Key pieces from the Dubois Collection handed over in Indonesia

News item | 17-12-2025 | 12:03

Four important objects from the Dubois collection were handed over to Indonesia on Wednesday 17 December. The Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia, Marc Gerritsen, handed over the objects to Indonesia’s Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon.

They comprise a skull fragment, a femur and a molar attributed to Homo erectus, as well as a shell with scratches on it, possibly made by a hominin.

The Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia, Marc Gerritsen, handed over the objects to Indonesia’s Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, in the presence of Marcel Beukeboom, the General Director of Naturalis Biodiversity Center. The handover ceremony took place at the National Museum of Indonesia in Jakarta, which will exhibit the objects.

The Dutch ambassador to Indonesia, Marc Gerritsen (left), Indira Estiyanti Nurjadin of the Indonesian Heritage Agency. On the right: Marcel Beukeboom of the Naturalis Museum.
The Dutch ambassador to Indonesia, Marc Gerritsen (left), Indira Estiyanti Nurjadin of the Indonesian Heritage Agency. On the right: Marcel Beukeboom of the Naturalis Museum.

The Dubois collection

Scientist Eugène Dubois and others working on his behalf excavated and collected most of these fossils and other natural history objects in Java and Sumatra between 1888 and 1900. On the advice of the independent Colonial Collections Committee, Minister of Education, Culture and Science Gouke Moes decided earlier this year to return all of the objects to Indonesia. Consisting of more than 28,000 items, the collection is currently managed by Naturalis Biodiversity Center and will be transferred to Indonesia in 2026.

Scientific research

The Dubois collection provides important source material for scientific research into human evolution. Key pieces from the collection include a skull fragment, a molar and a femur attributed to Homo erectus, an early hominin. These objects are now the first to be transferred.

Naturalis Biodiversity Center and Indonesian scientists have been collaborating intensively on research into the Dubois collection for decades. Both Indonesia and the Netherlands attach great importance to continuing this research. Indonesia has indicated that its national scientific institute, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), will play a significant role in preserving and managing the collection.