Rojas, Iris Faith D.

2015-60006

ARKIYOLOJI 1
WFZ

A DISCUSSION ON ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF A JAR BURIAL SITE IN

MATANDANG SABANG KANLURAN, CATANAUAN, QUEZON PROVINCE

Mortuary practices function as some of the most significant records of human past. This
enunciate the early mens belief in afterlife and can be a source of ancient social, political,
economic, and ideological orientations. Jar burials have been found throughout the Philippines,
and indeed in the entire Southeast Asian region (Bellwood 1997, Fox 1970, Solheim 1960) with
Manunggul and Maitum jars notably the most widely known because of their elaborate and
unique designs.

After the report made by Mr. Deo Cuerdo, a local heritage advocate, to the UP-ASP and
National Museum of archaeological materials sighting in his municipality in 2006, an inspector
from the Cultural Properties Division of National Museum was sent to confirm the said claim
and later on, several excavations were conducted in Barangay Tuhian (Napa site) by the UPASP in coordination with the School of Archaeology and Anthropology of Australian National
University (ANU) which lasted from November to December 2008, January to February 2010,
and January 2011 for the Catanauan Archaeological and Heritage Project (CAHP). According
to Paz, V., et. al. (2011):
Its goal is to advance basic archaeological research in the Municipality of Catanauan in
the province of Quezon and to substantially contribute to the improvement of our knowledge of
Philippine history, the understanding of Southeast Asian regional cultural history, and the
development of a heritage consciousness amongst the Catanauan communities.

Rojas, Iris Faith D.

2015-60006

ARKIYOLOJI 1
WFZ

During the 2010 season, a brief test excavation was conducted in Matandang Sabang
Kanluran which eventually prompted the Archaeological Investigation of a Jar Burial Site in the
said Barangay in Catanauan, Quezon Province headed by Andrea Malaya M. Ragragio. The
site that is located on a private property of Comiso family was designated a Museum Site Code
(IV-2008-Z5). This accession code consists of the Philippine region where the site is located,
the year it was first investigated or reported, and a letter and number code combination
signifying that the site is archaeological in nature. The excavations duration was from January
11 to 27, 2011 and it held the purpose of establishing stratigraphic relationships of
archaeological assemblages at the Napa site, to establish the similarities and differences of jar
burial sites in the Bondoc Peninsula and other places in the Philippines, and to create a
tentative sequence of the human occupation of the land.
A total of 5 trenches were opened: ttrench 1 is the reexcavation and extension of the
test trench excavated in the site in 2010 whose purpose is to further investigate the midden
uncovered in the previous season, to reach the actual burial layer that was visible on the
quarry hole, and to go deeper than last season to see if there were older deposits. The team
retrieved sherds from three burial jars, as well as human remains, beads, and sherds of
smaller earthenware vessels; trench 2, already disturbed by quarrying activities resulting to the
removal of several layers, was placed in order to see if there are deposits below, or older than,
the midden and jar burial layer. Because of the disturbance, the trench was presumed to
immediately provide an opening to older layers without the need to excavate through
aforementioned cultural layers. It yielded very little archaeologically significant materials such
as plain earthenware sherds and it was estimated to date within the latter 20 th century because
of the quarrying; trench 3 was situated over a partly disturbed area where locals declared that

Rojas, Iris Faith D.

2015-60006

ARKIYOLOJI 1
WFZ

an extended human burial had been partially exposed. This served an objective to confirm the
presence of these remains, as well as to find out if there are still in situ cultural deposits. The
excavation of this trench ended when the project leader encountered a type of sediment locally
called dalipay which consists of sand particles that have been compressed together to the
point that they become rock-solid thus leaving it with no artifacts found; trench 4 with location
far from the 3 aforementioned trenches was chosen in order to see if the archaeology reached
to this portion of the site. There were five plain earthware sherds recovered indication an older
episode of habitation, and some of the gray mottling on the surface appear to be circular in
shape indicating a possibility of a posthole; and trench 5 that has a tendency to become
marshy, especially during the rainy season, was excavated to serve as the teams test as to
see whether archaeological deposits were still present at this relatively remote portion of the
site. However, no cultural materials were recovered in this trench. At the end of the excavation,
a total of 575 artifacts were accessioned. Of these, majority (556 pieces) were earthen ware
sherds, followed by Info-Pacific beads (11 pieces), shells (6 pieces), a metal artifact, and a
piece of wood. In conclusion, using only material culture as a relative dating method, the team
found out that the pottery originated from the shell midden doesnt contain any of the typical
traits of early Philippine pottery like red slipping, and instead, some of it bears the intricate
decoration commonly seen during the metal period. Moreover, the Comiso site is completely
devoid of Chinese or other Asian tradeware ceramics or any other imported materials and it is
noted that tradeware ceramics first started coming to the country 1000 years ago. Thus,
providing a provisional date between 2000 to 1000 years ago.
The site investigation yielded many cultural evidences that can be used for future
development of the study as not everything may be accurate most especially with the material

Rojas, Iris Faith D.

ARKIYOLOJI 1

2015-60006

WFZ

culture method used to date the site. Even so, with this archaeological excavation, new
indications of the past life and culture in Catanauan became once highlighted, more questions
would arise, and several debates might go and on thus improving the study of this place.

References

Bellwood, P. 1997. Prehistory of the Inda-Malaysian Archipelago. Honolulu: University

of Hawai' i Press.
Fox R. B. 1970. The Tabon Caves. Monograph No. 1. Manila: National Museum.
Paz, V., et.al. 2011 The Catanauan Archaeological and Heritage Project Report on the
3rd Excavation Season, Catanauan, Bondoc Peninsula, Quezon Province
Ragragio, A.M., et. al. 2011 Archaeological investigation of a jar burial site in
Matandang Sabang Kanluran, Catanauan, Quezon province. Archaeological
Studies Program UP Diliman.
Solheim,1960. Jar Burial in the Babuyan and Batanes Islands and in Central
Philippines, and its Relationships to Jar Burial Elsewhere in the Far East. The Philippine
Journal of Science 89 (1).

Rojas, Iris Faith D.

ARKIYOLOJI 1

2015-60006

WFZ

PLATES AND
FIGURES

Rojas, Iris Faith D.

2015-60006

ARKIYOLOJI 1
WFZ

Rojas, Iris Faith D.

2015-60006

ARKIYOLOJI 1
WFZ

Rojas, Iris Faith D.

2015-60006

ARKIYOLOJI 1
WFZ