DKI Jakarta Provincial Department of Culture is conducting an archaeological excavation on Onrust Island, South Thousand Islands, from November 8-22, 2023.

Head of the Onrust Archaeological Museum Implementation Unit, Teuku Muhamad Rizki Ramadhan, said that this excavation activity would continue the research and excavation in 1995.

This also proves the location of access points and bastion boundaries of the Onrust Island defence fort, referring to the plan drawn by J.W. Heydt in 1744.

"This excavation unearths the fort and archaeological objects on Onrust Island and its surroundings. The findings will be stored in the Onrust Island Archaeological Museum," said Rizki Wednesday (11/15).

Rizki explained that this activity was one of his staff's programs in the field of cultural protection. The results of this activity are expected to be the basis for consideration of cultural heritage preservation on Onrust Island.

"Even though there is an excavation, visits are still open because we have limited them," he said.

DKI Jakarta Archaeologist and Cultural Heritage Expert Candrian Attahiyyat added that the excavation was carried out to prove that the sizeable pentagon-shaped fort with bastions at each corner was according to the plan. In addition, it was also to find out whether the area of the defence was 2/3 of the island.

"We found that the thickness of the fort is 1.5 meters to two meters. We also recorded the three bastions that were recently revealed," he said.

According to Candra, the foundations of the buildings on Onrust Island are full of piles, so excavation is quite constrained.

This research uses radar scanning, a tool for checking soil layers, with the help of five young archaeologists.

"Until now, we have found the rest of the building and foundation of the north side, the rest of the fort structure, public facilities, and loose finds," he said.

He said this historical heritage is precious. In fact, not only on Onrust Island but other islands in the Thousand Islands and mainland Jakarta.

"My message is, where we are, respect each other and protect what is the legacy of our ancestors," he stated.

Source: beritajakarta.id