Andalas Historian Suspects Findings Of Piles Of Stones In West Sumatra Of Cultural Heritage

Historian from Andalas University, West Sumatra (West Sumatra) Prof. Herwandi explained the pile of stones suspected of being objects of alleged cultural heritage in Padang Pariaman Regency, Thursday (12/10/2023). ANTARA/Muhammad Zulfikar

A historian from Andalas University, West Sumatra (West Sumatra) Prof. Herwandi suspects that the discovery of piles of rocks in Lubuk Alung District, Padang Pariaman Regency is a relic of cultural heritage. "At this location, we found several objects suspected of being cultural products, or objects suspected of being cultural heritage," said Herwandi in Padang Pariaman Regency, Antara, Thursday, October 12. The reason, said Prof. Herwandi, was that at that location objects that were strongly suspected of being human relics such as leves made of stone, stone in the form of beams with straight (ulir) motifs, and knife-like objects or axes around the rock pile location. Based on Law Number 10 of 2010, it is stated that natural objects and objects made by human hands can be used as cultural heritage. However, before being designated as a cultural heritage, an in-depth study is needed. "The temporary position is the object of alleged cultural heritage," said Prof. Herwandi who is also the Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Andalas University. However, he emphasized that the possibility of the findings being a column or columnar joint as archaeologists have seen. If it is proven that the column is thick, then it is one of the few columnar joints in the world. "There are not many columnar joins in the world. In Russia, New Zealand, the United States, and South Korea, there are one each," he said. In contrast to Prof. Herwandi, West Sumatra geologist and volcanologist Ade Edward said the rock pile was strongly suspected to be a column or columnar joint. Ade explained that the rock was formed due to the process of freezing magma below the earth's surface which then infiltrated through the cracks, or due to a fault. "The magazine was under pressure and inserted into the rock between the rocks so that it frozen," he explained. Ade estimates the age of the columnar join found by the community is between 40 and 60 million years. However, this still requires in-depth studies or research from experts.

Regarding a dimpled object, Ade assessed that this could be due to a natural process. In other words, the basin of a dimple-like object was formed due to chemical weathering.