Even in Sanskrit, Kedah was known as ‘Kataha’ by traders which means The Bowl Of Iron. It’s there under the swamp, it’s just not fully excavated out yet for them to carry on the research.īut why were ships stopping by there? That’s because Sungai Batu was a very famous trading port back then, well-known all around the world for having one of the best quality iron. Researchers believe that inside the pond (what used to be a very big river), there are evidences of ancient ships ‘resting’ there. Now if you can see the place, the ‘bay’ is just a mere pond or swamp as the sea level has receded over the centuries. Once upon a time, along the rivers of Sungai Muda, Sungai Batu was actually near a very big bay where ships carrying traders would port and do trade there. If you love archaeology and love to find out about random historical facts, you’ll love this place. There are around 54 sites successfully excavated by archaeologists around 2021 and actually many more treasures hidden underground. The excavation works began around 2009 and stopped around 2021 for a few apparent reasons (funding, hello?). It’s a 4 km 2 wide archaeological site nestled in the quiet palm oil plantation, founded by USM researchers and led by Prof. Specifically, Sungai Batu is one of the places that’s in the big Bujang Valley.
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The entrance of both archaeological areas. But the most well-known site there is called the Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum (this is where the ancient temples are reconstructed and displayed). Now Bujang Valley is a wide place (224 square kilometres) filled with historical discoveries covering between Gunung Jerai in the north and Muda River in the south. One of the important discoveries from Kedah Tua lies in the Bujang Valley, near Merbok. (Credit: Melissa Suraya Ismail / TRP) Where Is This Place? Hey, we’re earlier than the Mayans! Can you believe it? This was way before Malacca, way before the Angkor Wat in Cambodia (12th century CE), way before Borobudur in Indonesia (9th century CE), and even way way before Machu Picchu in Peru (15th century CE). One of those kingdoms was in Kedah Tua (8th century BCE/BC) or as we know it today, Kedah Darul Aman.
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Hey, if you still remember our history lessons in high school, you’ll remember how Malacca (15th century CE/AD) was once a very well-known port, right? If you know your history, you’ll know that there are many other important kingdoms and ports in Malaysia way before Malacca, right?