In Prehistoric period especially in  the period of simple and advance  food gathering,  people lived in wandering and moving from one place to another more fertile soil. They settled in in natural caves and other places closed with water resources. Hunting and collecting food were their means of livelihood in order to fulfill their daily needs. The tool they used were made from stone with a very conventional form included chopping axes and another from horns and bones such as spatula and pointed lances called Lancipan Muduk.



Prehistoric Period of Bali is classified into four sub - period:

1. The Hunting and Early Food Gathering / Paleolithicum (± 1,000,000 - 200,000 BC)

During this period, people had begun settling in th caves as their temporary homes such as Selonding Cave and Karang Boma Cave that have been found in Pecatu Hill of Badung Regency. In those caves, archaeologists found remains of tools of animal and fish bones which were used as the point of a lance and an arrow, known by the of a Muduk point or Lancipan Muduk, and also some tools fossil from deer's horn and sea shell.

3. Cultivation Period / Neolithicum (± 3,000 - 600 BC)

In this period, the standard of life was a step ahead than that of Hunting Period. Stone tools were made more smooth and more sharper. They had begun to clear forest and jungles for cultivation, to make houses and living  in a group. Besides cultivation, they  had also made some plaited crafts, earthen ware, and had been able to make a small traditional boat to be used for sailing and trading with a barter system. Some of the stone tools such as: belincung (a pick axe), serut (a plane), pahat (a chisel), etc,  have been found  in different  places almost all over Bali.

4. The Paleomethalic Period (± 600 BC - 800 AD)

Remains from this period had shown a remarkable progress of human life such as the discovery of bronze artifacts made by metal melting and moulding techniques, to produces some kinds of home tools, sharp weapons like axe, point of a lance, cooking pot,  and jewelry such as wrist bracelet, ankle bracelet, earring, necklace and ring. Another interesting artifact is Nekara  (huge bronze drum) which is now kept in Pura Penataran Sasih (Penataran Sasih Temple) at Pejeng Village known by the name of Bulan Pejeng (Pejeng Moon). The community in that age had adhered a belief of animism especially the worship towards their ancestor that could be seen from the burial system using a sarcophagus (stone coffin) and earthen water-barrel.





Life of Balinese In Historic Period

1. The Ancient Period (±800 - 1343 AD)

This period indicated with a stamp or tablet written in Pranegari script in Sanskrit language containing Buddhist Mantras. The mantra wrote inside a stupika, the miniature of a stupa (Buddhist Temple) made of clay. A great number of stupikas were found in Pejeng Village and Tatiapi, Blahbatuh Village (Gianyar Regency) which can be traced back to 800 AD.  It was the first writing ever found indicating the beginning of Bali History. In this period, the people lived in trading system proved by the remains found such as gold and silver currencies, and also perforated Chinese coin.

2. The Middle Period (±1343 - 1846 AD)

This period started by the fall of the ancient of the Balinese Kingdom into Majapahit Kingdom's domination in the year 1343. The period was also known as the period of Majapahit's influence. During this period, various tradition used by Majapahit Kingdom in Java were adopted and applied in Bali, such as the former term keraton (king's palace) was changed to Pura, e.g. Keraton Samprangan became Semarapura, and at last the word pura was changed again to become puri.

The goverment center which was at first located at Samprangan was moved to Gelgel, and here the kingdom reached its golden era in the reign  of Dalem Waturenggong.  Religious  life  progressed  very fast  in this era  where  Besakih Temple  was widened and to be used  for  the mother  temple of all Hindu society in Bali. After Danghyang Nirartha and Danghyang Astapaka (javanese saints) came to Bali, the foundation and development of holy places and temples was ever increasing all over Bali.

In the Middle Period there were found the various type of foreign porcelain like water jars, plates and bowls brought by Chinese merchants via Singapore, and Java. In Bali the porcelain were used by nobles family as the food and water container and there were also for decoration at certain temple buildings.

3. The Modern Period (±1846 - Nowadays)

This period started from the trade relationship between kings of Bali with Dutch colonial government settling down in Batavia (Jakarta). The relationship was continued by the Dutch intention to conquer the island which was opposed by the kings of Bali. Unavoidably, puputan (fight to the end) wars were then broke out between Balinese kings against Dutch started in Jagaraja (Singaraja of North Bali in 1846), afterwards in Denpasar known as Puputan Badung on September 20, 1906, and the last was Puputan Klungkung  on April  28, 1908 with the victory of Dutch.

Since Bali was under the Dutch colonial administration up to nowadays, a lot of changes and progresses have occurred in almost every sector e.g. in administration sector from absolute monarchy into a government based on law.




By Sapteka, http://www.sapteka.net/index.htm