Jakarta - Through the Archaeological Excavation Team, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Cultural Department excavated the Onrust Island archaeological site for 14 days from November 8 to November 22, 2023. The activity was led by Senior Archaeologist Candrian Attahiyat and five other young archaeologists and assisted by radar scanning technology.

Head of DKI Jakarta Provincial Cultural Department, Iwan Henry Wardhana, said the 2023 archaeological excavation continued previous archaeological research by proving the location points of entry and exit access, as well as the boundaries of the Onrust Island bastion (defense fort), which refers to the plan of Onrust Island by J. W. Heydt in 1744.

"The proof of entry and exit access points, as well as the boundaries of the bastion, are expected to be the basis for consideration of preserving cultural heritage on Onrust Island. As well as to support the educational narrative presented by the Onrust Archaeological Museum to the public who visit the island later," said Iwan in Jakarta on Monday (20/11).

Like other islands in the vicinity, Iwan explained that the Onrust landscape is a coral island with several historical relics, such as the remains of fort buildings and other island support facilities from various periods of colonial history in the Jakarta area. From the island where docks for shipbuilding and repair and warehouses for export commodities from Batavia City were built to being one of the bases for sea defense in the waters north of Batavia, the history of Onrust Island must be preserved.

"One of the relics that can show the role of Onrust Island in the past as a defense fort is the remains of the fort that still exist today," Iwan added.

The first fort on Onrust Island was built in 1656 in a rectangular shape and was only equipped with 2 (two) bastions with a courtine that was not long. The bastion is a security post in the corner of the fort building that juts out with a rectangular or trapezoidal plan, while the coroutine is a wall that connects the bastions. This early fort was dismantled and expanded into a large fortified building in stages in 1671. This large fort is depicted on a 1744 map by J.W. Heiydt as a pentagon with bastions at each corner.

In 1981-1995, several archaeological excavations were conducted on Onrust Island by the Archaeology Team of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Museum and History Office through the Historical Museum and Antiquities Division, as well as the involvement of the Broadcasting Code of Conduct and Broadcast Program Standards (P3SPS). Based on the results of the archaeological excavation, remnants of buildings and foundations, remnants of fort structures, public facilities, and loose finds were found.

"From the findings of the excavation in 2023 and previous excavations, it was concluded that the construction of Onrust Fort was not only made of stone and coral but also of wood. Currently, the fort remains are still visible on the surface," Iwan concluded.

Onrust Island is one of the historical islands in the Thousand Islands Regency. The island with an area of around 8.22 hectares is one of the historical islands designated as a Cultural Heritage Area based on the Decree of the Governor of the Special Capital Region of Jakarta Province Number 2209 of 2015 concerning the Determination of the Onrust Island Cluster, Cipir Island, Kelor Island, and Bidadari Island in the Thousand Islands Administrative Regency.

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