“The Dubois collection is currently being packed,” Fadli told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday.
“Because the collection is extremely large, it is expected to fill around four to six containers," he added.
The artifacts would be shipped in a single consignment, with transportation costs fully covered by the Dutch government.
Fadli estimated the shipment process would take about two months once the fossils depart from the Netherlands.
“We hope to receive them next year. We have also prepared spaces at the National Museum and the Samiran Museum, which is linked to the collection’s historical context,” he said.
Previously, on Oct. 2, 2025, Fadli said 28,131 fossils from the collection of Dutch anatomist Eugene Dubois would be returned to Indonesia.
At the time, he said 28,131 fossils had been identified from a total collection of around 30,000, while the remaining items were still undergoing identification.
Fadli said the government prioritized the return of identified fossils, including the Homo erectus remains widely known as Java Man.
The repatriated fossils are planned to be exhibited at the National Museum of Indonesia with a different presentation and narrative approach.
“We will display them here, but the narrative and presentation method will be different,” he said.
Fadli noted that the Dubois fossil collection displayed at Naturalis Biodiversity Center features advanced hologram technology.
He added that the Dutch government had shown serious commitment in preserving and managing the fossil artifacts.
Related news: Indonesia to reclaim 28,000 prehistoric fossils from Netherlands
Related news: The Netherlands to return over 28.000 early human fossils to Indonesia
Translator: Sinta Ambarwati, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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