Philippines: A 35,000-Year-Old Maritime Hub

New research places the Philippine archipelago at the center of early human mobility in Island Southeast Asia.

Archaeologists from Ateneo de Manila University, working with international teams, have compiled 15 years of data that reshapes how scholars understand prehistoric ocean navigation, tool use, and cultural exchange in the region.

The findings, published in the journal Archaeological Research in Asia, emerge from the Mindoro Archaeology Project. This long-term effort brings together fieldwork from Occidental Mindoro, including Ilin Island, San Jose, and Sta. Teresa in the Magsaysay municipality.

These sites preserve some of the oldest evidence of modern humans in the Philippines, dating back over 35,000 years.

The research challenges older models that viewed the Philippines as peripheral. Instead, it presents the archipelago as a crucial maritime corridor, long engaged in regional human movements.

Mindoro and early ocean navigation

Mindoro has never been linked to the mainland by land bridges or ice sheets. Access has always involved open-sea travel. Unlike Palawan, which may have allowed limited crossings during glacial periods, Mindoro remained isolated.

Reaching Mindoro required early humans to develop seafaring capabilities. This isolation made the island an ideal location to study maritime adaptation. Excavations reveal repeated human occupation, even in the Pleistocene.

Early settlers did not simply survive on Mindoro. They arrived intentionally, navigated its waters, and adapted to coastal life. This suggests that seafaring was not a rare or late innovation, but a long-standing aspect of life in Island Southeast Asia.

Early Filipinos mastered deep-sea fishing

Archaeologists documented a wide array of material remains, including lithic artifacts, marine shells modified for use, and skeletal fragments from both humans and animals. The remains indicated that early communities engaged in diversified foraging strategies.

The communities made use of both inland environments and offshore ecosystems with deliberate intent. Bone tools point toward line-and-hook techniques, while species analysis reveals the capture of oceanic predators like bonito and shark.

This level of ecological engagement suggests mastery of offshore zones that dates back well over 30,000 years. It also signals early development of navigation techniques and targeted marine resource use.

The ability to reach and fish in pelagic zones implies direct contact with neighboring island groups throughout Wallacea.

Such sustained interaction with coastal and marine settings reveals an intimate grasp of seascapes. It also highlights the cultural significance of movement, planning, and adaptation in shaping long-term settlement patterns across Island Southeast Asia.

Tools link Mindoro to ocean navigation

Several tool types point to regional connections. Researchers found obsidian cutting tools in Mindoro with chemical signatures matching those from Palawan.

This suggests either direct movement of people or exchange networks spanning multiple islands.

Other notable finds include Tridacna (giant clam) shell adzes, dating to between 7,000 and 9,000 years ago. These adzes are not unique to Mindoro.

Similar forms have appeared throughout Island Southeast Asia, and even on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, over 3,000 kilometers away.

Such parallels indicate not only shared tool-making techniques but also long-distance cultural transmission across the maritime region.

- Author: Sanjana Gajbhiye, Earth.com

Read more...