By Zaki Salleh
LENGGONG: The school holidays are long, and don’t know where to go?
For those interested in geological history and eager to explore the ancient world, why not visit Lenggong?
Located just about 80 kilometers from Ipoh, this small town, still rich in greenery, is not too far away.
In reality, Lenggong has unique attractions that must be explored.
Lenggong, or Lenggong Valley, located in Hulu Perak, holds many remnants of early human settlements and civilization.
The oldest human skeleton in Malaysia, Perak Man, aged between 10,000 to 11,000 years, was discovered in the Gunung Runtuh Cave at Bukit Kepala Gajah in 1991.
This historic discovery, which shocked the archaeological world, resulted from research by the Malaysian Archaeological Research Centre (MARC) at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), in collaboration with the Department of Museums Malaysia.
Bukit Bunuh, on the other hand, is the site where a meteorite struck Lenggong approximately 183 million years ago.
This was confirmed through the discovery of suevite stones in the area, making Bukit Bunuh one of the 28 meteorite impact sites in the world.
All these stories can be learned by visiting the Lenggong Geopark Gallery in Kampung Baru Kota Tampan.
The Lenggong Geopark Gallery, managed by the Lenggong District Council, is open to the public, offering information on the historical development of Lenggong.
Another notable place is the Lenggong Valley Archaeological Gallery, also located in Kota Tampan, under the Department of National Heritage.
What is particularly interesting is that visitors can also view actual conservation sites near the galleries, where early research on Lenggong began in early 1987.
