pre colonial philippne litereture

1. History of the Philippines (900–1521)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
History of the Philippines
Horizon Philippine History
Geographical
range
Southeast Asia
Period c.900-1560's
Dates c. Before 900 AD
Major sites Tundun, Seludong, Pangasinan, Limestone
tombs, Idjang citadels, Panay,Rajahnate of
Cebu, Rajahnate of Butuan, Kota Wato, Kota
Sug,Mai, Dapitan , Gold artifacts , Singhapala, Ifugao
plutocracy
Characteristics Indianizedkingdoms, Animist states, Sinified
Nations, Islaminizedstates
Preceded by Prehistoryof the Philippines
Followed by Colonialera
Part of a series on the
History of the Philippines

2. Prehistory (pre-900)[show]
Archaic epoch (900–1521)[show]
Colonial period (1521–1946)[show]
Post-colonial period (1946–1986)[show]
Contemporary history (1986–present)[show]
By topic[show]
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This article covers the History of the Philippines from the creation of the Laguna Copperplate
Inscription in 900 to the arrival of European explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, which marks the
beginning of the Spanish colonial period.
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI) is the first written document found in an ancient Philippine
language. The inscription itself identifies the date of its creation as the year 900. Prior to its
discovery in 1989, the earliest record of the Philippine Islands corresponded with the arrival
of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. The discovery of the LCI thus extended the record of Philippine
history back by 600 years.[1][2]
After 900, the early history of territories and nation-states prior to being
present-day Philippines is known through archeological[3]
findings and records of contacts with other
civilizations such as Song Dynasty and the Bruneian Empire.
Contents
[hide]

3.  1100 BC onward
 2The Laguna Copperplate Inscription and its context (c. 900)
 3Barangay city-states and Thalassocracies
 4Indianization and the emergence of Baybayin as well as other related scripts (1200 onwards)
 5Chinese trade (982 onwards)
 6The growth of Islamic Sultanates (1380 onwards)
 7Attack by the Bruneian Empire (1500)
 8Attack of the Spanish Conquistadors (1521–1565)
 9Primary sources for early Philippine history
 10References
100 BC onward[edit]
Iron age finds in Philippines also point to the existence of trade between Tamil Nadu and the
Philippine Islands during the ninth and tenth centuries B.C.[4]
The Philippines is believed by some
historians to be the island of Chryse, the "Golden One," which is the name given by ancient Greek
writers in reference to an island rich in gold east of India. Pomponius Mela, Marinos of Tyre and
the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mentioned this island in 100 BC, and it is basically the equivalent
to the Indian Suvarnadvipa, the "Island of Gold." Josephus calls it in Latin Aurea, and equates the
island with biblical Ophir, from where the ships of Tyre and Solomon brought back gold and other
trade items. The Visayan Islands, particularly Cebu had earlier encounter with the Greek traders in
21 AD.[5]
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription and its context (c. 900)[edit]
Laguna Copperplate Inscription (c. 900)
Main article: Laguna Copperplate Inscription
In January 1990, the Laguna Copperplate, then just a thin piece of crumpled and blackened metal,
was offered for sale to and was acquired by the National Museum of the Philippines after previous
efforts to sell it to the world of antiques had been unsuccessful. On examination, it was found to
measure about 20 cm square and to be fully covered on one side with an inscription in ten lines of
finely written characters. Antoon Postma deciphered the text and discovered that it identified the
date of its creation as the "Year of Sakya 822, month of Vaisakha." According to Jyotisha (Hindu
astronomy), this corresponded with the year 900. Prior to the deciphering of the LCI, Philippine
history was traditionally considered to begin at 1521, with the arrival of Magellan and his
chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta. History could not be derived from pre-colonial records because such
records typically did not survive: most of the writing was done on perishable bamboo or leaves.
Furthermore, zealous Spanish Christian missionaries burnt whole libraries of documents considered
pagan. Because the deciphering of the LCI made it out to be the earliest written record of the islands

4. that would later become the Philippines, the LCI reset the traditional boundaries between Philippine
history and prehistory, placing the demarcation line at least 600 years earlier.[1][6]
Manunggul Jar
The inscription forgives the descendants of Namwaran from a debt of 926.4 grams of gold, and is
granted by the chief of Tondo (an area in Manila) and the authorities
of Paila, Binwangan and Pulilan, which are all locations in Luzon. The words are a mixture of
mostly Sanskrit along with some Old Malay, Old Javaneseand Old Tagalog. The subject matter
proves conclusively that a developed society with traders, rulers and international trading existed in
the Philippines prior to the Spanish colonization. The references to the Chief of Medang Kingdom in
Indonesia imply that there were cultural and trade links with empires and territories in other parts
of Maritime Southeast Asia, particularly Srivijaya. The copperplate indicate the presence of writing
and of written records at the time, and the earliest proof of Philippines language.[1]
Barangay city-states and Thalassocracies[edit]
Further information: Ancient barangay
A Tagalog couple of the Maginoonobility class depicted in the 16th-century Boxer Codex.

