Filipino Prehistory (Notes of Justin V. Nicolas)

AN 100
Lecture on Filipino Prehistory by Justin V. Nicolas
September 7, 2004
1st Semester SY 2004-2005

Based on Jocano, Felipe Landa, Anthropology of the Filipino People I: Filipino Prehistory, Rediscovering Precolonial Heritage. Punlad Research House Inc: Manila, 2001.

Notes:

A. Sources of Data

Mythology—the body of oral narratives that deal with the way our ancestors perceived the beginnings of all things on earth
Physical Sciences

geology – geological structure of the land base of our culture
botany – plant cover existing in our ancient environment that made life possible
zoology – what fauna, including the early humans, roamed and survived our land
archeology – derive knowledge about our ancient culture (how our forefathers lived during prehistoric times)

Written Documents –consists of accounts by early travelers—Asian and Westerners—at the time of Spanish contact or shortly thereafter


B Archeology in the Philippines

First exploration

Alfred Marche (French) 1881 – first systematic archeological exploration in Marinduque and other sites in the Bisayas; collections now with the Musee de d’homme in Paris, some in Madrid.
Feodor Jagor (German priest) in Naga, Camarines Sur
Antonio Morga - chronicles in Sucesos describing ancient artifacts (vessels) recovered by farmers in Luzon (Ilocos, Pangasinan, Pampanga, and Manila); Morga suspected that people purchases vessels from Japanese traders acquired at a very high rate

Second systematic work (1922-1925)

a. Carl Guthe, University of Michigan – purpose was to collect Chinese ceramics exported to the Philippines from China that would aid in the reconstruction of Philippine-Chinese relationships; he collected other earthenware and artifacts in Palawan, Bohol, northern Mindanao and other places in central Philippines; consists of 30 cubic tons of prehistoric artifacts kept at the University of Michigan in the United States

Third extensive archeological work (1926 to the outbreak of the Second World War in 1941)

a. H. O Beyer
b. R.T Janse –Swedish-American archeologist who conducted a survey of porcelain sites in Calatagan in 1940
c. Larry Wilson, mining prospector who assisted Beyer

After World War II

a. Wilhelm Solheim II – Masbate Island from 1951 to 1953 assisted by Alfredo Evangelista and E. Arsenio Manuel
b. Robert B. Fox and Alfredo Evangelista (1956 for the National Museum of the Philippines) – excavations in the caves of Caragay, Albay, and Bato, Sorsogon
c. M. Sullivan (also in 1956)- explored several sites and reported on status of archeological research in the country
d. 1958-1962 – most extensive post-war open-site diggings in Calatagan, Batangas led by Robert B. Fox for the National Museum
e. E. Arsenio Manuel – excavation in Marinduque during middle part of the 1950s

Other diggings afte the war

a. University of San Carlos and Silliman University – Marcelino Maceda, Kulaman Plateau, stone burial jars; Samuel Briones, limestone burial jars in 1966; Edward Kurjack and Craig T. Sheldon, 1967
b. Alexander Sphoer, University of Pittsburgh, 1967 in Sanga-sanga in tawi-tawi, Sulu archipelago
c. Karl Hutterer and Rosa Tenazaz of San Carlos University – recovered prehistoric artifacts in Cebu through “salvage archeology”; also dug in Laguna area from 1968-1969 and recovered 10th and 14th century artifacts

d. MOST DRAMATIC ARCHEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION – Robert B. Fox, 1962-1966, Palawan –human fossils dated between 890 to 710 B.C. discovered in Tabon Cave; burial jar “the ship of the dead” in Manunggul Cave, 895-775 B.C.

