Island of gold? Indonesian fishermen discover hidden treasure

Team Udayavani, Oct 30, 2021, 12:53 PM IST

A group of fisherman may have finally identified the site of a fabled Indonesian kingdom known for its golden treasures on Sumatra, according to an interesting piece of news. The monarchy, known as the Island of Gold, boasted of immense treasure that vanished 700 years ago. According to the Daily Mail, fisherman have been looking for this hidden treasure for the past five years, and they finally found it during night-time dives on the Musi River in Palembang on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

What they discovered astounded them! Precious gems, gold rings, cash, and bronze monk bells were among the treasures discovered. A life-size figure of Buddha studded with a gem from the 8th century, worth millions of pounds, has been one of the most remarkable discoveries thus far.

These relics, in particular, originate from the Srivijaya civilisation, a great monarchy that existed between the 7th and 13th centuries before abruptly disappearing a century later. Surprisingly, this empire had a tight ties with India as well.

The finding of these jewels and relics, according to Dr. Sean Kingsley, a British maritime archaeologist, proves that the Srivijaya empire was not fictitious. He was quoted saying, “In the last five years, extraordinary stuff has been coming up. Coins of all periods, gold and Buddhist statues, gems, all the kinds of things that you might read about in Sinbad the Sailor and think it was made up. It’s actually real.”

This empire, he claims, was once known as ‘Water World,’ where people built and used wooden boats. When this civilization came to an end, however, its wooden buildings, palaces, and temples drowned as well.

Dr. Kingsley further stated that antique tools and pans from the historical period have been discovered, demonstrating how far mankind had progressed.