5. A painting of a mother and child belonging to the Maharlika class.
Since at least the 3rd century, the indigenous peoples were in contact with the other Southeast
Asian and East Asian nations. Fragmented ethnic groups established several polities formed by the
assimilation of several small political units known as barangay each headed by a Datu, who was
then answerable to a Rajah or a Lakan, who headed the city state. Each barangay consisted of
about 100 families. Some barangays were big or city-sized, such as Zubu (Cebu), Maktan (Mactan),
Butuan, Irong-Irong (Iloilo), Mait (Ma-i), Bigan (Vigan) and Selurong (Manila). Each of these big
barangays had a population of more than 2,000. The city-statehood system was also used by the
freedom-loving Waray people of Samar and eastern Leyte, the head-hunting Ilongots of
the Cagayan Valley (now primarily live in Nueva Viscaya and Nueva Ecija after the Ilokano
migrations to the Cagayan Valley), and the peacock-dressed Gaddang people of the Cagayan
Valley. Unlike other areas in the country like Tondo or Cebu which had royal families, the ancient
city-states of the Warays, Ilongots and Gaddangs were headed through an indigenous leadership
system. Both civilizations developed their own tools and craftsmanship as proven by archaeological
evidences in central Cagayan Valley and southwest Samar. The head of the Ilongot was known as
the Benganganat, while the head of the Gaddanf was the Mingal.[7][8][better source needed][9][10]
The Batanes islands also had its own political system, prior to colonization. The archipelagic polity
was headed by the Mangpus. The Ivatan of Batanes, due to geography, built the only stone castles
known in precolonial Philippines. These castles, called idjang, were not for royalty, but for the people
during times of natural calamity and invasions. Gold was also regarded with high social value by the
Ivatan, having contact with both Taiwan and northern Luzon, later on with the kingdom of Ryukyu,
and then Japan. The British visited the archipelago in 1687, but never subjugated the people. The
Spanish, after subjugating most of the Philippines, were only able to subjugate the Ivatan on 1783,
where they were confronted by Mangpus Kenan Aman Dangat, the Mangpus of Batanes at the time.
Dangat was executed by the Spanish, and the islands were controlled by Spain through
Manila.[11][12][better source needed]
The Ilokano people at the northwest side of Luzon, who classically were located in what is now
Ilocos Sur, was headed by the Babacnang. The traditional name of the polity of the Ilokano
was Samtoy. The polity did not have a royal family, rather, it was headed by its own chieftancy. The
polity had trade contacts with both China and Japan.[13][better source needed][14]
The people of the Cordilleras, collectively known by the Spanish as Igorot, were headed by the Apo.
These civilizations were highland plutocracies with their very own distinct cultures, where most were
headhunters. According to literature, some Igorot people were always at war with the lowlanders
from the west, the Ilokanos.[15][16][17][better source needed]
The Subanons of Zamboanga Peninsula also had their own statehood during this period. They we re
free from colonization, until they were overcame by the Islamic subjugations of the Sultanate of Sulu
in the 13th century. They were ruled by the Timuay. The Sama-Bajau peoples of the Sulu
Archipelago, who were not Muslims and thus not affiliated with the Sultanate of Sulu, were also a

6. free statehood and was headed by the Nakurah until the Islamic colonization of the archipelago. The
Lumad (autochtonous groups of inland Mindanao) were known to have been headed by the Datu.
By the 14th century, these polities were organized in strict social classes: The Datu or ruling class,
the Maharlika or noblemen, the Timawa or freemen, and the dependent class which is divided into
two, the Aliping Namamahay (Serfs) and Aliping Saguiguilid (Slaves).
In the earliest times, the items which were prized by the people included jars, which were a symbol
of wealth throughout South Asia, and later metal, salt and tobacco. In exchange, the people would
trade feathers, rhino horn, hornbill beaks, beeswax, birds nests, resin and rattan.
Indianization and the emergence of Baybayin as well as other
related scripts (1200 onwards)[edit]
Main article: Baybayin
The Baybayin
In a book entitled Tubod The Heart of Bohol published and accredited by the National Commission
for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines, around the 12th century, a group of people from Northern
Mindanao settled in the straight between mainland Bohol and the neighbouring island of Panglao.
Those people came from a nation in northern Mindanao called Lutao (probably the animist kingdom
of what will soon be the Islamic Lanao). According to the much credited book, those people
established the Kingdom of Dapitan in western Bohol because the true indigenous people of Bohol
in the Anda peninsula and nearby areas were not open to them, forcing them to establish settlement
in the western part of the island. The kingdom was first built with hardwood on the soft seabed. It
engaged it trade with nearby areas and some Chinese merchants. The Jesuit Alcina tales about a
rich nation he called the 'Venice of the Visayas', pointing to the Kingdom of Dapitan at that time. The
Jesuit also tells of a princess named Bugbung Hamusanum, whose beauty caused her suitor to raid
parts of southern China to win her hand. By 1563, before the full Spanish colonization agenda came
to Bohol, the Kingdom of Dapitan was at war with the Ternateans of the Moluccas (who were also
raiding the Rajahnate of Butuan). At the time, Dapitan was ruled by two brothers named Dalisan and
Pagbuaya. The Ternateans at the time were allied to the Portuguese. Dapitan was destroyed and
King Dalisan was killed in battle. His brother, King Pagbuaya, together with his people fled back to
Mindanao and established a new Dapitan in the northern coast of the Zamboanga peninsula. The
new Dapitan eventually was subjugated by the Spanish.[18]
The script used in writing down the LCI is Kawi, which originated in Java, and was used across
much of Maritime Southeast Asia. But by at least the 13th century or 14th century, its descendant
known in Tagalog as Baybayin was in regular use. The term baybayin literally means syllables, and
the writing system itself is a member of the Brahmic family.[19]
One example of the use of Baybayin
from that time period was found on an earthenware burial jar found in Batangas. Though a common
perception is that Baybayin replaced Kawi, many historians believe that they were used alongside
each other. Baybayin was noted by the Spanish to be known by everyone, and was generally used
for personal and trivial writings. Kawi most likely continued to be used for official documents and

