JAKARTA - The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Fadli Zon directly reviewed the relocation of the Cianten River Inscription in Ciaruteun Ilir Village, Cibungbulang District, Bogor Regency, Saturday (16/1). This visit confirms the new direction of cultural heritage management: physical rescue as well as development of the area as a space for historical education and cultural tourism.
Fadli Zon considers the Ciaruteun area to be an important point of the early civilization of Nusantara. In this area, a number of inscriptions from the Tarumanegara Kingdom, including the Ciaruteun Inscription and Kebon Kopi I, were found. The Cianten River Inscription is in the same historical landscape.
"What we are saving now is the Muara Cianten Inscription. This inscription was previously in the river and contained pictographs as an expression of the culture of the community at the time," said Fadli Zon at the location.
According to him, the inscription is estimated to have come from the 4th to the 5th century AD and is one of the oldest evidence of the writing tradition in the archipelago. Therefore, rescue should not stop at the technical aspect, but must be directed at public use.
"Prasasti-prasasti in Bogor, including the earliest in the archipelago. This area has great potential to be developed as a center for historical education and cultural tourism," he said.
The relocation of the Muara Cianten Inscription has been carried out since December 6, 2025 to avoid damage due to immersion and the flow of the Cisadane River. This inscription is one of the seven Tarumanegara inscriptions and has been designated as a National Heritage Site through SK Number 204/M/2016.
This andesite stone inscription measures 2.7 x 1.4 x 1.4 meters, with pictographic carvings and floral motifs related to the era of King Purnawarman. The writing uses ikal or sangkha letters, which still require further study.
The relocation process has been studied since 2008, updated in 2017, and validated again in 2023 by the Regional Cultural Preservation Agency IX West Java. Its implementation involves the Ministry of Culture, the Bogor Regency Government, the TNI, and the local community.
The Ministry of Culture emphasized that this relocation is a strategic step to maintain the sustainability of preservation while opening public access to the history of the early Nusantara.
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