Malaysia's Hindu-Buddhist civilisation spread over 1,000 sq km

Excavation at a Hindu-Buddhist civilisation site in Malaysia that dates back to the fifth century indicates that it was spread over 1,000 sq km and not 400 sq km as thought earlier.

A team of Malaysian archaeologists discovered ancient furnaces for iron smelting in Jiniang, Kedah, 30 km from the Bujang Valley site near Merbok, Kedah state.

'This means the Bujang Valley civilisation area encompassed about 1,000 sq km - three times the size of Penang island - and not 400 sq km as thought before,' said Mokhtar Saidin, who led a team of researchers from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

This will be discussed at a three-day international conference on 'Bujang Valley and Early Civilisations' in South-East Asia beginning here Monday.