The Sungai Batu Conundrum: A Review of the 788 B.C.E Claim by Muhammad Bin Abd Razak in His Book “Kedah Tua Tamadun Terawal Asia Tenggara (Ancient Kedah the Earliest Civilisation in Southeast Asia)”

Abstract

This paper aims to review the writings of author Muhammad bin Abd Razak (henceforth to be referred to as ‘the writer’) in his 2021 book “KEDAH TUA Tamadun Terawal Asia Tenggara (ANCIENT KEDAH the Earliest Civilisation in Southeast Asia),” specifically on the date used to claim that the Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex (SBAC) had been dated to 788 B.C.E based on a charcoal sample from Spit 7 of Site SB2H dated using the Accelerator Mass Spectometry (AMS) method and, the attempt to link between the use of Camphor in the embalming of the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt to justify the existence of an 8th Century B.C.E civilisation at SBAC. The purpose of this paper is to study the veracity of the claims made by the writer. This paper will discuss extracts from recent papers that were published that are related to the SBAC as well as the embalming process of mummies of Ancient Egypt’s pharaohs, with the intention to prove that the SBAC was established at the turn of the Common Era rather than 800 years prior. Therefore, the scope of this paper will be limited to explaining what was Ancient Kedah, what religion(s) did the people of Ancient Kedah practice, how accurate or true is the 788 B.C.E claim, as well as the attempt to link the use of Camphor in the embalming process of the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt with the SBAC. The findings will show that the SBAC is not as old as claimed, and that there is no connection between Ancient Kedah and Ancient Egypt.

Keywords: Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex, Bujang Valley, Ancient Kedah, Iron Industry