Yellow- not included in the powerpoint

Banaue Rice Terraces or Hagdan-hagdang Palayan

The Banaue Rice Terraces are undoubtedly a source of pride not just for the
Ifugaos but also for Filipinos across the world. These are terraces that were carved into
the mountains of Banaue, Ifugao, in the Philippines, by the ancestors of the indigenous
people. The terraces are occasionally called the "Eighth Wonder of the World". It is
commonly thought that the terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand.
Ifugao
The Ifugao call themselves as i-pugao or "inhabitants of the known earth"; other
variations of the name are Ifugaw, Ipugao, and Yfugao. They live primarily in the
province of Ifugao in Central Cordillera, in Northern Luzon which is at the place where
the Banaue rice terraces is. The name is supposed to have come from ipugo which
means "from the hill." They are of Malay stock and their language is Austronesian
(Malayo-Polynesian), as is that of their neighbours, but they have developed a number
of cultural characteristics that set them apart.
The wanno or g-string is the traditional attire of male Ifugaos. There are six types
of wanno, which are used depending on the occasion or the man’s social status. Ifugao
women wear tapis, a wraparound skirt. There are about five kinds of skirts.
Bulul
The bulul or bulol is a carved wooden statue that the Ifugao people of Northern Luzon
Igorot) used to guard their rice crop and for the rice to grow quicker. This carved
wooden statue had dated back to 17 th century. The sculptures are highly stylized
representations of Ifugao and Kalanguya ancestors and are thought to gain power and
wealth from the presence of the ancestral spirit. This tribesmen are noted for their skill
in carving bulul.
(As you can see the bululs have geometry shape and are delicately carve.)
 Kulpi is a part of the rice planting festival of the Ifugaos. This is a ritual performed
after the “boge” (rice planting) to ask the gods and spirits to protect the rice against
diseases and pestilence and ensure a bountiful harvest.
Kulpi usually start at the end of February after the last field in the village shall
have been planted with palay or rice seed. This is after the new moon called “kilingna”
appears or planting season. It continues when the rice field’s owners would prepare
“baya” or rice wine. To signify the start of the ritual, a villager blows a “tangguyub” or
horn this means that it is rest day, no one is allowed to work in the field. It will end when
the “mumbaki” or native priest performed the ritual and narrates the Solomonic prayer to
the last house.
Mumbaki- native priest

Ifugao’s wine server

At the top is the black bowl that is use as a cup in drinking wine. This is usually used by
the presiding priest in the ritual or “canyaw”.
 This ritual is even performed and adapted by the capital town of Ifugao as a
thanksgiving for the many blessings. And they would do various activities like cultural
parade, agro-industrial fair and ethnic sports like bultong (wrestling), gyuudan (tug-of-
war) and many more.
Bultong (wrestling) Gyuudan (Tug of War)

(This is done too in their ritual)

 A peineta, or sometimes called payneta in Tagalog, is an ornamental comb that
Filipinas wore in their hair during the Spanish colonization, sometimes with a veil. It is
used to keep the hair in place and to show one’s status. The more bejewelled the comb
is, the richer the wearer. Handcrafted in gold filigree, a meticulous and rare technique
perfected by the plateros of Ilocos Sur.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Armand Mijares.

The Callao Man
Callao Man
The foot bone discovered in Callao Cave was a mere 61 millimeters or 2.4 inches. In
2007, a group of archaeologists led by Dr. Armand Mijares of U.P. Diliman discovered a
foot bone in Callao Cave in the town of Peñablanca, Cagayan. The said skeletal
remain–specifically the third metatarsal of the foot–is said to be “the earliest human
fossil found in the Asia-Pacific region.” The foot foot bone is approximately 67,000 years
old, predating the “Tabon Man”–long been thought to be the country’s earliest human
remains–which is only 50,000 years old.
Related: The Legendary Gods and Goddesses of Philippine Mythology

The Callao Man, according to experts, possibly reached the island of Luzon from
Indonesia by raft, which suggests that our ancestors already possessed “knowledge of
seacraft-making in this early period.”

However, other experts believe that the Callao Man is probably just a species closely
related to humans and was a product of an evolutionary process called “human
speciation.”

The Laguna Copper Plate Inscription (LCI).

The Laguna Copper Plate Inscription or LCI
Photo Credit: Roslyn Arayata
Accidentally discovered in 1986 near the mouth of Lumbang River, the Laguna Copper
Plate Inscription or LCI is the earliest historical document in the country and also the
only pre-Spanish document discovered so far. Now a National Cultural Treasure, the
LCI measures 7 x 12 inches when unrolled.

In 1990, the National Museum purchased the LCI and sought help from Antoon Postma,
a Dutch national who was then the director of the Mangyan Assistance and Research
Center, to decipher the inscription.

Postma, with the help of Dr. Johan de Casparis, later found out that the LCI was written
in Kavi (Old Javanese writing system) and the language used was a combination of Old
Tagalog, Old Javanese, Old Malay, and Sanskrit.

Related: Shocking Philippine Hoax – The Code of Kalantiaw

Even more surprising is the fact that the Philippines’ oldest document was neither a
poem nor a song but a legal document called suddhapattra which, in today’s context, is
a receipt for payment of a debt.

