This book is a personal interpretation of Balinese history before the Majapahit conquest in 1432. Based on intense curiosity and many journeys off the beaten track in search of antiquities, it presents a fresh narrative of the islandÕs distant past, emphasizing the importance of the mountain communities (Bali Aga) in Old Kingdom history, and a fresh interpretation of the ancient monuments at Gunung Kawi. No startling new archaeological discoveries or penetrating academic insights are reported, but there is much with which the general reader will be unfamiliar.