigers.
Tiger sightings were also reported by local residents of Kedung Halang and Parung Angsana who accompanied Scipio on this expedition. Therefore, it can be concluded that the pristine forest area in the complex of Gede, Pangrango, Salak, and southern coastal areas (Surade, etc.) still had a very high level of biodiversity, so the top predator was still abundant.
From the rare animal that also became a symbol of rich meaning with various approaches, both mystical and ecological, we return to the Bandung Geology Museum.
On a bright morning, I and my friends were invited by some Indonesian digital literature activists who were part of the Next Generation Indonesia (NXG) community to take a long look back and absorb knowledge from the past (especially geological, archaeological, and paleoarchaeological), in a form of a geological tour that ended with a sweet treat, a sweet Yamien dessert, as a token of appreciation from our mentor, Akang Dr. Andry Dachlan, who was also the owner of a cozy warung on Warmie Street, which was already old and worn out since I was still learning to walk, or even older.
We were accompanied by Kang Khemal Andrias and Kang Fikri Andhika from NXG to not only stroll around Bandung, especially in the Tilil, Ciung, Puter, and Gagak areas, but also to meet Cyanobacteria 3 billion years ago.
Where did the history of oxygen’s existence begin, and how did its concentration explosion almost wipe out all living species in the early phase due to acid poisoning, also known as O2 (oxygen)?
The Great Oxygenation Event (GOE), a simple element that changed the state of our Earth. About 3 billion years ago, the Earth’s atmosphere had only 0.03% of the current oxygen level, as quoted by The New York Times. However, half a billion years later, oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere. One prominent theory states that Cyanobacteria, one of the earliest prokaryotic organisms on Earth, evolved to perform photosynthesis.
When Cyanobacteria released oxygen as waste, the oxygen level increased slowly. When Cyanobacteria died, oxygen reacted with carbon. Therefore, oxygen remained in the atmosphere because some organic matter from dead Cyanobacteria sank to the ocean floor. Oxygen couldn’t react with it, so it got trapped in the atmosphere. Moreover, the number of Cyanobacteria was abundant before the GOE. Oxygen poisoning wiped out early living species, causing their extinction.
Then, we arrived at the panel pointed out by Pak Khemal, an anthropologist who often channels the spirit of the late Van Bemmelen or Casparis, which contains information about the Cambrian era or period.
The Cambrian period is considered crucial in the biological history of the Earth due to the transition from single-celled organisms to multi-celled organisms, including animals with hard shells like Trilobita.
However, around 510 million years ago, it’s estimated that 83% of all hard-shelled genera worldwide went extinct, as reported by New Scientist. After this mass extinction event, global biodiversity decreased to 35% during the Botomian period.
Living creatures, such as trilobites and Archaeocyatha, were severely affected by this mass extinction. It’s estimated that the Botomian mass extinction event wiped out more than 50% of the remaining genera at that time.
The extinction condition is written in the book “Biotic Recovery from Mass Extinction Events” (1996) by MB Hart. Then, according to Pak Fikri Andhika, a legendary figure of NXG Indonesia, Gondwana, which froze long before Mixue could freeze your heart, caused the Ordovician extinction.
The Late Ordovician mass extinction event can be seen in two extinction events during the Hirnantian stage, around 444 million years ago, and is considered one of the largest mass extinction events in the biological history of the Earth.
In these two waves of extinction, 85% of all marine species went extinct. Meanwhile, during the Late Ordovician mass extinction, 85% of species, 60% of genera, and 25% of families were wiped out.
Creatures like trilobites almost disappeared entirely, as did graptolites, brachiopods, bryozoans, and conodonts.
The first wave of the Ordovician mass extinction is believed to be related to the glaciation of Gondwana (the freezing of a supercontinent).
Gondwana itself was a supercontinent that existed around 550 to 180 million years ago.
It’s suspected that the glacioeustatic sea-level drop and the cooling of tropical ocean temperatures played a crucial role during the first wave of mass extinction.
Meanwhile, the second wave of the Ordovician mass extinction is believed to have occurred when the climate and ocean circulation stagnated. Most theories link the second wave of the Ordovician mass extinction to the extreme rise in Earth’s temperature and the decrease in oxygen. Additionally, the discovery of mercury deposits suggests the presence of massive volcanic mechanisms during the second wave of the Ordovician mass extinction.
In conclusion, as a closing to this morning’s light writing, I just want to be grateful that with various technological advancements and learning facilities available today, we can find an exciting game, which is piecing together puzzle data to reconstruct imaginary facts in the theater of our minds.
The historical data of civilization and the Earth that can now be accessed, seen, read, and learned from is a valuable gift that should be appreciated, as it can enrich our sources of inspiration and become a lesson in facing the future and structuring ourselves to continuously make efforts to develop various potentials within the framework of creating innovative solutions.
Learning from history is a mandate for us to always be part of the construction of rahmah (mercy) in the system of civilization that is constantly growing simultaneously.
