A HOLOCENE RESEARCH REPORT Abstract: The ninth-century world-heritage Buddhist monument of Borobudur (Java, Indonesia) stands above the floor of a dried-out palaeolake, but it remains uncertain as to whether it was ever constructed on a lake shore. Here we reveal through new chronological and palaeoenvironmental data on the extant sediment record of the area that Borobudur intentionally stood by an existing lake. For the first time, evidence of this conjunction validates quite literally the debated cosmological interpretation of the edifice as an aquatic lotus symbol upon which Buddha is seated. The fluctuating life history of the lake spanned at least 20000 years.

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The research took place in the Gendol Hill complex, Magelang, Central Java. One of the peaks in the hills complex is Mount Wukir, where a Canggal Inscription was found. The Canggal Inscription mentions an area named Java, rich in agricultural products with many sacred buildings. The term Javanese refers to an area of Gendol Hill complex, which is part of the Kedu–Central Java region. This paper aims to 1) interpret the cultural landscape of the Gendol Hill complex, 2) reconstruct the spatial structure (layout), and its utilization as a settlement area for Javanese society in the 8th century.  This paper interprets the Canggal Inscription and collates information about the potential of both biotic and non-biotic resources. Data processing is conducted through inductive–explanatory analysis. The results suggest that the Cultural Landscape of Gunung Wukir Temple was in a place protecting it from disaster. The complex was protected by Gendol Hills, acting as a barrier against volcanic eruptions from  Mount Merapi. Gendol Hill complex was located in an environment that flourished with both biotic and non-biotic resources. The community cultivated its alluvial plains and established settlements in this area. The denuded structural hills were also perceived as sacred spaces to erect temples with natural resources close by such as andesite rocks available from rivers around the hills.

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