BALIK PULAU: The presence of dozens of stacked stone structures of various sizes, forming walls over 20 metres long in Kampung Sungai Rusa here for quite some time, raises the question of whether the area may have been a site of prehistoric human settlement.
Pertubuhan Penggerak Seni Warisan (PPSW) Balik Pulau deputy chairman Mohd Firdaus Ahmad, said the appearance of these structures, especially on the hill slopes, had long been noticed by residents, but so far, no one has shown interest in conducting a study on the discovery.
"These structures, most of which are about a meter tall, are mostly built on the hill slopes, including around Bukit Laksamana, located near Teluk Bahang, adjacent to the road to Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau, and some are also arranged in Sungai Batu Hampar Tengku Jalil here.
"Some of these stone arrangements form steps as if carved, and we have also found stone mortars believed to have been used for pounding rice," he said when interviewed by BH and Harian Metro.
Mohd Firdaus also revealed the discovery of hundreds of fragments of old porcelain bowls and plates in the vicinity of the stone structures, which have been kept as family heirlooms, with some said to date back to the Ming Dynasty.
He hopes that experts, especially in the field of archaeology, can conduct a comprehensive study to unravel the role of these stone structures and confirm the historical significance of the remains to the country.
"We feel it's a shame if something like this is only seen as mere stone wall. There might be something useful if it is studied more deeply, especially in terms of the history of human civilisation.
"We hope that if it does have historical value, the area should be gazetted as a heritage site and monitored from time to time to prevent unwanted incidents. For example, in the past, one of these places was tried to be used for worship, but we have cleaned it," he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Fossil and Mineral Gemstone Club of Malaysia Dr Hisham Hashim said that initial observations found the technique of arranging the stones interesting to study due to the varying size, shape, and weight of each stone.
He said he recently surveyed the structure and speculated that its age might be older than the Lembah Bujang human civilisation, which already had the technology to produce bricks, while the construction in Balik Pulau only used original stones obtained from the surrounding area, including from nearby rivers.
"The stone arrangement in Balik Pulau is an interesting technique to study because many people are surely wondering how people at that time lifted those heavy stones to stack them on the hill. The structure is still stable and sturdy until now.
"Moreover, there are smaller stones arranged among the large stones, making it balanced. Besides, the main construction material uses river stones, a type of living stone that makes the stone arrangement denser over time," he said when contacted.
Dr Nasha Rodziadi Khaw, senior lecturer at the Global Archaeological Research Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia (PPAG-USM), said his team could interpret the function of the site if initial survey work is carried out at the location.
"When there are such discoveries (stone and porcelain structure arrangements), there is undoubtedly the potential that the site was once inhabited by ancient humans.
"However, to conduct research, this matter needs to be done with the permission of the National Heritage Department," he added.