MUSEUM MANUSIA PURBA SANGIRAN
Desa Sangiran, Kecamatan Kalijambe, Kabupaten Sragen

MUSEUM MANUSIA PURBA SANGIRAN

A Journey across Time to the Early Man Period

Sangiran Early Man site, around 56 square kilometers, is located 18 km away to the north of Solo. There was no difference when you enter this area. Local resident’s houses, schools, and small forests looked similar to the other areas. However, when you walked farther, you would find houses functioned concurrently as pre-historical relic souvenir shops.

After 45 minutes riding motorcycle, YogYES arrived in Sangiran Early Man Museum. The museum which lied on the 1, 6 hectares of land was differently built on the hill with unique design and turned up to the hilltop. We had to walk around the slope of the cliff to go to the first exhibition room. The first exhibition room, located in a cave which is renovated by concrete walls, was picturing the birth of the Earth, teeth and skeletons fossils, pre-historical animals’ bones, and human evolution diorama, as well as diorama of samples of early man activities.

Exit from the first exhibition room, visitors should climb the stairs to go to the second exhibition room located on the top of the cliff. In this room, visitors would be able to see various numbers of pre-historical men’s skeletons from various periods and places, mammoth’s leg bone, pre-historical cow’s skeleton, various kind of weapons, fossilized stones, etc.

A Key Site to Study the Human Evolution Theory

Sangiran early man site was discovered in the 1930s, when Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koeningswald, a Germany anthropologist, discovered early man fossils in Sangiran. The excavations and the discovery of fossils in this place supported the theory of the human evolution from a monkey man to a present man. At least 5 different men fossils types were discovered. This discovery was amazing and became the most important key to the development of human evolution theory. Sangiran became the site contributing almost 50% of early man fossils discovered in the world.

Not only early man fossils and the pre-historical life, they also discovered ocean fossils, revealing the theory that Java Island was lifted from the sea millions years ago. In the 1980s, scientists were shocked by the discovery of a complete 4-meter mammoth fossil. This fossil is stored and exhibited in Bandung Geological Museum. Because of these greatest contributions to archaeology, anthropology, geology, and sciences, UNESCO listed Sangiran as the world heritage no. 593 on December 5, 1996 in Merida, Mexico. After the announcement, the early man museum was built to store and exhibit the discovered fossils.

Puluhan kios berjajar di depan museum, tempat para penduduk setempat menjual suvenir dan cinderamata khas peninggalan pra sejarah, mulai dari benda-benda yang diklaim sebagai tulang dan gigi manusia ataupun hewan purba, patung-patung dari tanah endapan dengan serat daun tumbuhan purba, hingga aneka kalung, gelang dan perhiasan dari batu-batu kali dan kayu fosil. Terdapat juga gardu pandang dimana kita bisa menikmati pemandangan hampir seluruh area situs Sangiran.

Many souvenir stalls stand in a row in front of the museum, where local people sells various kind of pre-historic relic souvenirs, ranging from souvenir claimed as bones and teeth of pre-historical human and animals, statues from sediment soil with fiber of pre-historical leaves and plants, to various necklaces, bracelets and accessories from river pebbles and fossilized woods. There is also a view point where we can admire and enjoy the beauty of Sangiran’s scenery site.

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Opening Hours
Tuesday to Sunday: 08.00 a.m. to 04.00 p.m.

Ticketing
Domestic visitor: IDR 3,000
Foreign visitor: IDR 7,500