page_title: Science and technology in Indonesia
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Science and technology in Indonesia / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Bosscha observatory at Lembang - Bandung, Indonesia. Size compared to an average man.
context_page_description: Indonesia is not considered as one of the leading countries in science and technology developments. However, there are many examples of notable scientific and technological developments and achievements contributed by Indonesians. Despite being a developing country, Indonesia is one of a handful nations that have developed their own aerospace technology.
  Currently, the republic's Ministry of Research and Technology is the official body in charge of science and technology development in the nation. The government institution dedicated to science and research in the country is the Indonesian Institute of Sciences. It consists of 47 research centers in fields ranging from social to natural sciences. In 2010, the Indonesian government allocated Rp 1.9 trillion for research and development—less than 1% of the total state expenditure.
context_section_description: Living in an agrarian and maritime culture, the people of the Indonesian archipelago have become well known in some traditional technologies, particularly in agriculture and marine. In agriculture for instance, the people in Indonesia and many other Southeast Asian countries, are famous for paddy cultivation and techniques such as terracing. Local systems of complex irrigation and water management have been developed in the archipelagos. An exceptional example is Subak, the irrigation system of Bali.
  The Malay race (which included the Javanese people, Sulawesian, Filipinos and other sub-group from Eastern Indonesia, minus the people from Irian region) from Nusantara is already accomplished sailor since at least 1500 years B.C. During that era the distribution of kapur Barus already reached ancient Egypt. The Malays developed tanja sail several hundred years B.C., which influenced the Arabs to make their lateen sail and the Polynesians to make their crab claw sail. It is an invention of global significance, because of its ability to sail against the wind. They are also made jong sail (junk rig), and by the 2nd century, the junk rig has been adopted by the Chinese as their preferred type of sail.
  Malays also reached Madagascar in the early 1st millennium AD and colonized it. By the 8th century A.D., they already reached as far as Ghana, likely using the outrigger Borobudur ship and the perahu jong. A Chinese record in 200 AD, describes the K'un-lun Po (meaning "ship/perahu from K'un-lun" - Either Java or Sumatra) as being capable of carrying 600-700 people and 260-1000 tons of cargo.
  The Konjo, Ara and Lemo-Lemo people from the island of Sulawesi in eastern Indonesia are also well known for their shipbuilding technology. They are renowned for making a wooden sailing vessel called the palari, using a sail system (rigging) known as pinisi. It is a common misunderstanding that the Buginese, Makassar, and Bira people built these vessels, in reality they are just sail them, not the builder.
  The Javanese and Malay people, like other Austronesian ethnicities, use a solid navigation system: Orientation at sea is carried out using a variety of different natural signs, and by using a very distinctive astronomy technique called "star path navigation". Basically, the navigators determine the bow of the ship to the islands that are recognized by using the position of rising and setting of certain stars above the horizon. In the Majapahit era, compasses and magnets were used, and cartography (mapping science) was developed: The use of maps full of longitudinal and transverse lines, rhumb lines, and direct route lines traveled by ships were recorded by Europeans, to the point that the Portuguese considered the Javanese maps were the best map in the early 1500s.
  
  In architecture, native Indonesians have developed their own vernacular architecture. Some examples of architecturally significant Indonesian buildings are Rumah Gadang of Minangkabau, Tongkonan of Toraja, and omo sebua of Nias. The Omo Sebua is noted for its sturdy yet flexible design which allows it to resist earthquake.
  By the 8th century, the Javanese kingdom of Medang Mataram developed an advanced stone mason architectural technology in candi (temple) building. This includes the magnificent Borobudur temple, Prambanan temple, and many other temples. Architectural techniques that have been developed include knobs, indentations and dovetails used to form joints between stones and bind them without mortar. Other significant architectural advancements include: the roof, niches, and arched gateways constructed in the corbelling method.
  The scientific quest and systematic research in accordance to the modern scientific method began to develop and flourish in Indonesia during the Dutch East Indies period, started in the 19th century. The Dutch East Indies has attracted intellectuals, scientists and researchers. Some notable scientists that conducted most of their important research in the East Indies archipelago are Teijsmann, Junghuhn, Eijkman, Dubois and Wallace. Many important a
caption: Bosscha Observatory built in 1923, today is operated by Bandung Institute of Technology
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