Archaeological evidence has demonstrated that the Bujang Valley is Malaysia's richest archaeological site and served as the primary coastal centre. A study in the Bujang Valley found monuments related to trading activities and others that functioned as a temple related to the Hindu-Buddhist period. The main purpose of this study was to resolve issues and problems arising from previous studies related to the Bujang Valley civilisation, particularly in terms of iron studies. Geophysics plays a vital role in assisting archaeologists to obtain excellent preliminary results before they proceed with excavation and digging works. Therefore, the 2-D resistivity and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) methods were conducted to locate and map the potential iron smelting site at Site B2 (SB2). Three main characteristics that can be observed on the surface are a mound area, exposed clay bricks and surface finds. Two-D resistivity showed the resistivity values of a possible buried structure, with values > 800 Ωm. Radargram profiles showed the highest amplitude, indicating the reflections uncovered in the location in certain survey lines. This paper presents the first summary of research on the metallurgical sites in the Bujang Valley, the most important site in Malaysia. Geophysical methods, which rely on a physical contrast between buried archaeological features and the properties of the surrounding subsoil, can assist archaeological investigations.

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In order to obtain primary data related to the iron smelting activities, the experimental process of furnaces, tuyere and air pumps making is carried out. The experiment has conducted since 2013 through the Knowledge Transfer Program (KTP) in Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex (SBAC). Through the experiment, the clay in this complex has been used as a raw material for furnaces and tuyere making while the bellows is made of wood, plywood and fabric. In order to complete the experiment regarding the raw material that use for iron smelting, iron ore was taken through survey activities in the area of Kampung Batu 5, UiTM Merbok and Bukit Tupah while charcoal was used from rubber wood in the rubber plantation near the Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex. After the experiment was conducted, the results recorded were different from the findings of the iron ingot excavation at the iron smelting site which is likely to occur due to the difference in technique and ratio of materials used during smelting activities. Although the results obtained during the experiment are different, the smelting process can be used as the main reference for offering tourism full packages related to the demonstration of iron smelting in this complex to foreign tourists.

This article proposes new historical perspectives arising from the findings in the Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex, Kedah, by the Centre for Global Archaeological Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2009. Excavations in the complex unearthed the remains of iron smelting sites, wharves and other brick structures, dating back to the 2nd/3rd century AD. The discoveries of furnaces, tuyeres and iron slag attest to Sungai Batu’s role as the centre for primary iron production, employing the bloomery method. The study suggests that Ancient Kedah appeared as one of the hubs for the trans-Asiatic trade network with the rise of the iron industry, while its economic complexity grew steadily in successive centuries. The early emergence of Ancient Kedah was a development synchronous with the later phase of the Indian-Southeast Asian exchange network between the 2nd to the 4th century AD when inter and intra-regional trade intensified. Due to its favourable geological features, strategic location with a suitable ecozone, as well as being a thriving centre for primary iron production, Ancient Kedah emerged as an important harbour. It was this trading and industrial past, the article will argue, that contributed to the rise of other economic hubs within Ancient Kedah, such as Pengkalan Bujang and Kampung Sungai Mas, which eventually developed into entrepôts after the 5th century AD.

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