The Maitum City Hall is hosting a special diorama featuring the anthrpomorphic jar finds from the area, in conjunction with the city’s 50th anniversary. The jars, first found in Ayub Cave, feature faces which are believed to contain the remains of the person whose likeness is on the jar. A second cache of jars was recovered last year from illegal antiquities dealers who were trying to smuggle the jars out of Maitum. The jars, dated between 5 BC and 225 AD, are quite unique and no similar examples have been discovered elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
Philippines opens exhibit on Mindanao archeological finds
Mindanao Examiner, 05 May 2009
Maitum opens diorama of archaeological discovery
PIA Information Services, 05 May 2009
The Philippines on Tuesday opened an exhibit showing a diorama of archeological finds in Sarangani province in Mindanao island.
The National Museum of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and local government officials led the opening of the exhibit that featured a miniature replica of Ayub Cave in Maitum town where anthropomorphic secondary burial jars were found.
The exhibit at the municipal hall coincided with the three-day celebration of Maitum’s 50th foundation anniversary and the Binuyugan Festival.
Called “Diorama of the Treasures of Maitumâ€, the exhibit showed replicas of burial jars dug in 1991 by a team from the National Museum headed by Dr. Eusebio Dizon and Rey Santiago in Ayub Cave in the village of Pinol.
The original artifacts are now preserved at the National Museum in Manila.
