Minister Of Culture Fadli Zon Reveals Great Ideas 'Out Of The Archipelago' Challenges Human Origin Theory

JAKARTA - Culture Minister Fadli Zon threw a big idea titled Out of the archipelago' at the 2025 UISPP Inter-Regonal Conference Prehistoric Conference at Satya Wacana Christian University (UKSW), Monday (28/10). He emphasized that Indonesia is not only the location of archaeological findings, but a new axis of human evolution and one of the centers of world ancient civilization.

"So far, the world has been fixated on the narrative of Out of Africa. Now Indonesia is proposing an expansion: Out of Asia, even Out of Nusantara," said Fadli in front of a delegation of 40 countries.

He explained that more than 60 percent of the world's Homo-erectus fossils were found in Indonesia, including the Java Man by Eugène Dubois in Trinil which became a milestone in modern paleoanthropological science. Fadli also emphasized the repatriation of 28,131 Dubois Collection fossils from the Netherlands as a restoration of Indonesia's scientific sovereignty.

In addition to ancient human fossils, Indonesia holds the oldest narrative painting in the world aged 51,200 years in Leang Karampuang, South Sulawesi, which recorded the ability to tell visual stories and maritime knowledge since tens of thousands ago.

"The finding of Homo sapiens in Lida Ajer and the culture of the Tiger Cave proves that the people of the archipelago are adapting, with initial metal technology, to mapping sacred spaces," he said. That evidence, he said, challenges the theory of human trafficking, which is only one direction from Africa.

UISPP President Prof. Jacek Kabaciwasski appreciated the holding of the conference in Indonesia. We see this as an important momentum. We hope that discussions over the next ten days will be productive and strengthen Indonesia's position in the global scientific community," he said in a written statement received by VOI.

The UISPP Conference took place on 27 October 6 November in Salatiga, Sangiran and Yogyakarta, focusing on research collaboration, site preservation, and scientific promotion for sustainable development. Menbud Fadli invited world scientists to partner directly on key Indonesian sites to reopen the initial map of human civilization.