THE KERIS . The keris is undoubtedly the distinctive Malay weapon.

It is necessary however, to define a

keris. It is primarily a dagger with a handle set at an angle to the blade, a sort of pistol grip in
fact, to enable the wielder to thrust. I believe the keris is unique, in being the dagger with the greatest reach, compared with the total length of the weapon. All other daggers are held in one of four ways;

The keris is a rapier in fact. The European rapier is long and needs a long handle to balance it. The keris being short, a short handle is enough for its original form; but as men fought, the keris became longer and heavier. Two more forms were evolved. First, the Sumatran rapier keris, k. bahari; this being long, the handle had to be straightened out to balance it, and it acquired almoste the European rapier form; and the secondly, the sundang, the Malay broadsword. The sulu seafarers between the islands of the malay achipalego needed a weapon that could cut and slash as well as stab. To fulfil this, the keris sundang and keris

suluk were created. The edge of the blade near the hilt, also the ganja, are usually
dentiform. Part of this ornamental work is called janggut and is made in order to catch an opposite blade. Nearer the hilt this work is called belalai gaja and lambai gajah.

The old European authors speak of the keris as a poisoned weapon. In modern times the

keris is certainly not poisoned, many types of keris, which were made small to economise
iron, were poisoned; When the Malays were a village people and their weapon were small, poison was necessary and they obtained it. When the towns were formed, they had bigger and more efficient weapons they did not need it; but the poisons were still available and were used occasionally. DAlbuquerque tells us that when attacking Malacca he lost many men from poisoned arrows and I think there is a basis for both European and Malay stories of poisoned keris. The first iron workers and keris makers in Malaya were called pandai besi. They were supposed to be verse in magic, and to have a secret which enable them to govern this metal . These pandai were often made Governors of Provinces. The manufacture of arms was brought to its highest degree of perfection in the reign of the second prince of Majapahit. A.D. 1300; when the first damascened

keris (k. herpamor) were made by the pandai besi from Pajajeram.
The early pandai besi could not make real steel, but found by experiment that iron needles, welded together in this way, were much stronger than plain iron. Later the Arabs taught them to make damascened patterns. The Malay smiths tools are simple, but he can do very clever work with them. They use a forge, an anvil, hammers, chisels and files,

WOOD CARVINGS
Historically, much of Malaysia was covered with forests and wood was abundant. The first objects made of wood were utilitarian; designs and forms were simple, functional and Simple wooden utensils used for carrying, storing and cooking were carved from wood. Later, as civilization developed, agricultural implements and tools, buildings and boats were made out of wood, as many still are today, and the wooden items used became more sophisticated. A proliferation of forms, and the designs and motifs carved, characterized the development of the wood tradition. Sometimes, design styles differed according to region, as in the case of boats and housing. It is difficult to say exactly when decorative woodcarving in Malaysia began, but, in relation to the Malays, the history of woodcarving is closely intertwined with the progression of their culture over the centuries. Early forms and motifs were closely associated with the traditional way of life and sometimes took the form of symbols based on creatures perceived to have

the power to ward off evil and malicious spirits. Pre-Islamic influences were commonly found in motifs of animals such as birds, tigers, snakes, dragons, monkeys, squirrels and others. The embrace of Islam by the Malays brought a new movement to the art of woodcarving, in particular stylized or abstract designs and motifs based on the universe, plant life and calligraphy, in Arabic or Malay Jawi script, became the new stylistic focus. Few carvings more than 300 years old exist today, but many of them have been preserved in traditional Malay buildings. The best examples of exquisitely executed woodcarvings that are more than a century old are those displayed in the old palaces of the Malay rulers found in Kelantan at the Istana Balai Besar and Istana Jahar in the museum Terengganu and in Negeri Sembilan at the Istana Ampang Tinggi. Particularly fine examples dating from the early to mid-18th century can also be seen in certain mosques, including in Kelantan, Melaka and Kuala Terengganu. With the emergence of the Peranakan came unique woodcraft blending Chinese, Malay and European motifs and styles. In comparison, later 19th-century Chinese migrants preferred more traditionally Chinese designs. A great wood sculpture tradition exists among the indigenous peoples of Malaysia, including the Mah Meri and Jah Hut Orang Asli animist groups of Peninsular Malaysia. Coastal dwellers, the Mah Meris carvings (often ritual masks) reflect spirits related to water, while the Jah Hut, who live in the jungles of Pahang, carve sculptures of forest spirits. Originally carving only for their own purposes, the work of both groups is now sought after by museums, galleries and private collectors. Besides utilitarian items, in Sarawak and Sabah a large number of decorative woodcarved items are seen, such as musical instruments, walking sticks and carvings on rafters, walls, doors and posts of longhouses. Carved ritual objects include masks, sculptures, burial poles and huts, sickness images and carved sword handles and sheaths. Ivory, bone and bamboo are also used as a carving medium, the latter for tobacco and other containers, smoking pipes and blowpipe dart holders. Kenyah woodcarving of a dragon-like dog creature with horns, long snout and large fangs from the Sarawak Museum collection. These wood carvings showed how creative and productive the Malay people at that were. This act of speciality is a major aspect of civilization in History. Below are some pictures of their sculpture.

THE FURNACE
Malaysian dig reveals ancient people mastered iron excavations as a site in northern Malaysia have uncovered the remnants of an iron smelt dating back to the third or fourth century A.D., a find that shows the area's early people were more advanced than previously thought. Parts of a furnace used to heat iron and a structure believed to be a house or storage area were found in an area that was once home to the Bujang Valley people. A lab in Florida carbon dated some of the material taken from the ancient site and found the sample was about 1,700 years old with a margin error for the test was 40 years. "This result ... really shows that the Bujang Valley people during that time were very hightech,". Archeologists found iron rods, debris and a nozzle to pump air inside the furnace. They also discovered beads, copper bracelets and pottery at the site. The findings were "totally different" from earlier discoveries of temples in the area, which did not reveal much about the daily life and commerce in the area. Harry Truman Simanjuntak, a researcher at the National Research Center of Archaeology in Jakarta who was not involved in the dig, said the dating of the iron smelt to the third or fourth century appears reasonable.

TAMPANG
The Tampang was the currency of the pre-historic Malay. The people at that time realized the need for a legal tender which could be used for the payment of goods and services and for the settlements of debts. So they came out with the idea of the Tampang which came in various shapes and sizes. The weight of the Tampang determined its value. Description

Tampang (or "tin hat money") continued to be minted in Pahang until 1889 and were legal tender until 1893. In Selangor and Perak, Tampang were used as currency until they were replaced by the more convenient coins issued by the Dutch and the British East India Company in 1641. Description

In 1847, smaller-sized Tampangs with a value of one hundredth of one cent were issued.

Duit Ayam Kedah, 1710; Cockerel-shaped.

Description Money in the form of a fighting cock perched on a number of rings attached to its base was introduced during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Abidin Muazzam Shah (1710 - 1773), Kedah. It is said that the cockerel was worth five cents of the Spanish silver dollar and each ring was worth one cent of the Spanish silver dollar. THE CANGKUL BATU (stone hoe) However, prehistoric tools, often made only of stone, left marks that can still be seen in the Malay history. These marks tell us something about the technology of early people. Hunters in the Malay archipelago 250,000 years ago used sharp-edged, multipurpose stone hand axes to skin and cut up both small and large game. Later prehistoric peoples used smaller artefacts and finely crafted stone knives for the same purposes. This period when stone was the material used for making tools was called the stone age. The people were able to use what was in their environment to meet their needs and this was a very advanced way of thinking. Below is a picture showing the stone age people.