Semedo Site: From A Village to The World Cultural Heritage by Zidan Alfarishi

Semedo Sites Museum

Semedo site is an archaeological sites located in Semedo village, Kedungbanteng Sub-district, Tegal District. The location is about 20 km from Slawi and the large is 2,5 km² (based on discovery of survey surface 2005). On the bumpy hills, it was found ancient life about 1.5 millions years ago. The discovery of ancient objects in Samedo sites began in 1987, Mr. Dakri found an object like knee of elephant when he was fishing in Semedo forest. He though it was unique and he was curious, then the object was known that it was an fossil and he brought it to his home. For many years, the object had been in Dakri’s house without any respond from the society.

In 2005, non-governmental organization of Gerbang Mataram visited Dakri and the helped to report the finding to education and cultural offices of Tegal District. education and cultural offices informed archaeology office of Yogyakarta. Then it is done further research by archeology office of Yogyakarta and the result was the potential in Semedo forest. Moreover, the expert from Preservation of Human Sites office Sangiran also recognizes the big potential of Semedo Site in field of paleoanthropology, paleontology, archaeology, geology and other quaternary disciplines. May kind of fossils have been discovered and identified, such as bull’s head Mastodon sp. (kind of elephant), Stegodon sp. (kind of elephant), Elephas sp. (kind of elephant), Bovidae (kind of bull and buffalo), Cervidae (deer), Hippopotamus  Rhinocerotidae (rhinoceros,) Suidae (pig), Crocodilidae (crocodile), Cheloniidae (turtle) Chondrichtyes (shark), Molusca and the most appalling was the discovery of homo erectus tipic skull roof named Semedo 1 in 2011. it was 0.7 million years. Through the discovery of homo erectus tipic skull roof in Semedo, the cruising trail of Homo Erectus in Java Island in Central Java has been revealed and they were separated from their brothers in east end. 

Semedo 1

Semedo was finally set as Semedo Sites in 2015. it has been built Semedo Sites Museum and it will finish in the end of 2018 by President of Indonesia. In March 2018, there are 7 buildings in Semedo Sites Museum. With all of discovery and the building, Semedo has potential to become world cultural heritage. With the effort of preservation and development which are focused and consistent from all of the parties and also society, Semedo will be able to open world’s eye for becoming world cultural heritage like Sangiran site. Let’s visit Semedo archaeological sites, it is no need hesitation with many kind of complex fossils. They give depiction of a great prehistoric life.