| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 Replica of fossil from Sangiran ("Sangiran 17") | |
 Interactive map of Sangiran Early Man Site | |
| Location | Indonesia |
| Criteria | Cultural: iii, vi |
| Reference | 593 |
| Inscription | 1996 (20thSession) |
| Area | 5,600 ha |
| Coordinates | 7°27′S110°50′E / 7.450°S 110.833°E /-7.450; 110.833 |
  Sangiran Location of Sangiran in Indonesia | |
Sangiran is anarchaeological excavation site inJava inIndonesia.[1] According to aUNESCO report (1995) "Sangiran is recognized by scientists to be one of the most important sites in the world for studying fossil man, ranking alongsideZhoukoudian (China),Willandra Lakes (Australia),Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania), andSterkfontein (South Africa), and more fruitful in finds than any of these."[2]
The area comprises about 56 km2 (7 km x 8 km). It is located inCentral Java, about 15 kilometers north ofSurakarta in theSolo River valley. Administratively, Sangiran area is divided between 2regencies:Sragen (districts ofGemolong,Kalijambe, andPlupuh) andKaranganyar (district ofGondangrejo). An important feature of the site is the geology of the area. Originally a dome was created millions of years ago through tectonic uplifts. The dome was then eroded exposing beds within the dome which are rich in archeological records.[3]
Over time, following the initial work by Dubois and von Koenigswald at Sangiran, other scholars including Indonesian archeologists undertook work at the site. Indonesian scholars includedTeuku Jacob, Etty Indriati, Sartono, Fachroel Aziz, Harry Widianto, Yahdi Zaim, and Johan Arif.[6]
 Sangiran Museum in 2025 | |
 | |
| Location | Sragen Regency[7] andKaranganyar Regency,Central Java |
|---|---|
| Type | Museums of archaeology |
| Owner | Ministry of Culture (Indonesia Heritage Agency) |
| Website | iha |
A modest museum existed at Sangiran for several decades before a modern, well-functioning museum and visitors' centre was opened in December 2011. The new building, a modern museum, contains three main halls with extensive displays and impressive dioramas of the Sangiran area as it was believed to be around 1 million years ago. Several other centres are under construction as well (early 2013) so that by 2014 it is expected that there will be four centres at different places within the overall Sangiran site. The four planned centres are:[8]
The current museum and visitors' centre has three main halls. The first hall contains several dioramas that provide information about the early humans and animals which existed at the Sangiran site around 1 million years ago. The second hall, which is more extensive, presents much detailed material about the wide variety of fossils found at Sangiran and about the history of exploration at the site. The third hall, in a separate impressive presentation, contains a large diorama which provides a sweeping view of the overall area of Sangiran, with volcanoes such asMount Lawu in the background and humans and animals in the foreground, as it is imagined to have been around 1 million years ago. Several of the presentations in this third hall draw on the work of the internationally known paleontological sculptorElisabeth Daynes.
Access to the Sangiran museum is gained by travelling around 15 km north from Surakarta along the main road towards the central Java town ofPurwodadi. The turnoff to the museum, just past the small market town of Kalioso, leads along a sealed road that winds through a relatively poor rural area for around 4 km before reaching the final short entry road to the visitors centre to the right. Total travel time from Surakarta, depending on traffic conditions along the crowded Surakarta-Purwodadi road, is about 45-60 mins. There are frequent buses along the route from Surakarta to Purwodadi which will drop passengers off at the turnoff on request. Local informal motorcycle taxi drivers will ferry visitors along the remaining 4 km for a modest charge. The museum can be reached conveniently byTrans-Java Toll Road. (The museum is open from 8.00am to 4.00pm each day except for Mondays when the museum is closed.)
Development of the overall Sangiran site has not been without controversy. Uncontrolled digging and illegal trade in fossils have occurred on various occasions since the site was first discovered. For a considerable period, villagers in the area frequently dug up and sold fossils to local buyers. Following the enactment of National Law No. 5 of 1992 on cultural heritage objects, there were stronger controls on these activities.[9] However, illegal activities have sometimes continued to occur in recent years.[10] In 2010, for example, an American citizen claiming to be a scientist was arrested near Sangiran while travelling in a truck containing 43 different types of fossils in boxes and sacks with an estimated market value of $2 million.[11]
More recently, there has been discussion in the Indonesian media about the way that the development of the Sangiran site has failed to bring any significant tangible benefits to the rural communities in the local area.[12]
