Indonesian researchers unearth 500,000-year-old elephant fossils in Java
The fossils were found in Patiayam, an archaeological site and mountainous area situated on the border of the Kudus and Pati regencies in Central Java, where, throughout the years, ancient animal fossils have been found.
In 2024, a collaborative team organized by the Center for Prehistory and Austronesian Studies, the Dharma Bakti Lestari Foundation and the National Research and Innovation Agency, known locally as BRIN, launched a research project at the site to explore fossil possibilities.
Though the initial discovery was made then, researchers postponed the project until this year and expanded the site of excavation, which is still ongoing.
'Based on the geological formation of the site where it was found, we estimate that the fossils are at least 500,000 years old, give or take. We have yet to conduct a direct dating of the fossils, so this is based on a relative dating of the soil layer,' Mohammad Ruly Fauzi, researcher at CPAS and BRIN, told Arab News.
'We have been able to identify that these belong to an elephas type, but not the specific species … What's clear is that this is a very big elephant, nothing like elephants today …. It's prehistoric, not early historic period.'
He said the excavation has made about 50 percent progress and that the elements found so far make up the front part of an elephant.
'It's interesting because this is shaping up to be an almost complete fossil … They are all situated pretty closely.'
Once the excavation is completed, the fossils will be preserved as part of a collection at the Patiayam Archaeological Museum. The discovery might help Patiayam gain recognition as a cultural heritage site, Fauzi added.
'Every site has its own unique qualities, but Patiayam site is particularly interesting and very deserving to gain status as a national cultural heritage site in our opinion … This research can help serve as a foundation for officials to decide,' he said.
Central Java, where Patiayam is located, is also home to the Sangiran Early Man Site, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its significant collection of Homo erectus fossils, dating from 1.1 million to 800,000 years ago, including the 'Java Man.'
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