MEDIA STATEMENT


The Second Installment of Think City’s Penang Story Lectures
18 December, 2010

New Discoveries in the Bujang Valley
by Dr Mokhtar Saidin

GEORGE TOWN, PENANG:New discoveries unearthed by archeologists in Kedah are altering the common perception about Malaysian civilization. Excavations around the Lembah Bujang settlement have uncovered ground breaking evidence that links the Malay Peninsula to the world of regional trade.

Archaeologists at Bujang Valley led by Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Associate Professor Dr Mokhtar Saidin have uncovered ancient prehistoric structures and sites dating back to the 2nd century C.E (Common Era).

One of the main discoveries unearthed from Malaysia’s oldest historical site provides evidence indicating that the Sungai Batu civilization was economically-based on an iron industry. This latest archaeological finding, especially the existence of an iron-smelting industry at Sungai Batu dating from the 1st to 14th centuries C.E., verifies oral and written records describing the importance of iron from Old Kedah found in ancient poems and writings.
“These new discoveries that are currently being unearthed at Bujang Valley are expected to have special significance to regional and global archaeology,” said Dr Mokhtar during his presentation at Wawasan Open University today.

The lecture today is organised by Think City Sdn Bhd (Think City), in collaboration with the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Universiti Sains Malaysia and the Penang Heritage Trust (PHT).

The Penang Story Lectures is part of the Penang Story project that hopes to build a better understanding of our heritage, while having a greater respect for the traditions and histories of other communities.

The Penang Story project is a cultural mapping project under Think City’s George Town Grants Programme (GTGP). Other partners for this project include Penang Heritage Trust, George Town World Heritage Incorporated & Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

The aim of the project, according to the Penang Story committee chairman Dato Anwar Fazal is to for all communities to ultimately become aware of their role and contribution towards Penang’s development and progress.

ENDS
For further information, please contact Veronica Liew at +604-222 6956 or via e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

About Think City Sdn Bhd

Think City, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, is the special purpose vehicle set up to implement and manage the George Town Grants Programme (“GTGP”). The GTGP is designed to stimulate urban regeneration and rejuvenation within the George Town World Heritage Site (“WHS”), by encouraging projects that promote inclusiveness and a shared understanding of George Town’s Outstanding Universal Values (“OUVs”) between residents, businesses and visitors alike. This approach is aimed at enhancing the city’s livability and to build social capital over time. The GTGP will be implemented for a period of two years. Information on GTGP projects will be made available on the Think City website (www.thinkcity.com.my).