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Iron and Other artifacts were discovered in a number of megalith sites and large paleometalic water jars di dataran tinggi Jambi, Sumatera, while Iron artifacts were considered by the previous researcher, Dominik Bonatz, as imported. Tiongkok and Sa Huynh, southern Vietnam have been considered as the centre of ironwork technology to South East Asian islands in the Paleometalic period. Some questions arise of the mastery of the ironwork technology by the then people inhabiting the highlands of Jambi, of the Dawn era of the ironwork technology, and of the origin of the acquired iron artifacts and technology. Excavations at Gedang-1 and Gedang-2 sites resulted in the findings of slags around the megalith. The slags are identifiable through their physical appearances., while their periodization is learned through the dating analysis of the charcoal found out to be related with the slags. The analysis results cover the ironwork technology and its distribution that indicate the mastery of iron smelting and iron artifacts working by Jambi megalith community at 4th-6th century C.E.. It was presumed that the south east asian ironwork technology land spread through the Sumatran eastcoast to the highlands of Jambi. |
