More research needed on Buddha statue found in Kedah, say archaeologists
Preliminary findings indicated that it dated back to the 8th or 9th century.
(The Vibes) – Preliminary findings show site may be older than Angkor Wat, Borobudur.
TWO prominent archaeologists have called for more patience and cautioned against jumping the gun after the recent stunning discovery of a fully preserved life-sized Buddha statue in Bukit Choras, near the Bujang Valley archaeological zone in Kedah.
Preliminary findings indicated that it dated back to the 8th or 9th century.
This may mean that the site is older than the Unesco World Heritage treasures in Angkor Wat, Cambodia and Borobudur, Indonesia.
The archaeologists – Zuliskandar Ramli from the Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and Nasha Rodziadi Khaw, a senior lecturer at the Global Archaeological Research Centre in Universiti Sains Malaysia – told The Vibes that caution must be exercised over the dating of the stunning discovery.
While both concur that Bukit Choras in Yan, Kedah must be protected and preserved at all costs because it was unearthed as a major archive site, more studies and calculations are needed to determine the exact date of the finding.
Nasha said that the dating is still preliminary, and researchers need time to cross-reference it but the authorities definitely need to focus on the cultural significance of the site.
He stressed that archaeology is an evidence-based field with data which can be interpreted as fairly academic and accurate.
