Sangiran is an archaeological excavation site in Java in Indonesia, located about 15 kilometers north of Surakarta in the Solo River valley. According to a UNESCO report (1995) "Sangiran is recognized by scientists to be one of the most important sites in the world for studying fossil man, ranking alongside Zhoukoudian (China), Willandra Lakes (Australia), Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania), and Sterkfontein (South Africa), and more fruitful in finds than any of these." The area comprises about 56 km² (7 km x 8 km).
An important feature of the site is the geology of the area. Originally a dome was created millions of years ago through tectonic uplifts. The dome was then eroded exposing beds within the dome which are rich in archeological records. Excavations here from 1936 to 1941 led to the discovery of the first hominid fossil at this site. Later, 50 fossils of Meganthropus palaeo and Pithecanthropus erectus/Homo erectus were found - half of all the world's known hominid fossils.
Inhabited for the past one and a half million years, Sangiran is one of the key sites for the understanding of human evolution. More discoveries of stone tools have been made since. These human, fauna, and stone tool materials were deposited within its unbroken stratigrafical layers. A modest museum existed at Sangiran for several decades before a modern, well-functioning museum and visitors' centre was opened in December 2011. The new building contains three main halls with extensive displays and impressive dioramas of the Sangiran area as it was believed to be around 1 million years ago.
About the stamp
The stamp of the maxicard is one of the two of the series The 125th Anniversary of Indonesian Palaeoanthropology, issued on August 31, 2014.
1/1 Homo erectus (3000 IDR) - It's on the postcard 3129
1/2 Homo sapiens (3000 IDR)
The stamp on the back is one of the six of the series Satellites, issued on September 27, 2016.
References
Sangiran - Wikipedia
Sangiran Early Man Site - UNESCO official website
Sender: Dionisius Sundoro (direct swap)
Sent from Bandung (Java / Indonesia), on 14.12.2017
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