Sleman, Indonesia - The Jogjakarta Montessori Elementary School (JMES) Grade 4 students recently embarked on an eye-opening excursion to the renowned Song Terus Museum Pacitan on February 20, 2025. This time's visit was an educational initiative to introduce young minds to Indonesia's rich prehistoric heritage, Mount Sewu, providing a firsthand look at the natural environment and the early human civilization in the Mount Sewu area.

The Song Terus Museum (MST) is a futuristic museum with an earthy brown aesthetic, providing profound knowledge of prehistoric heritage around the Mount Sewu area with a vast collection of 4.627 artifacts ranging from prehistoric times to the ongoing tradition, immersing visitors in Indonesia's deep-rooted past. The first stop at this visit was the audio-visual room, where the students watched a captivating 3D educational video about the Song Terus Museum's role in prehistoric literacy. The students were mesmerized by the revelation of two great human races in the past, Australomelanesoid and Mongoloid.

The students learned deeper about the Mount Sewu cave's profile, which is strongly characterized by the limestone rock. As it spans three districts, Gunungkidul, Wonogiri, and Pacitan, this Geosite has been admitted as part of the UNESCO Global Geopark Network (GGN) since 2015. This museum provided valuable insight into the karst natural ecosystem, natural niche, river flow, biodiversity, and the prehistoric life that flourished throughout the region.

Aside from prehistoric human life learning, the students were especially fascinated by the enthralling displays of prehistoric tools and skeletal remains, offering an unparalleled glimpse of the ancient inhabitants' survival strategies. Some remarkable artifacts were burnt chert, keris, bone and shell tools, skulls, tree branches, hand-held axes, and constituent rocks of Mount Sewu. An astounding look was the Mbah Sayem skeleton replica, an iconic discovery of Song Terus, alongside the female skeleton replica from the Song Keplek site, proving that Australomelanesoid and Mongoloid races once lived in Pacitan, leaving students stunned and lored by the enormous discovery.

Beyond the museum walls, the journey into early humans, cave dwellings, and ancient artifacts was more than just a prehistoric life lesson; it is a moment of inspiration, igniting a newfound respect for the scientific efforts uncovering humanity's distant past.

As the students concluded the tour, their imaginations were ignited, their curiosity awakened, and they left with a deeper appreciation for history and the promise of future discoveries.

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