Promoting Lenggong – World Heritage Site (Part IV) : Kota Tampan and Bukit Jawa

Beside “Perak Man” and “Perak Woman” Lenggong also well known for its Kota Tampan and Bukit Jawa archeology site. Excavation in Kota Tampan has been started since 1938 and revealed that it is a tool production area during Paleolithic t Age. This workshop was operated by the lake shore some 75,000 years ago. 50,000 stone tools have been found and recorded in Kota Tampan such as pebble stone, hammer and anvils. It is belief Kota Tampan has its own culture which calls the Tampanian. This workshop was abandon due to volcanic eruption in Lake Toba Sumatera Indonesia. Bukit Jawa is the only undisturbed Stone Age site in Southeast Asia. This Paleolithic site which dated 200,000 to 300,000 years ago is the oldest in Malaysia beside Kampung Temelong and Kampung Gelok. It is belief that Bukit Jawa was an Island which in the coastal area of the Lake Chenderoh. Excavation in Bukit Jawa that was done in 1996 discovered 150,000 pieces of stone artifacts. These findings strengthen the facts that Lenggong Valley is the oldest human settlement in Malaysia and one of the oldest in Southeast Asia.

Kampung Baru Kota Tampan. The new chinese settlement in Kota Tampan

Excavation area at Kota Tampan

Promoting Lenggong – World Heritage Site (Part III) : Perak Man and Perak Woman

Lenggong regain its popularity in 1991 when a team of archaeologists from University Science Malaysia leads by Dr. Zuriana Majid  found “Perak Man” at Gua Gunung Runtuh.  Just a few kilometers from Lenggong town.  “Perak Man”  was the oldest remain in Malaysia, and the most complete skeleton ever found in Southeast Asia for this time period. He dates to about 11,000 years before present. It is the belief that he was 5 foot tall, disability, 45 years old high-hierarchy man in his society.  His burial ground was decorated with tools offering such as pebble tools and hammer, meat offering such as meats of wild boar, monitor lizard, monkey, deer and layers of small shells. Further excavation in 2004 found “Perak Women” in Gua Kelawar just a few kilometers away from Gua Gunung Runtuh where Perak Man was found, but she dates only 8000 years before present. RM 3 million Archaeology Museum then built to house Perak Man and Perak Woman in Kota Tampan. 

Promoting Lenggong – World Heritage Site (Part II) : Lenggong Valley an open air museum

I ever come across that in America farmer bulldoze historic artifacts that buried deep in their land during earth works for farming. I never thought that one day I am too opening a farm in the site that similar to my farmer friends in America.  Luckly, no historic artifact was found in my land during site clearing and earth works. (There are only a few trace of communist track and camp which I will be posting later.) Lenggong Valley is like an open-air museum.  It is the oldest human settlement in Malaysia about 200,000 years ago. There were over 10 archaeology sites around Lenggong Valley that hold artifacts from Stone Age to Bronze Age. Following are some of the famous sites.

1.       Bukit Jawa – oldest human settlement

2.       Kampung Temelong – oldest  human settlement

3.       Kampung Gelok – oldest human settlement  

4.       Kampung Lawin – oldest human settlement

5.       Kota Tampan – oldest prehistoric tools workshop

6.       Kampung Gua Badak – cave painting by Negrito

7.       Gua Gunung Runtuh – where Perak Man was found

8.       Gua Bunuh - Palaeolithic workshop  

9.       Gua Kelawar – Where Perak Woman was found.

10.   Gua Harimau – bronze age artifact was found


UNESCO was declared Lenggong Valley as a World Heritage Site on 30^th of June 2012.

Picture from Archaeology Museum Lenggong

there are few archaeological sites in palm oil plantation behind this RM 3 million museum 

far below is kota Tampan

Archaeology Museum Lenggong was taken over by Department of National Heritage Malaysia after UNESCO Declared Lenggong as World Heritage Site 

limestone hills where Perak Man was found

people in stone age

sample of cave painting

my husband and wak nan observing excavation site

Promoting Lenggong as a World Heritage Site -Part I

Lenggong is my husband home town and where our farm is situated. Town of Lenggong is a quiet, small and pollution-free town. It has only about 6 block of shops, which built on the both side of the town main road. 2 banks operated in this town with no deposit machine. Small district of Lenggong surrounded by tropical forest and limestone hills. Its population is about 20000 people scattered in several small villages. Perak River, the 2nd longest river in Malaysia flow across a few villages in Lenggong. In Kampung Chepor, my husband village, the river flow just a few meter from villager's back yard. This makes fresh water fish among favourite dishes to Lenggong community. I set my foot in Lenggong soon after our marriage in 1988. Since then, I was fall in love to its simple village life, misty morning, pleasant weather, cloudy mountain, beautiful river and peaceful forest

misty morning by the river 

small town of Lenggong. Picture from The Star.com

Cloudy mountain

Beautiful Lake Raban, Once it is part of Perak River

Fresh water fish farming 

Lake Raban Resort

.