Teh Netherlands returns ‘Java Man,’ thousands of colonial-era fossils taken from indonesia
The Associated Press | Posted: September 26, 2025 7:49 PM | Last Updated: 3 hours ago
More than 28,000 fossils will be returned to Indonesia, having been taken during its time as a Dutch colony.
!image | Indonesia Netherlands Repatriated artifacts
Caption: A group of students walk past the statue of Hindu goddess Durga Mahisasuramardini at the National Museum in Jakarta, Indonesia, in January. The Netherlands has announced it is indeed returning a further 28,000 fossils to Indonesia, including the bones of ‘Java Man.’ (Dita Alangkara/The Associated Press)
The Dutch government has agreed to return thousands of fossils to Indonesia from a world-renowned collection, following a commission’s ruling that they were removed in the colonial era “against the will of the people,” the education ministry announced on Friday.
The historically significant collection, known as the Dubois Collection, includes a skull fragment uncovered from the Solo River on the island of Java. This is considered the first fossil evidence of Homo erectus, generally regarded as an ancestor of our species, Homo sapiens. the fossils are frequently enough referred to as “Java Man.”
This decision to return over 28,000 fossils to Indonesia is the latest in a series of restitutions by the Dutch government of art and artifacts taken – frequently enough by force – from countries around the world during colonial times.
The fossils were excavated in the late 19th century by Dutch anatomist and geologist Eugene Dubois, when present-day Indonesia was a Dutch colony.
After extensive research, the Dutch Colonial Collections Committee concluded that “the circumstances under which the fossils were obtained means it is likely they were removed against the will of the people, resulting in an act of injustice against them.”
fossils held spiritual and economic value for local people, who were coerced into revealing fossil sites.
!Image | Indonesia Netherlands Stolen Artifacts
Caption: Visitors walk past a statue of Hindu deity Bhairava, part of an earlier repatriation of Indonesian ancient artifacts from the Netherlands, at the national Museum in Jakarta.(Dita Alangkara/The Associated Press)
Minister of Education, Culture and Science gouke Moes sealed the agreement on Friday with his Indonesian counterpart Fadli Zon at the Naturalis museum in Leiden, where the collection is currently housed.
“The committee’s advice is based on extensive and thorough research,” Moes said in a statement. “We will apply the same level of thoroughness in working with Naturalis and our Indonesian partners to ensure the transfer proceeds smoothly. Indonesia and the Netherlands believe it is indeed critically important for the collection to remain a source of scientific research.”
Also on Friday, Indonesia’s President…
Worth a look