Fishermen discover artifacts deemed as Srivijaya treasures in Musi River

Fishermen discovered more artifacts deemed as Srivijaya treasures in Musi River a few weeks ago. They found gemstones, gold ceremonial rings, coins and as well as a monks’ bronze bell that might be worth billions of rupiahs. 

Known as the “Island of Gold”, Srivijaya is known as a floating kingdom and once the richest and most powerful kingdom in Southeast Asia. It ruled Indonesia (and much of Southeast Asia) for more than 600 years. However, the empire vanished without trace in the 12th century. 

Since then, Srivijaya and its treasures have remained a mystery until five years ago when local fishermen began treasure-hunting activities in the bed of Musi River. One of their greatest discoveries was a lifesize 8th-century AD bronze Buddhist masterwork statue. 

“[It's] the kind of thing that you might read about in Sinbad The Sailor and think it was made up. It's actually real,” says Dr Sean Kingsley, a British marine archaeologist who published a study about such treasure on his online magazine Wreckwatch. 

Fishermen have been doing hunting activity in Musi River since the 1990s, but at that time, they only searched for wood logs and/or scrap irons. However, treasure-hunting activities are considered illegal as in most cases the discoverers do not report the treasures to the government as they are supposed to do. Instead, they sell it to antiquities traders or collectors. 

According to Kingsley, there haven’t been any kind of  formal excavations of the site, hence archaeologists and experts are unable to identify the objects and place them in historical context. To add, the fact that Srivijaya was a floating kingdom makes it more elusive for modern scholars to study.

“[The treasures] are lost to the world', said Kingsley. “Vast swathes have been lost to the international antiquities market. Newly discovered, the story of the rise and fall of Srivijaya is dying anew without being told”. 

An international effort might be required in order to ensure the survival of Srivijaya’s wonders and to prevent them from being vanished all over again.