The Cultural Heritage Conservation Agency (BPCB) in Trowulan, East Java, continued the excavation of the site in Pataan Village, Sambeng District, Lamongan, on Monday (21/9/2020). BPCB archaeologist Trowulan Wicaksono Dwi Nugroho said the fourth stage of the excavation was aimed at exploring the structure of the building on the Pataan site, whether the temple or monastery was a place of worship at that time. "For this time, we focus on showing the central part of the main building," said Wicaksono when contacted, Monday. Wicaksono suspected that the building on the site was a monastery. "There are allegations of temples, but if I prefer to go to a monastery. So this middle part will prove what building this is," he continued. Also read: Archaeologists Find Traces of King Wengker Palace, the Founding Son of Majapahit on the Kumitir Site before starting the excavation, BPCB Trowulan and a number of volunteers from the Laksar Airlangga Community installed a roof over the main building of the Pataan site. "Because the roof has collapsed, so it doesn't have a roof. We don't want it if it rains, there is a concern that rainwater will enter the rock cavities and damage the structures on the inside," Wicaksono explained. Installation of the roof on the main building has started since Tuesday (15/9/2020). This excavation will last for 13 days. "Hopefully it can be on schedule, so that later we will know whether this is a temple or monastery," said Wicaksono.
Meanwhile, Head of Culture of the Office of Tourism and Culture (Disparbud) Lamongan Mifta Alamuddin said the excavation process at the Pataan site has been carried out since 2013. Excavations continued in 2018 and finally in 2019. "We are targeting that this excavation activity can be completed this year, it can be maximally opened , "said Mifta.
In the third stage of excavation, BPCB Trowulan and the team found a building on the northwest corner and south side. The find is about four meters from the main building. Meanwhile, in the second phase, BPCB Trowulan found the main building which was 24 meters long and 16 meters wide. They also found a building resembling a fence made of kumbung stone on the west side
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