via CNN Philippines, 07 July 2022: A overview of recent research on the Ifugao Rice Terraces and how they are not as old as they were once suggested, and why it matters.
In the Philippines, Ifugao Province in Northern Luzon is known for numerous rice terrace clusters that are scattered along the whole province. Each cluster has their own distinct manner of shaping the earth into terraced landscapes that can accommodate complex irrigation systems that can sustain traditional rice farming.
For decades, there has been a long-standing belief that the Ifugao terraces are over 2,000 years old. This notion was published in the early 1900s by H. Otley Beyer, one of the earliest known anthropologists who specialized in Philippine culture. Beyer’s “waves of migration” theory. This hypothesized that Ifugaos were part of the second wave of Malays, who migrated to the Philippines around 2,000 years ago. These groups of Malays, according to Beyer, were a more sophisticated and technologically advanced group, as compared to the previous migrants, the Negritos and Indonesians. Pegging the construction of the Ifugao terraces at 2,000 years ago would have been a perfect fit for Beyer’s theory of migration.
Beyer’s celebrated theory was disseminated into textbooks, publications and other channels, enough to penetrate the consciousness of the world. Even movies adopted the “2,000-year-old” theory in their storylines.
Archaeological evidence, however, has consistently revealed otherwise.
