The Netherlands Will Return The Purba Dubois Human Fossil Collection To Indonesia

PIXABAY'S ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The Dutch government announced that it would soon return as many as 28,000 pieces of ancient human fossils from the Eugene Dubois collection of scientists, which are currently managed by the Biodiversity Center of Hayati Naturalis in Leidenke Indonesia.

Dutch Minister of Education, Culture, and Sciences Gouke Moes said the repatriation decision was taken following the advice of the Dutch Colonial Collection Committee.

"Nashah, the committee was taken based on thorough research. We will also apply this comprehensive attitude when working with Naturalists and Indonesian partners to ensure smooth repatriation," said Minister Moes as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, September 26.

After agreeing to the repatriation, which was carried out based on the request of the Indonesian side, Moes stated that the Dutch government had submitted a notification letter regarding the latest fossil-fossil repatriation plan to the Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon.

The Dutch minister said the fossil collection was very valuable and played a major role in realizing an understanding of the history of human evolution received by the scientific community.

"Indonesia and the Netherlands both believe the importance of the collection to remain a source of scientific research," said Moes.

According to the Dutch government, the collection of fossils of bones was excavated in Indonesia by Dutch anatomy and geologist Eugene Dubois in the late 19th century.

The fossils include the bones of the skulls, geraham teeth, and thighbones associated with the Homo erectus, a hominine species that is considered a bridge between apes and humans.

However, research by the Dutch Colonial Collection Committee concluded that there was a possibility that the fossils were obtained in ways that violated the will of the local community, causing injustice.

The independent body also determined that the Dutch government had absolutely no right to own the Dubois collection.

Thus, the Dutch Colonial Collection Committee issued suggestions so that the Dubois collection be returned to Indonesia unconditionally.

Meanwhile, Director General of Naturalist Marcel Beukeboom expressed his belief that the research collaboration of Dubois collection with Indonesian researchers would continue with great enthusiasm after the repatriation of artifacts to Indonesia.

The Biological Naturalist Diversity Center and Indonesian researchers have also been collaborating for a long time to examine fossils that are part of Dubois' collection.