Bujang Valley archaeological museum

Unlike Sungai Batu which was the centre of commerce and industry around the Third Century, the Bujang Valley archaeological site, about 6½ kilometres away as the crow flies, was the seat of Hinduism and Buddhism in pre-Islamic Kedah. The Bujang Valley was located at the base of Kedah Peak - or what is now known as the Jerai Hills - which could be seen from a long way off and seafarers could easily navigate themselves towards this centre of commerce and religion. 

My wife and I first visited the Bujang Valley archaeological site in April 2022. We had walked the grounds and visited every one of the five chandi structures there. But unfortunately, all that are present today are the broken-down remains. As important relics, these chandi structures are now all cordoned off for preservation. Visitors are prevented from getting too close and damaging them. 

When we visited the archaeological site last month with some monks from the Nandaka Vihara meditation society, we chose to look through the exhibits in the museum which we missed the last time. I was astonished by rick collection. The displays were evidence of a flourishing Bujang Valley all those centuries ago. Traders from China, India and the Middle East had made their way here to interact with one another. This was a significant cultural hotspot for centuries until it was gradually abandoned over time (why?) and eventually forgotten, only for it to be discovered later by the archaeologists.

By the way, this museum, and in fact, the whole archaeological site, is part of the Jerai Geopark.

Tuyere, an important tool in the smelting and processing of iron. It is a wind blower in which air is sent to the furnace to regulate the temperature for various types of metal. The word comes from the Old German word tuyau and this tool is also called tu-iron, twyer or twire-pipe.

Jars for liquid storage

Glazed urine pots from Siam

Clay pots with stamping technique

Hundreds of thousands of ancient beads of various shapes, sizes and colours were discovered at Sungai Mas in Kuala Muda. These beads were made of glass, gemstones, onyx, comelian, shell, turquoise stone, gold silver, clay, terracotta and fish bones 

Obviously from the Middle-East

It would be a bit remiss to write about the museum without saying something about the archaeological site itself. There are various chandi structures on display here. For example, the Pendiat Temple which was originally located in Kampong Pendiat and subsequently relocated to the archaeological grounds.

This Bukit Batu Pahat Temple was the main temple in the Bujang Valley. It was originally sited in Bukit Batu Pahat and subsequently relocated here by the archaeologists.

Initially found in Kampong Bendang Dalam, this chandi was taken apart and painstakingly reassembled here, just like all the rest