via Channel NewsAsia, 18 December 2022: A feature on the archaeological discoveries discovered during the construction of Jakarta’s subway, and the tussle between heritage preservation and development.
Meanwhile, Attahiyat of Jakarta’s Cultural Preservation Team of Experts is pondering the fate of artefacts which are still buried underground and possibly perturbed as construction continues.
Authorities are already having a hard time finding storage space for the 1.4km tracks excavated, he argued, and the salvaged tracks only made up a small fraction of the original tram network.
“If workers find more artefacts, will they be dismantled and removed like the others? People should get to see these artefacts in their original locations so they can appreciate (the objects’) historical and geographical contexts,” he said.
Attahiyat said he is torn about the ongoing MRT construction project.
“On one hand, it means more people get to visit Jakarta’s heritage areas. But it shouldn’t come at the expense of historical sites and artefacts,” he said.
