Recent archaeological discoveries in Malaysia 1965: Malaya
B.A.V. Peacock, writing in 1966 for the Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, reports two significant archaeological discoveries made in Malaya during 1965: a pair of Dong Son bronze drums recovered from Kuala Trengganu on the east coast, and a hoard of polished stone implements from Glugor on Penang Island. The article’s central significance lies in the Trengganu drums, which extend the known distribution of Dong Son bronzes beyond the west coast and reinforce the association of socketed iron implements with bronze objects in the Malayan metal age.
Summary
The Kuala Trengganu discovery was made during road improvements along Jalan Kamaruddin, where heavy earth-moving machinery destroyed the site before it could be formally excavated. The drums had been buried in an inverted position in a sandy strand line at the foot of the rocky outcrop known as Batu Burok, approximately a quarter of a mile south of the coast. The larger drum was first identified when fragments appeared in a load of soil purchased by a local shopkeeper; a young Malay medical attendant, Enche Mohammed Ali bin Abdullah, then located the second drum and additional bronze fragments by digging in the road bed. By the time Peacock visited in July 1965, the find spot had already been sealed beneath the new metalled surface (pp. 198–199).
The drums are of Heger’s Type I and bear the characteristic Dong Son decorative repertoire—zig-zag saw-tooth patterns, ladder motifs, linked circles, and conventionalized birds in flight—along with a broad band of a complex design possibly representing warriors with feathered headdresses. A fragment of the smaller drum’s upper body preserves a boat with high prow and large steering oar, manned by bird-men figures. Both drums exhibit the curious square holes (filled with soft alloy) previously noted in all Malayan Dong Son drums and some from Thailand, which Peacock attributes to mould-holding pegs in the casting process (pp. 199–200).
The Penang hoard, found in December 1965 at a depth of ten to fifteen feet during building foundations near Glugor, comprised ten axes, three beaked adzes, a stone bracelet, a perforated disc with ten projections, and several fragmentary tools. The most remarkable pieces are very large, thin axes with splayed cutting edges, made of a marble-like material and highly polished, which Peacock argues were of ceremonial rather than utilitarian function. The hoard is the first archaeological discovery recorded from Penang Island and is now held by the Penang State Museum (p. 200).
Key Findings
- The larger Kuala Trengganu drum measures 28.5 inches in diameter with a central twelve-pointed star surrounded by eight concentric decorative zones; the smaller drum measures 21.5 inches with a ten-pointed star and seven bands (p. 200).
- A socketed iron spearhead was found adhering through corrosion to the inner surface of the large drumhead, providing further proof of the association of socketed iron implements with Dong Son bronzes in Malaya (p. 199).
- The pottery assemblage includes light reddish brown earthenware tempered with sand and a few pieces of black earthenware tempered with carbonized vegetable matter—the latter type recorded for the first time from a Malayan archaeological site (p. 199).
- Seven glass beads were recovered: five pale translucent blue, one deep purple, and one yellow; notably, none of the opaque terracotta red beads characteristic of the Kampong Sungai Lang site were present (p. 199).
- The Penang hoard includes a large flat stone axe measuring 30 centimetres in length, made of a marble-like material, described as unique in the Malayan archaeological record (p. 200).
- No radiocarbon dating was possible for the Trengganu drums, though their style might typologically suggest an earlier period than the four previously known Malayan Dong Son drums (p. 200).
Conclusion
Peacock’s definitive takeaway is that the Kuala Trengganu drums disrupt the previously assumed predominantly west coast distribution of Malayan bronze and iron antiquities, pointing to the east coast as a new area where intensive archaeological investigation may be amply rewarded. The loss of the site to road construction underscores the urgency of such investigation before further destruction occurs.
Context
- This article is part of Peacock’s annual series reporting archaeological discoveries in Malaysia, continuing from the 1964 volume (JMBRAS 38(1), 1965).
- The study draws on witness testimony, field observation, and direct examination of recovered artefacts; no new archival collections are explored, and the contribution is primarily one of documentation and preliminary interpretation of newly discovered material.