MANILA. A groundbreaking archaeological discovery in the Philippines is challenging long-held views about the origins of early civilization. Researchers have unearthed evidence of a highly advanced maritime society that thrived 35,000 years ago on the island of Mindoro, a discovery that rewrites Southeast Asia’s role in human history.
Published in Archaeological Research in Asia, the study reveals that this prehistoric society was not only skilled in deep-sea fishing but also engaged in long-distance trade and ritual burials, activities previously thought to have emerged much later.
Unlike Palawan, which was once connected to mainland Asia via land bridges during the Ice Ages, Mindoro was always separated by deep seas. This means its earliest human settlers must have arrived deliberately by boat, indicating advanced seafaring skills far earlier than previously believed.
“This wasn’t accidental,” said lead researcher Dr. Alfred Pawlik of Ateneo de Manila University. “They crossed treacherous waters with purpose. The sea was not a barrier; it was a highway.”
Deep-Sea Fishing Before Agriculture
Excavations unearthed bone fishing gorges, net sinkers, and tools designed for pelagic fishing, indicating that early Filipinos hunted far offshore species like sharks and bonito tuna. These activities suggest a deep understanding of marine ecosystems and the use of strong, likely plant-based composite boats, all long before the advent of farming.
A 3,000-Kilometer Trade Network
Even more astonishing were obsidian tools in Mindoro that match geochemically with sources in Palawan, as well as Tridacna shell adzes nearly identical to those found 3,000 kilometers away in Papua New Guinea. This implies the existence of a vast trade network across Island Southeast Asia thousands of years before the Austronesian expansion.
Burials Reflect Shared Spiritual Values
On Ilin Island, researchers also uncovered a 5,000-year-old burial site, where a body was placed in a fetal position between limestone slabs. Similar “flexed burials” have been discovered in Indonesia and Vietnam, suggesting early shared beliefs and spiritual customs in the region.
Redefining Southeast Asia’s Place in History
The findings dismantle the outdated notion of the Philippines as a prehistoric cultural backwater. Instead, Mindoro emerges as a vibrant hub in a Stone Age maritime network where ideas, tools, and technologies flowed freely.
“These early islanders were not just survivors, they were navigators, traders, and innovators,” Dr. Pawlik emphasized. “The Philippine archipelago was a maritime superhighway long before recorded history.”
As global scholars rethink the origins of human progress, the Mindoro Archaeology Project is proving that Southeast Asia was a cradle of innovation and that the story of civilization is far more ancient and far more interconnected than previously imagined.
Edgaroo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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