The Sriwijaya Kingdom Archaeological Park (Taman Purbakala Kerajaan Sriwijaya in Indonesian) is a historical site in Palembang where traces of ancient settlements were found.
The park has an old garden and evidence that in the 9th century there was a city here, on the northern bank of the Musi River. The remains of neatly organized artificial canals, moats, ponds and islets found in this area indicate a settlement of the Sriwijaya Kingdom times.
Until the archaeological excavations in the 1980s, this place was considered a political center of the Sriwijaya Kingdom. But the excavations of the waterways led to another conclusion: the last «version» of the old city dates back to the era of Mahmud Badaruddin II, the ruler of the Sultanate of Palembang in the early 19th century.
Only episodic findings indicate the existence of a more ancient city. In the archaeological zone, they found parts of low brick walls: constructions, resembling stoves and braziers; pottery (jars, pots, bowls and plates); Chinese ceramics of the 7th-19th centuries; beads and other jewelry; Buddhist statues. All these things can prove that the settlement near the river was permanent and had a normal daily life. But except for canals and part of the brickwork, no significant ruins like houses or temples were found. Experts explain it by the fact that local buildings could be made of wood, and due to the river proximity, high humidity and frequent floods, wooden constructions could be easily destroyed in less than a couple of centuries.
Today, the park is a place to relax and walk among tropical greenery. There is also the Sriwijaya Museum which serves as an informational center. Local citizens recommend coming to the park in the morning to explore the territory calmly.
The archaeological park is located on Syakhyakirti Street, on the flat bank of the Musi River not far from its junction with the Ogan and Kramasan rivers.