Divine Word College of Laoag

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte

ACTIVITY II
Submitted by:

April Jessa Mae S. Aguigam

(BSA - I B)

Submitted to:

Mr. Leomar Aguilar

(GERPH Adviser)

A.Y. 2020-2021
 I. Comparative Analysis of primary and secondary sources using Venn Diagram.

PRIMARY SECONDARY

- Robert B. Fox - William Henry Scott

- The author is a Historian and his
- The author is an Anthropologist and his
specialty is in investigation and
specialty is in the excavation and
analyzing facts.
validating of fossils and artifacts.

- Written in 1984 (University of

- Written in 1970 (Philippine
Journal of Science)
- This account was published earlier
than the other account.
- The excavation was personally conducted
by Fox in June and July 1962
- It mentioned 22,000 to 24,000 B. C which
is the age of the Tabon Man.
- The sequences of the events show that
Fox conducted the excavation and
discovered the Tabon man.
Santo Tomas)
-  This account was published later than
the other account.
- It did not mention Scott personally
conducted the excavation.
- It mentioned 45,000 B.C or 50,000 B.C
which is the Upper Pleistocene/Dispersal
of Homo Sapiens and 28,000 B.C, 20,000
B.C, and 7,000 B.C which is the existence
of Homo Sapiens.
- The sequences of the events show that
Scott did not conduct the study in
Tabon Cave but rely to the two experts
in terms of other variables.

- Generally, there are too strong and important points that make Fox more reliable than Scott, but that
doesn't mean that Scott is lying — in reality, he's only trying to manipulate the truth from the available
evidence.

- Using the concepts of source criticism, it remains more reliable than narratives, which are the
situation of both authors, where Fox personally led the excavation and discovery of the Tabon Man,
while Scott relies on interviews with the numerous experts who encounter the fossils.

- Both authors mentioned West Coast of Palawan/ Palawan Island (Tabon Cave) as a place of
excavation.
II. Given the excerpts from the readings, discuss the findings of the two authors on
the remains of what was then considered the earliest known human remains in
the Philippines - Tabon Man.

A. Robert B. Fox. The Tabon Caves: Archaeological Exploration and

Excavations on Palawan Island, Philippines.
Tabon Man – During the initial excavations of the Tabon cave in June and
July 1962, fossil bones of at least three individuals were excavated, including a
large fragment of the frontal bone with the brows and parts of the nasal bones.
These fossil bones were found towards the back of the cave along the left wall.
Unfortunately, the field where human fossil bones were found had been
disturbed by Megapode Birds. The association of these bones with a particular
flake assembly was not possible in 1962. While they were provisionally related
to either Flake assemblage II or III, subsequent excavations in the same area
now strongly suggest that the fossil human bones were associated with Flake
assemblage III since only the flakes of this assemblage have been found to date
in this cave area. The available data indicate that Tabon Man could be dated
from 22,000 to 24,000 years ago. But only further excavation in the cave and
chemical analysis of human and animal bones from disturbed and undisturbed
layers in the cave can establish the exact age of human fossils.
The fossil bones are the bones of Homo sapiens. These will form a separate
analysis by a specialist to be included in the final site report for the Tabon
Cave. However, it is significant, in view of the recent publication (Scott, 1970),
that a preliminary study of the fossil bones of Tabon Man shows that the size of
the skull is above average compared to the modern Filipino. There is no proof
that Tabon Man has been "less brainy individual”. In addition, Scott 's research
contains several misstatements about the Tabon Caves, often a concern when
writers work from "conversation."
B. William Henry Scott. Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of
Philippine History.
Tabon Man – The earliest human skull remains identified in the
Philippines are the fossilized fragments of the skull and jawbone of three
individuals who are collectively called "Tabon Man" after the place where they
were found on the western coast of Palawan. Tabon Cave appears to be a kind
of little Stone Age Factory; both finished tools and waste cores and flakes have
been found at four various areas in the Main Chamber. Charcoal left from the
cooking fires was discovered from the three assemblies and dates of C-14 to
around 7,000 B.C., 20,000 B.C., and 28,000 B.C. With an earlier stage lying so
far below these, it must depict the Upper Pleistocene date as 45 or 50 thousand
years ago. Physical anthropologist who studied the skullcaps of Tabon agrees
that they belonged to a modern man, that is, Homo sapiens, as distinguished
from those mid-Pleistocene species now known as Homo erectus. Two experts
further argued that the mandible is "Australian" in the physical form, and that
the skullcap dimensions are almost the same as those of Ainu and Tasmanians.
Basically, what this means is that Tabon Man was "pre-Mongoloid."
Mongoloid is the term anthropologist refers to the racial stock that
invaded South East Asia during the Holocene and absorbed earlier communities
to create modern Malaya, Indonesian, Filipino, and Pacific populations
popularly-and unknowingly-called " the brown race." Tabon Man probably
belonged to one of those former communities, but if decently dressed in flesh,
t-shirt, and blue jeans, he may go unnoticed in Quiapo Today, whatever his
facial features might be, nothing can be said about the color of his skin or hair,
or the shape of his nose or eyes — except one thing — Tabon Man was not a
Negrito.
C. Processing using the Guide Questions:
1. Which is the primary source and the secondary source between the two
readings?
Robert B. Fox findings would be the primary source and William Henry Scott’s
discovery would be the secondary source.

