Pugung Raharjo


Pugung Raharjo is a 30 hectares archaeological site of Hindu-Buddhist era in the regency of East Lampung regency of Lampung Province in South Sumatra in Indonesia. The site was discovered in 1957. There is an ancient terraced megalithic Hindu temple, also known as Pugung Raharjo Pyramid. There other megalithic structures from the 12th to 16th century CE, including Menhirs and Dolmen, as well as prehistoric remains dating back to 2500 BC. It is locally known as the "Taman Purbakala Pugung Raharjo". It is situated approximately 50 km from the provincial capital, Bandar Lampung.
The terraced pyramid Hindu temple is counted among the 5 known terraced pyramids in Indonesia, all of which are Hindu sites built during Hindu-Buddhist era, other being Candi Kethek, Gunung Padang Megalithic Site, Lebak Cibedug Temple, and Candi Sukuh.

History

Pugung Raharjo was occupied from the 12th to 16th century. Artefacts unearthed at the site suggest that the area was strongly under the influence of the Palembang-based Sriwijaya Empire. Finds of beads and Chinese porcelain indicate that the people of the area were also linked to international trade networks which visited the nearby Sunda Strait. The site was uncovered in the 1950s when transmigrants from Java and Bali moved into the area and started to clear the jungle. The site is now preserved as a national monument.

Design

The site is surrounded by trenches and protective earthworks. The site was clearly a fortified community. This was probably to necessary to protect locals from attacks from pirates passing through the nearby Sunda Strait, a major waterway within ancient Indian Ocean trade networks. Within the walls is a cluster of phallic, stone megaliths. The most substantial remaining monument is a large, terraced earthwork temple. There are various smaller temple mounds within the walls. A small museum is the nearby village of Pugung Raharjo houses a collection of finds from the site, including some impressive statues that are often described as being 'Polynesian' in style.