Archaeology of the Philippines

Archive of news reports related to the archaeology and heritage of the Philippines, an archipelagic state located north of Sulawesi and south of Taiwan. Notable Unesco World Heritage sites include the historical city of Vigan, the Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras and the baroque churches of the Philippines. The archaeology of the Philippines goes back further; evidence for prehistoric human occupation can be found in the Tabon and Ille Caves in Palawan; while more recently a new species of dimunitive hominid has been identified from Callao Cave in the Cagayan Valley, dating 67,000 years.

In this page:

• Recommended Books
• Most Popular Philippine Archaeology Posts
• Image Gallery
• Philippine Archaeology in the News
• Links to Philippine Archaeology Websites

This page covers the archaeology of Philippines as a whole, and you can find more details about the other countries in their respective pages or explore the Resource Guide for thematic areas. There’s also the Virtual Archaeology page where you can visit Southeast Asian archaeological sites online, learn something from the Online Lecture Library, or find recent academic papers for more up-to-date research.

Recommended Books

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There are a number of books relevant to the archaeology and history of Philippines, and the list below is my personal recommendation based on what I have in my library or have read, and are easily available. There are some local-language publications that are not available in the internet, and newer books are higher up on the list. Some of these links are affiliate links and I may receive a commission if you click on them and make a purchase. For other sources of reliable academic information, you should also check out the books page for latest releases and the occassional free book, as well as the journals page for the latest scientific research.

• *new* Seaways and Gatekeepers: Trade and State in the Eastern Archipelagos of Southeast Asia, c.1600–c.1906 by Heather Sutherland
• *new* SIMBAHAN: An Illustrated Guide to 50 of the Philippines’ Must-Visit Catholic Churches by Regalado Trota Jose
• *new* Remote Sensing the Margins of the Gold Trade: Ethnohistorical archaeology and GIS analysis of five gold trade networks in Luzon, Philippines, in the last millennium BP by Michael Armand P. Canilao
• *new* Archaeology of Manila Galleon Seaports and Early Maritime Globalization by Chunming Wu, Roberto Junco Sanchez and Miao Liu (Eds.)
• *new* Asin Tibouk: Traditional Salt Making in Alburquerque, Bohol, Philippines by Andrea Yankowski
• First Islanders: Prehistory and Human Migration in Island Southeast Asia by Peter Bellwood
• Antiquity, Archaeological Processes, and Highland Adaptation: The Ifugao Rice Terraces by Stephen B. Acabado
• Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms by Florina H. Capistrano-Baker
• 4000 Years of Migration and Cultural Exchange: The Archaeology of the Batanes Islands, Northern Philippines by Peter Bellwood and Eusebio Dizon (Eds.) [Free download here]
• Archaeology and Emerging Kabikolan by Andrea Malaya M. Ragragio
• Identity and Reciprocity in 15th Century Philippines by Grace Barretto-Tesoro
• Land of the morning: Treasures of the Philippines by David Baradas

Most Popular Philippine Archaeology Posts

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Image Gallery

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For more images, check out and follow Southeast Asian Archaeology on Instagram.

Philippine Archaeology in the News

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The news reports indexed below usually link to external sites that were active at the time of posting; sometimes websites may be temporarily down or may have reorganised their underlying architecture or have even closed down – in these cases the links may not be available. Most of the news articles archived are in English; this is largely because I do not have a working competency in Filipino, although when I am made aware of stories in this and other languages I try to index them.

Looking for something specific? You can also use this search box:

Philippine Archaeology Websites

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These are links to external sites and unless stated, I have no connection with the organisations or entities in these links or control over their content. They are sorted alphabetically, but you should also explore the Resources page which have links sorted by themes. If you have a link to suggest, please get in touch!

• Archaeological Studies Programme, University of the Philippines
• Heritage Conservation Advocates – The Heritage Conservation Advocates (HCA) campaigns for the preservation and promotion of historical and archaeological sites in Cagayan de Oro and vicinities
• International Council of Monuments and Sites, Philippines – ICOMOS Philippines maintains a blog on the industrial heritage of the Philippines.
• Katipunan Arkeologist ng Pilipinas, Inc. – Professional association for Philippine archaeologists. Facebook page.
• National Historical Commission of the Philippines – Government agency responsible for the conservation and preservation of Filipino historical legacies.
• National Museum of the Philippines – Government institution which manages and develops the national reference collections in cultural heritage and natural history and conducts research in archaeology.
• Philippine Archaeology @ UCLA – Philippine archaeology projects run from the archaeology program at UCLA
• The Philippine Registry of Cultural Property (PRECUP) is the repository of all information pertaining to cultural properties in the Philippines deemed significant to Philippine cultural heritage. It was established through Article V Section 4 of the National Heritage Act of 2009 Republic Act 10066.
• Philippine Underwater Archaeology Society – A non-profit society  dedicated to help study and preserve Philippines’ underwater heritage, and to raise public awareness about underwater archaeology. Facebook page.
• Tuklas Pilipinas – Tuklas (discover) is a group of archaeologists and history and culture enthusiasts working for Philippine heritage literacy. Facebook page

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