TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Archaeologist Harry Truman Simanjuntak criticized the substance of the new national history book titled "Sejarah Indonesia: Dinamika Kebangsaan dalam Arus Global," published by the Ministry of Culture. One of his concerns focuses on the first volume, which spans six chapters and 1,163 pages.
Truman highlighted fundamental academic issues, theoretical foundations, and methodologies employed in compiling this official version of Indonesian history. He argued that the government's claim positioning Indonesia as the epicenter of world civilization, or the "out of Nusantara" theory, is scientifically flawed.
"Seen from anywhere, Africa is the origin of humanity and cultural development up to the present," Truman said during a discussion in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. He described the material presented in the first volume as a clear academic regression.
Truman noted that hominids first appeared in Africa two million years ago, whereas early humans appeared in Indonesia 1.5 million years ago. "The authors claimed that Homo erectus had been in Indonesia for 1.8 million years, but there is no authentic evidence or confirmed proof for that claim," he said.
In detail, the first volume, titled "Akar Peradaban Nusantara", presents the ecological, anthropological, and cultural foundations of the region's early history. The period covered in this volume precedes cultural encounters with global civilizations such as India, China, and Persia.
The authors of the first volume narrate how geological and climatological dynamics shaped a rich yet challenging environment. Within this framework, these conditions influenced ancient and modern humans who built communities through migration, ecological adaptation, spiritual beliefs, and early technologies such as agriculture and metallurgy.
The volume also depicts maritime traditions and coastal settlements as central hubs of regional cultural exchange.
He also criticized the use of the motto "reinventing Indonesian identity" in drafting this official history project. According to Truman, the term creates confusion because it implies that the authors commissioned by the Ministry of Culture have newly discovered the nation's identity.
He considered the motto prone to misinterpretation due to a lack of proper context. "Did previous researchers do nothing to explore Indonesia's identity? Was the existing identity wrong?" he said.
Truman further questioned the "Indonesia-centric" framing emphasized in the government's publication. He argued that this approach appears to dismiss foundational research conducted by foreign and colonial-era scholars at that time, noting that foreign research was not conducted merely to manipulate or erase local historical data.
He emphasized that colonial-era findings remain useful in modern Indonesian studies, particularly within prehistory where early researchers uncovered significant archaeological potential. "We have to admit that. Without foreign research in Indonesia, we would not understand anything about prehistory," Truman said.
In conclusion, Truman found the book's Indonesia-centric claim over-glorifies national history at the expense of scientific accuracy. He stressed that historical analysis must remain strictly grounded in empirical data. The theoretical foundation and academic substance, particularly in the first volume, raise serious concerns.
Truman specifically pointed to the term akar peradaban (roots of civilization) used to describe early life in Nusantara. He explained that the concept of roots of civilization typically refers to a rudimentary or non-complex society.
However, Truman explained that starting 4,000 years ago, life in Nusantara was already complex, reaching its peak during the megalithic era and the adoption of metal technology. Such a society is more accurately classified as prehistoric rather than a civilization.
"So many theoretical foundations are lost because of that term civilization. The theoretical construction of prehistory that has been built for decades, even since the colonial era and continuously refined, is lost in this book," Truman said.
He also criticized the first volume for containing significant omissions and a lack of analytical detail, questioning the editorial team's logic in reconstructing life millions of years ago. "Don't be surprised later if reading this book feels like reading a report," Truman said.
The book project, initiated during the early administration of President Prabowo Subianto, involved 123 experts, including volume authors, line editors, and general editors. The Ministry of Culture collaborated with contributors from 34 universities and 11 non-academic institutions, drawing from disciplines such as history, archaeology, philology, epigraphy, and genetics.
Culture Minister Fadli Zon previously stated that writing "Sejarah Indonesia: Dinamika Kebangsaan dalam Arus Global" carried a broader mission to shift existing educational paradigms, arguing that history should move beyond memorizing names and dates.
"History should serve as an instrument to sharpen critical thinking, understand the roots of contemporary issues, and map out the future direction of the nation through open dialogue," said the politician of the ruling party Gerindra, in a statement on Friday, September 4, 2026.
Fadli Zon stated that each volume in the series is structured chronologically and thematically to illustrate the continuity, changes, and broader historical journey of the nation.
"The first five volumes take the reader on a journey through Nusantara's long history, from the roots of civilization to the formation of national consciousness," Fadli said.
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