Archeologists Find 2 Million Year Old Clam Fossil in East Java

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A team from the national archeological research center (Puslit Arkenas) reportedly discovered clam fossils and ancient coral reefs predicted to be aged over two million-years-old during an excavation of sediments in Bengawan Solo, Ngawi, East Java.

An archeologist from the team, Shinatria Adhityatama said on Monday, October 14, that the excavation is also part of the team’s year-long research on ancient humans (Pithecanthropus Erectus). This research partnered with the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands. 

“Up to this moment, we have yet discovered the indications of human skeletal remains. But we will further analyze the skeletal remains we obtained in the excavation. Our latest finding was a clamshell fossil and coral stones,” Shinatria Adhityatama told journalists in Ngawi, East Java. 

Furthermore, the researcher said the team discovered a variety of clamshell fossils, such as; tridacna gigas, Ostrea, coral favites and coral meandrina. 

Naturalis Biodiversity Center researcher Josephine Joordens said the finding of the clam fossils presents new clues regarding the formation of land in the vicinity of Ngawi, and could even uncover how the Java Island was formed. 

“Roughly 2 to 2.5 million years ago the area here was an ocean. Java did not exist yet, no land yet, just the ocean,” said Josephine. 

ANTARA