Tambora culture facts for kids

TImagine a bustling city, full of life, suddenly buried and forgotten for centuries! That's the story of Tambora, a lost city and culture on Sumbawa Island in Indonesia. It was completely covered by volcanic ash and super-hot gas and ash clouds from the massive 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora. About 10,000 people lived there.

Scientists have been digging up this amazing site. They found ceramic pots, bronze bowls, glass bottles, and even homes with their inhabitants. Everything was buried by ash, much like the famous ancient Roman city of Pompeii. The unique language of this culture was also lost forever. It seems to have been a very special language, not related to others nearby. Before the eruption, Tambora was a trading hub, possibly exchanging goods with places like Vietnam.

Discovering the Lost City of Tambora

What Happened to Tambora?

In April 1815, Mount Tambora erupted with incredible force. This huge volcanic explosion buried the nearby city of Tambora. Hot ash and fast-moving clouds of gas and rock, called pyroclastic flows, swept over the area. The city and its people were instantly covered and preserved under many feet of volcanic material. This event made Tambora a "lost city" for a very long time.

Unearthing Tambora's Secrets

For nearly 200 years, Tambora remained hidden beneath the jungle and volcanic ash. Then, in the early 2000s, archaeologists began to search for clues. They wanted to understand what life was like in this ancient city. Their work has slowly brought Tambora's story back to life.

The First Dig: 2004 Discoveries

In the summer of 2004, a team of scientists started an exciting archaeological dig in Tambora. This team included experts from the University of Rhode Island, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and Indonesian volcanology experts. Haraldur Sigurðsson led this important project.

For six weeks, the team worked hard. They found the first clear evidence of the lost culture. The site was deep in the jungle, about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) west of the volcano's crater. They had to dig through a thick layer of volcanic pumice and ash, about 3 meters (10 feet) deep.

The team used special equipment called ground-penetrating radar. This helped them find a small buried house. Inside, they discovered the remains of two adults. They also found bronze bowls, ceramic pots, and iron tools. The style of these items looked similar to artifacts found in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Scientists used a technique called carbonization to study the findings. This showed that the items were made of charcoal, formed by the volcano's intense heat. The people and their home were preserved exactly as they were in 1815. Sigurðsson called this amazing discovery the Pompeii of the East. The many bronze objects suggested that the people of Tambora were not poor.

Historically, people on Sumbawa island were known for trading valuable goods. These included honey, horses, sappan wood (used for red dye), and sandalwood (used for incense and medicines). The area around Tambora was likely very good for farming. The archaeological finds confirmed that a thriving culture existed here before the eruption. Media outlets even called it the Lost Kingdom of Tambora.

More Clues from Later Excavations

After the initial discoveries, more teams continued the work. In 2006, a team from the Bandung Geological Museum carried out more excavations. The National Archaeology Research Institute followed in 2007. These digs uncovered even more artifacts. They found parts of building roofs and tools like knives. Further studies were conducted by the Denpasar Archaeology Institute between 2008 and 2011. Each new discovery helps us learn more about the lost city of Tambora.

See also

• 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora
• Tambora language