According to Postma’s interpretation, the document was written on the fourth day of the
waning moon of the month of Waisakha in the Shaka year 822 (April 21, 900 CE by the
Western calendar). It stated that the debt of gold amounting to one kati and eight
swarna (equivalent to 865 grams) owned by Namwaran was canceled and the
document given to his daughter, Angkatan.
The Manununggul jar was only one of several stunning artifacts discovered in Chamber
A, Manunggul Cave in Lipuun Point, Palawan by a group of archaeologists who
investigated the site from 1962 to 1965.

In addition to burial jars, they also recovered human remains covered in red paint and
adorned with bracelets made of jade, shells, and stone beads.
Measuring 66.5 x 51.5 cms, the Manungggul jar is actually a secondary burial jar used
to store the bones of someone who was previously buried. The lid features a “spirit
boat” or “ship of the dead” carrying two souls on a journey to the afterlife.
The front figure–whose hands are folded across (a common practice in arranging the
corpse during the prehistoric period)–is the passenger, while the figure in the back is the
one guiding the journey, as evidenced by the now-missing paddle. Both figures are
wearing a band tied over the crown of the head and under the jaw, a pattern that is still
a part of the burial practices of some indigenous groups in the southern Philippines.
The body of the jar, on the other hand, is covered with a unique curvilinear design made
of hematite or natural iron.
The Manunggul jar–dated to the Late Neolithic period (890-710 BC)–has a very intricate
design that, in the words of archaeologist Robert B. Fox, “is perhaps unrivaled in
Southeast Asia, the work of an artist and a master potter.”

Maitum Anthropomorphic Burial Jar.

Maitum Anthropomorphic Burial Jar No. 21
Maitum Anthropomorphic Burial Jar No. 21. Photo Credit: Virtual Collection of Asian
Masterpieces.
In 1991, archaeologists from the National Museum excavated several clay burial jars in
Ayub Cave, Pinol, Maitum, Saranggani Province. These Metal Age (ca. 5 BC to 225 AD)
jars depict human beings and feature three types of heads: Plain, with perforations, and
with red (hematite) and black (organic matter) paints.
The Maitum anthropomorphic burial jars also show different types of facial expressions,
setting them apart from any funeral pottery–including Palawan’s Manunggul jar–
previously recovered in the Philippines.
Among the many anthropomorphic burial jars recovered in Ayub Cave, Jar No. 21 (see
photo above) is the most unique. Aside from being the first anthropomorphic jar
excavated intact, Jar No. 21 is also the only jar depicting a male sex organ. It also has a
navel, two arms, two ears (which seem to be both right ears), and two nipples. The
head is perforated while the lips were painted with red hematite.
When it was discovered, Jar No. 21 contained a deciduous human tooth, bone
fragments, shells of land snails, and limestone pebbles.

Butuan “Mother Boat.”

Butuan Mother Boat
Via GMA News Online
In 2012, the remains of what archaeologists believe to be the biggest balangay (plank
boat) in Philippine history was recovered in Butuan City.
Estimated to be around 800 years old, the newly-discovered Butuan “mother boat” may
be centuries older than the European ships that landed in the archipelago in the 16th
century, and even predates Magellan’s arrival and death in 1521.

According to National Museum archeologist Dr. Mary Jane Louise A. Bolunia, the said
“mother boat”–estimated to be at least 25 meters long–is believed to be the main
“safekeeping” boat where trade goods and supplies were stored. On the other hand, the
smaller balangays–similar to the eight previously-recovered Butuan boats–might have
functioned as mere support vessels.
Although a long and careful study is still needed to prove that the discovery is an
authentic balangay, its proximity to previous balangay excavation sites seems to
promise a positive result.

The “Death Blanket” of Banton, Romblon.

Banton Burial Cloth
Via www.yagting.com
The Banton burial cloth, another National Cultural Treasure, is actually just a piece of
the blanket used by Filipinos in the 13th to 14th centuries to wrap a corpse. It was found
in the 1960s inside the Guyangan Cave in Banton, Romblon along with other artifacts
such as Ming period blue and white ceramics.
Also known as ikat, the piece of burial cloth is said to be the oldest existing cloth in the
country and possibly the oldest warp ikat textile in Southeast Asia.
http://www.yagting.com/bantonvol01/banton_vol1.asp

The Calatagan Ritual Pot.

Calatagan Ritual Pot
Source: www.geocities.com/gcallal
The Calatagan Ritual Pot is a National Cultural Treasure dated back to the 14th and
16th centuries. It was discovered by diggers in an archaeological site in Calatagan,
Batangas in 1958, and subsequently donated to the National Museum in 1961.

Measuring 12 cm. high and 20.2 cm. at its widest and weighing 872 grams, this pot is
considered as the country’s oldest cultural artifact with pre-Hispanic writing. It is distinct
because of the mysterious ancient symbols inscribed on its shoulder.
Several attempts were made to decipher the inscription on the pot. In the 1960s, famed
sculptor Guillermo Tolentino allegedly tried to communicate with the spirits of the dead
to come up with a translation. His output–which suggests that the pot was an offering of
a son or daughter to a dead mother–was dismissed by the scientific community.

