Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology 8(7): 863870, 2014 DOI:10.19026/rjaset.8.1046 ISSN: 20407459; eISSN: 20407467 © 2014 Maxwell Scientific Publication Corp. Submitted: June 11, 2014 Accepted: July 19, 2014 Published: August 20, 2014 Corresponding Author: Adnan Jusoh, Department of History, Faculty of Human Sciences, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 863 Research Article Bronze Drum in Selangor (Malaysia): The Motif and Significance from Archaeological Perspective 1 Adnan Jusoh, 2 Zuliskandar Ramli and 2 Nik Hassan Shuhaimi Nik Abdul Rahman 1 Department of History, Faculty of Human Sciences, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia 2 Institute of the Malay World and Civilization, National University of Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia Abstract: This study focuses on the bronze drums found in Selangor, Malaysia. Besides being found in this country, bronze drums are also found in several other locations in Southeast Asia, among them Vietnam, China, Laos, Burma, Cambodia and Indonesia. The discovery of bronze drums in Selangor raised questions about when and how it spread the meaning or philosophy behind the decorative motifs, the function and the extent of its relationship with the local people. This study therefore, employed literature review, typology and lab analysis through the XRF technique on selected samples. Result of the study showed that the motifs displayed on the bronze drums found in Selangor are the stereotype of the bronze drum from the Heger I type, which is a type of bronze drum found in Dongson, Vietnam. This is based on the drawings of the motifs and decorative patterns displayed on the bronze drums’ tympanum, among them the star motif, triangle motif, stair motif, tangential circle motif, alphabet motif, bird motif, frog motif and so on. The motifs displayed are manifestations associated with the activities of life of the people from the Late Prehistoric period in Southeast Asia. The widespread distribution of bronze drum findings is a result of the various functions of the bronze drum either as a ritual object, status symbol, trade object, burial object and so on. This object is believed to have spread in Selangor through maritime trade activities based on its discovery close to tinrich areas. Keywords: Bronze drum, Kampung Bukit Kuda/Klang, Kampung Sungai Lang, Kampung Sungai Sedu, motifs INTRODUCTION A total of 9 bronze drums have been found in Malaysia, namely eight in Peninsular Malaysia and one in East Malaysia (Sabah). The 8 bronze drums found in Peninsular Malaysia consist of 4 bronze drums which were discovered in the state of Selangor, 3 bronze drums found in the state of Terengganu and one other bronze drum found in Pahang. All the bronze drums that were found in Malaysia are chance find and in incomplete state or in the form of tympanum fragments only. Nevertheless, in terms of their physical characteristics (especially the bronze drum tympanum fragments) and the shape of their decorative motifs, it was discovered that all the bronze drums found in Peninsular Malaysia are the stereotype of the Heger I type bronze drums that were found in Dongson, Vietnam. Four bronze drums that were found in Selangor are the Kampung Bukit Kuda/Klang bronze drum, Kampung Sungai Lang I bronze drum, Kampung Sungai Lang II bronze drum and Kampung Sungai Sedu bronze drum. Bronze drum of Kampung Bukit Kuda/Klang, Selangor: Kampung Bukit Kuda bronze drum is also sometimes known as the Kelang bronze drum. This bronze drum was found in Kampung Bukit Kuda, which is a small hill that is located near the location of the discovery between Kelang River and Rasau River, Selangor. The location of Kampung Bukit Kuda is in the area of Kelang, Selangor which is on the east of the present Kelang town. According to Leong (1998), the finding of this bronze drum in Bukit Kuda, Selangor, happened in the year 1944 during the construction work at the time of the Japanese military rule in this country during World War II. According to Linehan (1951), the diameter of the Kampung Bukit Kuda/Klang drum is 58.4 cm and its height reached a measurement of about 35.6 cm (Fig. 1). Bronze drum of Kampung Sungai Lang I, Selangor: Kampung Sungai Lang’s bronze drum was found in Kampung Sungai Lang, in the Kuala Langat district, Selangor, which is about 40 km from Klang. Two bronze drums were found in this location which are the Kampung Sungai Lang I bronze drum (large sized