Archeological fieldwork in the 70’s

a. Cagayan Valley resurveyed – fossil remains of extinct animals (elephants, stegedons, rhinoceros, crocodiles giant tortoises)
b. In 1977, geologists and geomorphologists from University of Iowa led by C.P. Vondra came to the area to gather more data on Piio-Pleistocene terrestrial sequence in the valley
c. Wilhelm G. Solheim II an Avelino Legaspi – surveyed southeastern coast of Mindanao - rediscovered many flake shell and stone tools dated 7577 and 2650 B.C. in one of the rock shelters in Talikod
d. Wilfredo Ronquillo – 1976-1977 Peñablanca
e. Richard Shutler – in 1978, in Andarayan, Solana, Cagayan province –discovered rice husks (for tempering in pottery making) evidence of early rice cultivation and kaingin 1720-1380 BC.
f. 1976 –1986 Butuan City, Agusan del Norte – based on the reports of pothunters who chanced upon objects that looked like wooden boats; recovered form the site were assorted artifacts ranging from gold jewelry, porcelain and clay ceramics, and metal tools; eight boats were discovered dated 320 AD, 1250 ad, 990 AD
g. 1979, Prof. Karl Hutterer, University of Michigan – Negros Oriental, the Bais Archeological Project – findings led to insights into the influence of trading on the growth f early coastal settlements

Archeology work in the 1990’s

a. shift of interest to underwater archeology; French and National Museum archeologists in 1993 – recovered a sunken Spanish vessel called San Diego which sunk close to Fortune Island of the Batangas Coast allegedly December 14, 1600; found inside the ship were thousands of trade items coming form different neighboring Asian and Southeast Asian countries
b. sunken ship in Pandanan Island close to southern Palawan - recovered were trade artifacts mostly Vietnamese – documents intensive trade of Philippines with Asian countries even up to Spanish regime
c. to compliment findings, group of scholars also noted archeologists, conducted detailed studies of living ethnic groups; new discipline called etnoarcheology to provide insights into the interpretation of prehistoric events
d. 1974-1978 - Bion and Agnes Giffin, University of Hawaii - lived among and studied the Agta of the Sierra Madre mountains in northern Luzon; aim was to provide a model for the archeological interpretation and understanding on how hunters adapt to tropical environments
e. William Longacre, archeologist from the University of Arizona – etnoarcheological study among the Kalinga f the central Cordillera; concentrated on local pottery – how the kalinga make, use, distribute and discard broken as well as whole pots; project up to 1990’s

C Question of Chronology

1. Grecized terms in Western literature

Paleolithic (old stone age)
Mesolithic (middle stone age)
Neolithic (new stone age)

2. Indigenous Classification

Mythic Phase (From the Beginning of Time)
Formative Phase (Cultural Developments ca. 50,000-500 BC)
Incipient Phase (Cultural Developments ca 500 BC- AD 1 Millennium)
Emergent Phase (Cultural Developments ca. AD 1st-14th Centuries)
Baranganic Phase (Cultural Developments ca. AD 14th-16th Centuries)


D. Why Prehistoric Culture

“Our prehistoric past is the foundation of our present society.”

The term “Filipino”

- there is no way of knowing the prehistorc name of the archipelago
- authorities say it was known to the Chinese as Ma-I, referring to Mindoro or people living on the different islands
- Maharlika – Sanskrit in origin therefore alien to our culture
- Maynilad –derived from a plant among the Tagalogs; divisive rather than unifying
-“Filipino” – initially reserved for Spaniards living in the country; the natives were called Indios
-Filipinas was the official name given by the Spaniard in the turn of the 20th century; the Americans translated it into Philippines, cleansed by the years of suffering and purified by the blood in the battlefield of Pugad Lawin, Tirad Pass, Bataan, and Corregidor

E. External Intrusions

Muslim Seafarers
Catholic Spaniards
Protestant Americans

Islamization Process

Motives of entry – Trade and commerce
Community Membership – Marriage into datu families
Religion – Introduction of Islamic faith (Tuan Macha’ika; kKarim ul-Mahkdum)
Political Form – Consolidation of barangays into sultanate

Hispanization Process

Motive for Entry- Searching for new trade routes
Religion -Introduction of Catholic Christianity
Community Membership – Marriage into local principalia families
Political form – Feudalism; “Governor-Generalship”

Americanization Process

Motives for Entry – Spanish-American War; economic interests
Community Membership – Introduction of general education; science/technology; American values
Religion – Introduction of Protestant Christianity
Political Form – Liberal democracy; presidential form of government