Situs Bongal, Bukti Nusantara Pusat Dagang Maritim Kosmopolitan Abad 7-10 M?

For some, the areas known as Bongal and Barus may have only become familiar in recent years. This follows the discovery of a number of astonishing artifacts and archaeological data in Bongal, a region located in Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, since 2001. Several subsequent discoveries indicate that this area on the west coast of Sumatra is not only ancient (dating from the 7th to 10th centuries AD) but also holds significant significance in the history of the Indonesian archipelago. In fact, the name Barus was already mentioned by the ancient Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy in his book from the 2nd century AD. So, besides the discovery of gold coins from the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphate eras, and ceramic shards from the Tang Dynasty in China, what other archaeological facts have been uncovered so far from excavations at the Bongal site? Senior archaeologist Dr. Ery Soedewo, from the Research Center for Environmental, Maritime, and Sustainable Cultural Archaeology - BRIN, outlined various research findings at the site that may reveal many new facts about the history of trade in the Indonesian archipelago in the past, namely the period preceding Majapahit. Listen to Pak Ery's analysis in this latest episode, with Ahmad Sudirwan (Host)