Page 7 - WANDERFUL TRAVEL
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ABOUT BALI
HISTORY
Bali's earliest documented records Since the Beginning of Time Of early traders and olden kingdoms
date back to the 8th century, Bali
showing the early spread of Bali has been inhabited for a long time.
Buddhism and Hinduism. Bali's Sembiran, a village in northern Bali, was busy with trade from as early as
history has also revolved around was believed to have been home to the 200 BC. The prasasti, or metal
the rise of the Majapahit Kingdom people of the Ice Age, proven by the inscriptions, Bali's earliest written
with expansion of the old Hindu discovery of stone axes and adzes. records from the ninth century AD,
dynasty from the neighbouring Further discoveries of more show a significant Buddhist and
island of Java. sophisticated stone tools, agricultural Hindu influence; especially in the
The first European contacts were techniques and basic pottery at Cekik in statues, bronzes and rock-cut caves
made with the Portugese, Spanish, Bali's far west, point to the people of the around Gunung Kawi and Goa
then the Dutch, with the rise of the Neolithic era. At Cekik, there is Gajah.
spice trade via the Malacca strait evidence of a settlement together with Balinese society was pretty
in the 16th century. Occupation by burial sites of around a hundred people sophisticated by about 900 AD Their
the Dutch via the Dutch East India thought to be from the Neolithic through marriage portrait of the Balinese King
Company preceded the nation's to the Bronze Age. Udayana to East Java's Princess
struggle for independence. Bali The massive drums of the Bronze Age, Mahendratta is captured in a stone
has remained strong to present- together with their stone moulds have carving in the Pura Korah Tegipan in
day with its arts and culture been discovered throughout the the Batur area. Their son, Erlangga,
strongly influenced by Hinduism. Indonesian archipelago, including the born around 991 AD, later succeeded
most famous and largest drum in to the throne of the Javanese
Southeast Asia, the Moon of Pejeng, kingdom and brought Java and Bali
nearly two metres wide, now housed in together until his death in 1049.
a temple in east Ubud. In East Java In 1284, Bali was conquered by
and Bali, there has also been a Kertanegara, the ruler of the
concentration of carved stone Singasari; until the turn of the
sarcophagi which you can see in the century, saw Bali under its own rule
Bali Museum in Denpasar and the under the hands of King Bedaulu of
Museum Purbakala in Pejeng. Pejeng, east of Ubud.
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