ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION The first human occupation in Indonesia can be dated back as early as 2 million years ago, as proven by the discoveries of human fossils in Java. During the prehistoric period racially different groups of people inhabited the archipelago. Some of these are still traceable in the present population. Indonesia entered the historical stage in the fourth century AD when stone inscriptions written in Indian characters started to be issued by Mulawarman, the ruler of Kutai (East Borneo). Since then, several kingdoms which were influenced by the Hindu culture of India emerged in Sumatra, Java and Bali. The Hindu cultural influence, however, was limited to those islands. In the remaining areas, people maintained their traditional ways of life.
