Pacitan district, in Indonesia’s East Java province, has a magnificent, modern, three-story building – the Song Terus Prehistoric Museum – that preserves traces of the life of Australomelanesid homosapiens who lived approximately 8,500 years ago.

Pacitan, Jawa Timur (Indonesia Window) – A magnificent, modern, three-story building stands in a small agricultural area in Indonesia’s Weru hamlet, Pacitan district, East Java province.

Standing in contrast to its surroundings, this uniquely architectural structure houses relics of prehistoric Indonesian culture from thousands of years ago.

Indonesia Window recently visited the site, the Song Terus Prehistoric Museum, standing enticingly among farmlands and surrounded by limestone hills in the Gunung Sewu Cultural Heritage Area.

According to Haris Rahmanendra, Head of the Song Terus Museum, the museum, initiated by Indonesia’s Directorate General of Culture through the Directorate of Cultural Heritage Preservation and Museums, was built to preserve the extraordinary relics discovered in Pacitan.

The discovery is of Australomelanesid homosapiens that lived approximately 8,500 years ago.

"The Song Terus Museum has several facilities, including exhibition spaces, storage, and laboratories, as well as an auditorium that functions as a 3D cinema and an amphitheater," the archaeologist noted.

The museum's exhibition spaces display a number of collections, including human artifacts and cultural remains, as well as historical and cultural objects on display for the general public, including the younger generation, Haris said.

"At the Song Terus Museum, we are striving to optimize educational services, especially for the younger generation, by providing guided tours and explanations of the collections in the museum. In addition to the exhibition spaces, visitors can also visit the Song Terus Cave, located just in front of the museum," he explained.

Not only does the museum represent the Song Terus but also prehistoric remains found in the Pegunungan Sewu (a mountainous range), Haris said, explaining, "So, besides the Song Terus cave, there are the Tabuhan cave, the Song Keplek cave, and the Basoko river. We display their pictures and descriptions in the Song Terus Museum."

The Song Terus Museum, built by PT Urbane Indonesia from 2016 to the end of 2019, consists of a basement, ground floor, and upper floor.

The basement contains research rooms, collection management rooms, meeting rooms, offices, and a guest house. The ground floor includes a VIP room, cafeteria, and temporary exhibition space.

The upper floor consists of exhibition spaces, an audiovisual room, an auditorium, and a warehouse. The museum also features a library stocked with historical books.

The museum was inaugurated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Anwar Makarim (October 23, 2019 – April 28, 2021), in 2024 as part of the launch of the Indonesian Heritage Agency (IHA), a Public Service Agency (BLU) for Museums and Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia.

Reporting by Indonesia Window