TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A team of Researchers from the Palembang archaeology station said that the ancient coins found in Komering River, South Sumatra are aged back to China's Tang Dynasty era. The dynasty is known to have close relationship with Sriwijaya kingdom that once ruled Sumatra.
“The identification result shows that the coins are from Tang dynasty,” said Retno Purwanti, a member of research team.
“It can be seen from Chinese alphabet and pictures on one side of the coin.”
A sand miner Eddy Buana, found the coins accidentally on Saturday, October 18, when he and his men were mining the sand with machine.
“It was thousands [of the coins] and we brought them to our houses using biig bucket,” said Eddy.
The finding adds up the collections of Tang dynasty artifacts that were found in Bangka Belitung moments ago. The Tang’s trace also exists in temples around Yogyakarta and Central Java.
According to DR.LR Retno Susanti, the Chairman of the Association of History Researcher and Educator (APPS) of South Sumatra, the coins from Komering river are dated back to the 6th to 9th century. They were used as means of payment in the trade.
Retno also revealed possibility that Komering River holds golds, beads, and ceramics.
“Therefore, there should be further research,” the lecturer of Sriwijaya University added.
PARLIZA HENDRAWAN