Tambora culture facts for kids

Tambora was a village and culture that disappeared a long time ago. It was located on Sumbawa Island in Indonesia. A huge volcano called Mount Tambora erupted in 1815. This eruption buried the village and its people under a thick layer of volcanic ash and hot, fast-moving flows of gas and rock, called pyroclastic flows. About 10,000 people lived there. Scientists have found amazing things like ceramic pots, bronze bowls, and even homes and people preserved by the ash. It's a bit like the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, which was also buried by a volcano. The language spoken by the people of Tambora also disappeared. It might have been a unique language, different from others in the area. Explorers from the West visited the village just before it was destroyed. People believe Tambora traded with places like Vietnam because their pottery looks similar.

Discovering Tambora's Secrets

In the summer of 2004, a team of scientists started digging in Tambora. This team included experts from the University of Rhode Island, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and the Indonesian Directorate of Volcanology. Haraldur Sigurðsson led the group. For six weeks, they worked hard and found the first signs of this lost culture. It had been completely wiped out by the 1815 eruption.

The dig site is about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) west of the volcano's crater. It is deep in the jungle, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the coast. The team had to dig through a layer of volcanic rock and ash that was 3 meters (10 feet) thick.

What Scientists Found

The team used a special tool called ground-penetrating radar. This tool helps them see things buried underground. They used it to find a small buried house. When they dug up the house, they found the remains of two adults. They also found bronze bowls, ceramic pots, iron tools, and other interesting items. The way these items were designed and decorated looked similar to things found in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Scientists used a method called carbonization to test some of the items. This test showed that the items were made of charcoal. This charcoal formed from the intense heat of the volcano's magma. The people and the house were preserved exactly as they were in 1815. Sigurðsson called it the Pompeii of the East.

Life in Ancient Tambora

Based on the objects they found, especially the bronze items, the team believes the people of Tambora were not poor. Historical records show that people on Sumbawa Island were known for several valuable goods. They produced honey, raised horses, and grew sappan wood for making red dye. They also had sandalwood, which was used for incense and medicines. People thought the area was very good for farming.

The discoveries suggest that a thriving culture existed on Sumbawa. This culture was completely destroyed by the 1815 eruption. The media started calling it the Lost Kingdom of Tambora. After this amazing discovery, Sigurðsson planned to return to Tambora in 2007. He hoped to find more villages and perhaps even a palace.

See also

• 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora
• Tambora language