Bujang Valley, or Lembah Bujang, is the largest archaeological site in Malaysia. Geographically, the name Bujang Valley refers to the area drained by Sungai Bujang, a tributary of Sungai Merbok. However, based on ancient monuments discovered, the Bujang Valley Archaeological Site cover a larger area, encompassing places as far as Kota Sarang Semut in the north, Bukit Mertajam in the south and Jeniang to the east, with Gunung Jerai located at the centre.
Archaeological excavations at Bujang Valley have been carried out on and off since the 19th century. It was initially by amateur historians and enthusiasts beginning with British Lieutenant Colonel James Low, who in 1845 discovered evidence pointing to the existence of an ancient civilization in the Bujang Valley. Since then, various people have escavated at Bujang Valley. Some of the early ones were not trained archaeologists but amateurs who were keen in learning about ancient civilizations, while the later ones were researchers and experts from universities. They include the Waleses (1936-40), Alastair Lamb (1958-60), Adi (1983), Nik Hassan (1984), Allen (1988) and Mokhtar Saidin (2012-present).
These archaeological remains show that there was a Buddhist polity here. The area consists of ruins that may date more than 2,535 years old. More than fifty ancient pagoda temples, called candi (pronounced as "chandi"), have also been unearthed. The most impressive and well-preserved of these is located in Pengkalan Bujang, Merbok. The Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum is located at Sungai Batu. Excavations there have revealed jetty remains, iron-smelting sites, and a clay brick monument dating back to AD 110, making it the oldest man-made structure to be recorded in Southeast Asia.
The local rulers adopted Hindu-Buddhist Indian cultural and political models earlier than those of Kutai in eastern Borneo, in southern Celebes or Tarumanegara in western Java, where remains showing Indian influence have been found dating from the early 5th century. Relics found in the Bujang Valley are now on display at the archaeological museum. Items include inscribed stone caskets and tablets, metal tools and ornaments, ceramics, pottery, and Hindu icons.
The Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum is open daily from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. However, the outdoor display is accessible as long as the gate is open. Entry to the museum if free.