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Netherlands Finalizes Return of 28,000 Dubois Fossils, Including 'Java Man,' to Indonesia

An independent review determined the Dubois fossils were obtained under coercive colonial conditions, prompting a government-led return.

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A group of students walk past the statue of Hindu goddess Durga Mahisasuramardini at the National Museum in Jakarta, Indonesia, in January. The Netherlands has announced it is returning a further 28,000 fossils to Indonesia, including the bones of 'Java Man.'
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Overview

  • Dutch Culture Minister Gouke Moes and Indonesian minister Fadli Zon formalized the transfer at the Naturalis museum in Leiden on Sept. 26.
  • The handover covers more than 28,000 items from the Dubois Collection at Indonesia’s request, according to a Dutch government statement.
  • The Colonial Collections Committee concluded the fossils were likely taken against local people’s will and that the collection never became Dutch property.
  • Excavated in the late 19th century by Eugène Dubois, the trove includes the 'Java Man' remains, regarded as the first fossil evidence of Homo erectus.
  • Both governments say the repatriated collection will remain available for scientific research, reflecting a broader wave of colonial-era restitutions by European institutions.