2. What is the main distinction between primary source and secondary source?
Primary sources were either created during the time span being investigated or
were created at a later date by the participant in the event being. It helps the researcher
to get as close as possible to what really occurred during a historical event or time
period. A secondary source, on the other hand, is a work that interprets or analyzes a
historical event or phenomenon. In general, at least one step away from the case is
always based on primary sources.

3. Why is primary source is important in the study of history?

The primary source is essential for accuracy, reliability, bias and usefulness as it
offers direct or first-hand documentation of an event, object, person or work of art. It also
offers the original materials on which more research is focused and allows students and
other researchers to get as close as possible to what actually occurred during a specific
event or time period.

4. What is the purpose of a secondary source?

The purpose of secondary sources is to identify, discuss, interpret, comment,
analyze, review, summarize and process primary sources. In general, one or more
measures are omitted from the event or time span and are written or created after the
event with the benefit of hindsight. Secondary sources compile, arrange and repackage
primary source information on occasion to improve accessibility and speed of delivery,
such as online encyclopedia.
5. At present how do you discriminate between contradicting reports of a single event
from different sources?
There are some essential characteristics for identifying whether or not a source is
credible. First of all, accuracy. Verify the information that you already know against the
information contained in the source. Also, look for disclaimers as to the quality of the
content. You may also want to double-check the details against a source that you already
know is accurate. Since a source may use a technical language, the content may be
inaccurate. Second, there's authority. Make sure the source is written by a reputable
author and/or organization. Typically, if you are using a website, you can recognize the
owner / publisher by the URL, or look for a copyright statement at the bottom of the
page. Make sure that the author has the correct credential on the subject. Often, assess
whether the source is factual. Be mindful of the objectivity of the author and his / her
point of view. Third is currency. Your currency needs will vary depending on your issue.
You will need to find up-to-date references for topics related to recent breakthroughs in
medicine and technology. However, if you are looking at a historical topic, older tools
can still be useful. For blogs, you will also find a copyright date at the bottom of the
page. Also, search for the words "revised" or "updated" to find the date on the website.
Lastly, there is coverage. You'll also want to analyze the quality of the source and how it
suits your information needs. Identify its importance to the subject and whether or not it
covers the subject matter. Also, if you're looking for a source that addresses the matter in
detail, make sure it provides enough information. In addition, decide whether the website
contains all the data you can need.
To summarize, check who published the source, the aim of the source, when it
was created updated, and its contents. Also see if there is a possible bias and, if there is a
site, include references or credible links to other sources.

6. Why should official records of the government be made accessible to the

public?
Access to information is a gateway to democracy. Allowing people to search and
obtain public records serves as a vital weapon in the battle against corruption, allowing
citizens to engage more fully in public life, making governments more effective,
promoting participation and empowering people to practice their basic human rights.

7. Do a credibility analysis of the source. Who between the authors is more

credible to talk about the topic?

Robert B. Fox William Henry Scott

 Written it in 1970  Written it in 1984

 Anthropologist  Historian

 Discovered Tabon man  The findings seemed more

formal; informative, somehow
 The format of the findings intended for others to be read
seems like a personal journal, and understand.
therefore no bias

I believe Robert B. Fox is better off talking about the case because he's an eye
witness. He was the one who discovered the Tabon man, and the date of the written
work is closer than William's to the year of the occurrence. The fact that he is an
anthropologist, researching different aspects of humans in past and present cultures,
makes his writing more credible and accurate.