ABSTRACT

THE MOON OF PEJENG REPRESENTATION OF

BALI PREHISTORC
TECHNOLOGY AND ART WORKS

The Moon of Pejeng is one of the largest bronze kettledrum, well-known to all over the
world, still preserve as sacred artifact in Penataran Sasih Temple at the village of Pejeng.
It is remarkable to notes here that this bronze kettledrum bear an interesting decorations,
namely four pairs of human masks in heart-shaped with rounded-eyes, pointed nose and
long stretched ear-lobes with coin-shaped ear-rings. This decorations indicate the
ancestral worship of the people for the welfare of the living family and as well as the
community. Further research in Bali, have successfully found five fragments of stone
mould for casting bronze kettledrum, but small in its size. Based on this evident, it is
assumed that the local people have mastered the metallic technology, when the megalithic
tradition developed greatly. Such evident has been discovered also in form of clay mould,
not for casting the kettledrum, but for making spear heads.
Another bronze kettledrums were discovered also in Bali, namely at Peguyangan
(Badung), Pacung, Ularan dan Pangkungparuk (Buleleng), Ban (Karangasem), Manikiyu
(Bangli), Perean (Tabanan), and Bitra (Gianyar). Among them it is known, their relation
to the burial ritual or burial gifts, such as the miniature kettledrum of Ularan and
Pangkungkarung, but the kettledrum of Manikliyu is used as burial container as it is also
discovered in Plawangan (Central Java). Now it is clear that the local people in Bali have
reached the peak of metallic technology and art works as shown by the bronze kettledrum
of Pejeng. Based on this important archaeological evident, The Moon of Pejeng could
be regarded as a great representation of Bali prehistoric tehnology and art works. Along
with this development, the people also developed into functional skilled groups for
certain works and on the other hands, ancestor worship influenced nearly the whole
aspects of the peopes life.

Keywords: bronze kettledrum, metallic technology and art works.