Other previous attempts also failed, mostly because of the three major obstacles in
translating the inscription: (1) The equivalents of many symbols are unknown; (2)
Language is also unknown; and (3) The start and end of words, as well as the
consonants of some words, are hard to determine.

Fortunately, in 2008, Dr. Rolando O. Borrinaga of U.P. Manila finally came up with a
reliable translation. He concluded that the inscription was written in the old Bisayan
language, and the pot was used as a “native incense burner for the pag-ulî (return) rite
to retrieve the soul of a moribund person during the pre-Hispanic era.”

He also added that the inscription “provides the outline of a three-stage monologue,
presumably elaborated by a babaylan (native priestess) in a trance during the pag-ulî
ritual.”

The following is Borrinaga’s translation:

Is it open now for sure? [the gateway to the spirit underworld]/

Take it as a gain already, dakit [Tag., balete] tree/

That [the soul] confused you for a mango tree/

[It] just crossed out of fear [to your domain] alone, is that so?/

Leave the dakit tree now, will you?/

Shame/Bring [back] the soul that you [were told to] encounter, okay?
The Golden Tara of Agusan.
Golden Tara of Agusan
The Gold Agusan image is now preserved in the Field Museum, Chicago, USA.
This golden figurine of a female deity is the first image identified to be of Indian origin. In
1917, it was accidentally discovered by a Manobo woman on the banks of the Wawa
River in Agusan, Mindanao after heavy rain. Shortly after that, Philippines’ pioneer
prehistorian H. Otley Beyer declared it as “the most spectacular find yet made in
Philippine archaeology.”

The gold Agusan image, which measures five and a half inches tall and weighs nearly
four pounds of 21-carat gold, is now displayed in the Field Museum of Natural History in
Chicago, USA.

As for its origin, Beyer suggested that it was made by a Javanese expatriate who was
mining Agusan for gold at that time. Dutch historian F.D.K. Bosch, on the other hand,
said that it was made by a pre-colonial Filipino because the design lacks the distinct
Javanese craftsmanship.
If the second theory is to be believed, the gold image of Agusan suggests that the
prehistoric Filipinos were influenced by the traders from the Hindu-Malayan culture,
such as the Majapahit Empire. The Visayas, for instance, is said to be named after the
last Southeast Hindu Prince Srivijaya.

"Ratablos" and "santos"

Gallery Deus "santos"
Among the remnants of the Spaniards’ 333 years of colonizing the Philippines are
“retablos” or devotional paintings and “santos” or statues of saints.
Some of those at the fair are Tawalisi Antiques’ San Jose with a child Jesus in a viriña
from Binondo, dating back to the 19th century. Unang Panahon also presents a Niño or
child Jesus statue from 1910 made of rare European ivory.
Yawning Jarlet of Leta-Leta Cave, Northern Palawan
A small ancient jar was found at the Leta-Leta cave in Northern Palawanconsisting of a
rim that looks similar to an open wide-mouth of a shouting or yawning person. Hence,
archaeologists derived the name of the jarlet as the, “Yawning Jar”. They also
concluded that this jarlet is approximately dated from 1000 to 1500 BC which falls under
the Late Neolithic period.
Elephant Dish of Lena Shoal, Palawan
A blue-and-white dish with a flying elephant design was discovered at Shoal, Palawan
at an underwater site location. What makes this ancient dish interesting is that, it is
currently one of the two pieces of antique dish with elephant design that are discovered
throughout the world.Further studies of this ancient dish shows that it was made during
the Middle of Ming Dynasty (ca. 1500). Theorists suggests that this porcelain dish
probably find its way to Shoal, Palawan due to a wrecked ship of a Chinese trading
vessel.
Mysterious Astrolabe of San Diego Fortune Island, Nasugbu, Batangas
Are you familiar about the Spanish Galleon Ships? If not then San Diego refers to one
of these galleon ships who made it into the Philippine coasts. The San Diego galleon
ship was actually discovered at the Fortune Island in Nasugbu, Batangas.The
“Astrolabe” was just one among the artifacts salvaged from the wrecked ship. This piece
of object is a mysterious navigational device which still puzzles many archaeologists
about how it works.This piece of object is estimated to be around 400 years old.
References:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ifugao-people
https://www.zenrooms.com/blog/post/banaue-rice-terraces/
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/ifugao-men-playing-tug-of-war-in-a-river-
during-royalty-free-image/521737034
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulul
https://pia.gov.ph/features/articles/1022152
https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/arts-and-culture/2017/10/11/1747758/7-artifacts-
represent-filipinos-rich-culture-and-heritage
https://www.shopsinta.co/products/amami-tambourine-peineta-comb#:~:text=A
%20peineta%2C%20or%20sometimes%20called,the%20plateros%20of%20Ilocos
%20Sur.
https://filipiknow.net/archaeological-discoveries-in-the-philippines/
https://anthropology101blog.wordpress.com/2016/10/07/list-of-artifacts-in-the-
philippines-luzon/