[Hang Li Po]

Lost City of Khmer Empire - Near Tasik Chini -

Lost city of Khmer empire?







The pyramid-like hills near Tasik Chini have sparked interest in the legend of a lost civilisation.



PEKAN: The existence of seven pyramid-like hills near Tasik Chini has again sparked interest in the legend of a lost civilisation in the area that could date back to the 12th century.

While there is no proof that the hills are man-made, there is a possibility that it is part of a lost city or may at least shed some light on the mystery.



It is long believed that the ancient city could only be found in the depths of the lake. This is based on a theory that the area was inundated with water after the fall of the Khmer empire, of which the city was a part of in the 15th century.

Although many people have made claims of a sunken city, little effort has been made to unravel the mystery. Based on pieces of porcelain found in the area, the city could have been built when the Khmer empire was at the height of its power.


The Khmer empire was ruled, between 802 and 1432, by a succession of "god kings" and had its capital in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where the famed Angkor Wat temple complex stands.

According to a villager, the "pyramid" was more evident when one of the unique hills in Padang Kerbau was cleared by a plantation company recently.


"Before this, all the hills looked normal. However, the way they were 'positioned' is not natural and that is quite interesting," said Ahmad Najib Mohd Don of Kampung Melayu, Chini.

Ahmad Najib, 57 and his wife, Pauziyah Abdullah, 49, later drove their pick-up truck to the hills and found that the formations stood in a swampy area.

Although she was born in Kampung Melayu, Pauziyah said she never realised the peculiar shape of the hills as they were covered by vegetation.

"The hills are also inaccessible because of the swampy land which surrounds them."

The new development has excited archaeologist, Professor Datuk Dr Nik Hassan Shuhaimi Nik Abdul Rahman, who was known for his leading role in the expedition to locate the lost city in 1998.

"There's a possibility as we cannot say for sure its exact location. It can be in the lake or on land," said the senior research fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia when contacted.

He said there was no conclusion during the two-week exploration nine years ago as the team had lacked funds.

"We managed to drain a small part of the lake but the compartment walls collapsed when we were about to clear a layer of mud on top of a rocky base."


- Bernama -

[Hang Li Po]

The makara found rewrites the history of the Malay Archipelago






An Archaeological and Excavation team from University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has made a groundbreaking discovery in determining the early religion of the early settlers of the Malay Archipelago.

The team, led by Prof. Dato’ Dr. Nik Hassan Shuhaimi Nik Abd. Rahman and supported by the archaeologists from the Department of Heritage Malaysia, and financed by the Department of Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Malaysia.

The excavation site, located at Sungai Mas, Kedah, is found as an ancient settlement area which dates to the 7th century. Found at the site are a number of ancient relics such as beads, pottery jars and parts of ceramics, a granite vat carved from a huge granite, stone tablets with Kadaha inscriptions, ruins of Buddhist Stupas and also the most profound finding among all, the Buddhist makara.

The finding of the makara has ruled out the initial theory of Indianisation of the Malay Archipelago as the makara found at the excavation site is said to date to the 7th century, before the introduction of Hinduism by the early Indian merchants and travelers. The makara carries Buddhism properties, therefore, rules out the fact that Hinduism was the initial religion of our ancestors.

The makara found is a stone carved to resemble a creature the combination of a fish and an elephant, the two icons of power in land and water, a deity to protect its believers from harm. According to Prof. Dato’ Dr. Nik Hassan Shuhaimi, a makara usually has its counterpart, another makara. In the future, Prof. Dato’ Dr. Nik Hassan Shuhaimi hopes to find the missing pair of the makara to complete the collection.

Sungai Mas is also believed to be a full-fledged kingdom in the ancient past and the chronological sequence of the Sungai Mas kingdom site has been established from prehistory to the kingdom status, proving another fact; there was another flourishing civilization prior to the Malacca Sultanate.

Prof. Dato’ Dr. Nik Hassan Shuhaimi further added that the Hindu and Buddhist makaras found in the Malay Archipelago are very distinct to this region as there are no other parts of this globe produce the makaras, not even in India or China.

The makaras are the symbols of manifestation of the locals to the deities and the surrounding environment. Local cultures, the animals and natural elements were embedded into the new religion in order to adapt it to the new believers.

The findings by the team are not only profound but they might change our history of this land. The excavation team is now waiting for a clearance and more funding to continue this archaeological and excavation research in order to establish more facts and stories of our ancient forefathers.












http://www.ukm.my/en...rita_makara.htm

http://naim-firdausi.blogspot.com/

[One time poster]

The mounds are very interesting. Has there been any attempts to use the technology that miners and oil companies use? The one that is sort of like sonar technology, except in this case it scans rock and ground activity. I don't remember the name of the technology, but it might be useful in this case to help reveal more details about the mounds.