"I believe our cultural wealth is amazing, from Sabang to Merauke, from Aceh, Papua, to Rote Island. I have traveled to about 100 countries, and I can say that no other country has cultural wealth that matches Indonesia's," Minister Zon remarked at the Muhammadiyah Museum here on Monday.
Having visited museums in various countries and observed their cultural collections, he concluded that Indonesia's cultural heritage is the richest.
"I would say that our cultural wealth exceeds mere diversity. It is a form of mega-diversity," he affirmed.
Furthermore, he noted that Indonesia might be one of the oldest civilizations in the world, as numerous early human artifacts, such as those of Pithecanthropus Erectus and Homo Erectus, were discovered within its borders.
The minister emphasized that this evidence supports the claim that Indonesia hosts one of the oldest civilizations.
"Over 100 Homo Erectus artifacts have been discovered worldwide, and 50-60 percent of them were found in Central Java, East Java, and East Nusa Tenggara, which proves that we have one of the oldest civilizations," Zon noted.
He further stated that discussions regarding the richness of Indonesian culture are substantiated by tangible artifacts, such as those from Pithecanthropus Erectus and Homo Erectus found in the region.
"While their brain capacity was not as high as modern humans, which are around 1,300 cc, these early humans left behind many cultural expressions throughout the archipelago," he explained.
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Translator: Hery S, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
