What is lost when globalization dictates modern culture? In History through Preserving Bali Bali? it’s centuries of literature. The Balinese language is still commonly spoken? but the ability to read and write literary works in the Balinese script has largely been lost. Since much of Bali’s culture and history is told in written manuscripts called lontars? the Internet Archive and the linguists at PanLex are teaming up with a group of local Balinese supporters to build new technologies and tools to keep their script and literary culture alive.
Culture is made up of a million History through
Lttle pieces of history? ritual? and everyday life? and that’s exactly whatsapp lead what’s written down on Bali’s lontars. These palm leaf manuscripts date back hundreds of years; their subjects include advice on how to build a temple? how to make traditional medicine? and even how to choose the best cock to bet on in a cockfight? based on the date in the Balinese calendar.
Unfortunately? these ancient teachings—which were created by etching script into dried palm leaves and blackening the words with soot—were in danger of being lost forever due to humidity and time. And although they contain vital pieces of Bali’s rich cultural heritage? the lontars the ibm dos version of adventure are unreadable for most Balinese who conduct their modern lives more and more in Indonesian.
The Internet Archive has preserved
So in 2011? the Internet Archive launched a project with the apollo link Culture Office of Bali to photograph and upload to archive.org some 3?000 lontar manuscripts made up of 130?000 palm leaves—making up “90% of Bali’s literature?” according to Bali’s Minister of Culture. these texts in the Balinese Digital Library collection? but they realized that simply digitizing the lontars was not enough? as the resulting images were not easy to share or understand.
