Ancient Kedah Kingdom: Interpretations Based on Archaeological Studies

This manuscript is a summary of archaeological studies conducted in the ancient Kedah area, covering about 1,000 km². The conclusions of the study were identified by compiling data from written and navigational records as well as the archaeological record itself. The ancient Kedah Kingdom played an important role as a maritime kingdom in Southeast Asia since the 6th century BC. The jetty structure, port management, and the location of trade artifacts, which represent a trade area, provide evidence of ancient Kedah's involvement in trade activities. The iron smelting workshops at Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex and the bead and pottery manufacturing centers in Sungai Mas and Pengkalan Bujang provide evidence of the ancient Kedah industry. Moreover, the evidence of ritual structures, the Vimana-Mandapa (Hindu temple), the Buddhist temple, and sculptures clearly demonstrate the development of religion within this ancient Kedah civilization. This research clearly demonstrates that the ancient Kedah civilization conducted trade transactions with the early civilizations of the world, enabling foreign civilizations to recognize this kingdom as a major producer of iron ingot. This recognition was based on the nickname given to ancient Kedah by these civilizations, which means either iron or port. This indicates that foreign civilizations have recognized ancient Kedah as a port area that exports iron ingots of a global standard.