Similarly, the significant contributions of expatriates has also been manipulated to fit the official history. Indeed, some have been blessed with places in official history, such as the over-mythologised Walter Spies and a few of the foreign artists who managed to survive the anti-Western vitriolic of konfrontasi era by becoming naturalized citizens of the new republic. But others such as Bonnet, who had worked for decades supporting Balinese artists, were expelled, as the contributions of many expatriates were omitted from official history, in favour of upholding the myth of a Bali belonging solely to a racially pure, culturally unique, Balinese people.

It would seem, however, that there is little to be gained by obscuring or denying the contributions of non-Balinese to the shaping of the magnificent culture of today’s Bali. Perhaps as Indonesians enjoy increasing openness, recognition of a diverse heritage will result in better understanding that even the most isolated of islands are connected by one great ocean - that of humanity. As for the layers of culture and history that have made Bali, here is a short chronological sampling for readers to contemplate.

PREHISTORY

It is most probable that the humanoid known as Java Man once roamed the island of Bali. Recent discoveries of ancient tools in the island of Flores, which was never connected to the Asian land mass by a land bridge, has led to speculation that these humanoids could sail proving that they were far more advanced than previously considered. Neolithic Age tools found on the island were probably the work of early migrants related to Papuans and Micronesians. Kinky hair and other Papuan characteristics are often found in the Bali’s mountain villages proving that the Balinese absorbed their predecessors whose genes joined a larger pool.

The first Malay people to sail to Bali brought with them a sophisticated culture with elaborate animistic rituals and bronze objects. Bali was one of the main centers of this Bronze Age culture and there are numerous archeological remains demonstrating the dynamism of these early ancestors of the Balinese people. The most famous of these is the world’s largest prehistoric bronze drum in Pejeng with its magnificent depiction of the awe-inspiring ancestors. From ancient times it has been worshipped by the Balinese as the wheel of the chariot of the Moon Goddess. Another poignant remainder of the influence of this powerful culture is the sacred form of the cili, a symbol of the pre-Hindu goddess of rice. Her unique form can be clearly recognized in ritual bronze axes peculiar to Bali. Though no written history exists to prove it, there are many reasons to assume that the roots of Balinese religion can be traced to this distant past.