In the Philippine Islands, 35,000 years ago, there was an archipelago with a developed maritime culture
Kyiv • UNN
Archaeologists have discovered evidence of a developed maritime culture in the Philippines 35,000 years ago. Found tools, animal bones, shells and human remains testify to this.
Archaeologists have discovered that 35,000 years ago, a technologically advanced maritime culture existed in the Philippine Islands. Scientists have been collecting evidence for 15 years. This is reported by UNN with reference to Рhys.
Details
Scientists have uncovered the history of effective human migration, advanced technological innovations, and cross-cultural connections over a distance of over 35,000 years.
The latest publication from Ateneo researchers presents a wealth of data and materials from the Mindoro Archaeological Project, including some of the oldest evidence of the presence of anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) in the Philippine archipelago, in Western Mindoro, particularly on Ilin Island; San Jose; and Santa Teresa, Magsaysay.
Mindoro, like most of the major Philippine Islands, except Palawan, has never been connected to mainland Southeast Asia by either land bridges or ice sheets, and marine crossings have always been necessary to reach it. This likely stimulated the development of complex technologies for movement and survival in this environment.
Evidence of sophisticated ancient technologies in the Philippine Islands
Various finds, such as human remains, animal bones, shells, and tools made of stone, bone, and shells, indicate that the early inhabitants of Mindoro successfully used both terrestrial and marine resources, in such a way that more than 30,000 years ago they already had seafaring abilities and special fishing skills that allowed them to catch predatory fish species in the open sea, such as bonito and shark, as well as establish connections with remote islands and populations in the vast marine region of Wallacea.
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Of particular note is the innovative use of shells as raw materials for tools, used over 30,000 years ago. This culminated in the manufacture of adzes from giant clam shells (Tridacna species), dated to 7,000–9,000 years ago. They bear a striking resemblance to shell adzes found throughout the island region of Southeast Asia and as far as Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, located more than 3,000 kilometers away.
Researchers also found a human grave on Ilin Island dating back approximately 5,000 years. The body was buried in an embryonic position, covered and covered with limestone slabs. The burial method was similar to other flexed burials found throughout Southeast Asia, suggesting shared ideological and social influences, as well as new social complexity in a vast area from the mainland to remote islands.
Mindoro hints at a vast, developed maritime network
Archaeological sites in Mindoro testify to the existence of culturally advanced inhabitants who were behaviorally and technologically adapted to the coastal and marine environment.
Together, these discoveries suggest that Mindoro and the neighboring Philippine Islands were part of an extensive maritime network that existed as early as the Stone Age and facilitated cultural and technological exchange between early human populations throughout island Southeast Asia for many millennia.
Documenting human habitation over a long period of time, with the emergence of advanced subsistence strategies and marine technologies, the Mindoro Archaeological Project not only fills critical gaps in Philippine prehistoric data, but also redefines the region's significance in the broader narrative of human migration and adaptation in the islands of Southeast Asia.
Recall
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