7. writings by the ruling class.[20]
Baybayin was simpler and easier to learn, but Kawi was more
advanced and better suited for concise writing.
Although Kawi came to be replaced by the Latin script, Baybayin continued to be used during the
Spanish colonization of the Philippines up until the late 19th Century. Closely related scripts still in
use among indigenous peoples today include Hanunóo, Buhid and Tagbanwa.[citation needed]
Chinese trade (982 onwards)[edit]
The earliest date suggested for direct Chinese contact with the Philippines was 982. At the time,
merchants from "Ma-i" (now thought to be either Bay, Laguna on the shores of Laguna de Bay,[21]
or
a site on the island of Mindoro[22][23]
) brought their wares to Guangzhou and Quanzhou. This was
noted by the Sung Shih (History of the Sung) by Ma Tuan-lin who compiled it with other historical
records in the Wen-hsien T’ung-K’ao at the time around the transition between the Sung and Yuan
dynasties.[22]
Present-day Siquijor also had its fair share of royalties during this period. The island kingdom was
called ´Katagusan´, from tugas, the molave trees that cover the hills, which abounded the island
along with fireflies. During this time, the people of the kingdom was already in contact with Chinese
traders, as seen through archaeological evidences which includes Chinese ceramics and other
Chinese objects. The art of traditional healing and traditional witchcraft belief systems also
developed within this period.[24]
During the arrival of the Spanish, the ruler of the island was King
Kihod, as recorded by de Legazpi's chronicles. Out of natural hospitality, the Spaniards were greeted
by King Kihod, who presented himself with the words ‘si Kihod’ (I am Kihod). The Spaniards
mistakenly thinking that he was talking about the island, adopted the name Sikihod which later
changed to Siquijor, as it was easier to pronounce.[25][26]
The growth of Islamic Sultanates (1380 onwards)[edit]
In 1380, Makhdum Karim, the first Islamic missionary to the Philippines brought Islam to the
Archipelago. Subsequent visits of Arab, Malay and Javanese missionaries helped strengthen the
Islamic faith of the Filipinos, most of whom (except for those in the north) would later become
Christian under the Spanish colonization. The Sultanate of Sulu, the largest Islamic kingdom in the
islands, encompassed parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The royal house of the
Sultanate claim descent from Muhammad.
Around 1405, the year that the war over succession ended in the Majapahit Empire, Sufi traders
introduced Islam into the Hindu-Malayan empires and for about the next century the southern half of
Luzon and the islands south of it were subject to the various Muslim sultanates of Borneo. During
this period, the Japanese established a trading post at Aparri and maintained a loose sway over
northern Luzon.
Attack by the Bruneian Empire (1500)[edit]
By the 15th century, the Sultanate of Brunei controlled the western shores of the Philippines.

8. Around the year 1500, the Sultanate of Brunei under Sultan Bolkiah attacked the Kingdom of
Tondo and established a city with the Malay name of Selurong (later to become the city
of Maynila)[27][28]
on the opposite bank of Pasig River. The traditional Rajahs of Tondo, the Lakandula,
retained their titles and property but the real political power came to reside in the House of Soliman,
the Rajahs of Manila.[29]
Attack of the Spanish Conquistadors (1521–1565)[edit]
Main article: History of the Philippines (1521–1898)
Filipino historians note an overlap in the history of pre-colonial Philippines and the Spanish colonial
period, noting that while Magellan's arrival in 1521 marked the first documented arrival of European
colonizers to this country, it was not until the arrival of Miguel López de Legazpi in 1565 that the
Europeans had any marked impact on the lifestyle of the residents of the Philippine Archipelago.{[30]
National Historical Institute and National Commission for Culture and the Arts chair Ambeth
Ocampo notes:
Contrary to popular belief, the so-called “Spanish period” in Philippine history does not begin
with Magellan’s arrival in Cebu and his well-deserved death in the Battle of Mactan in 1521.
Magellan may have planted a cross and left the Santo Niño with the wife of Humabon, but
that is not a real “conquista” [conquest]. The Spanish dominion over the islands to be known
as “Filipinas” began only in 1565, with the arrival of Legazpi. From Cebu, Legazpi moved to
other populated and, we presume, important native settlements like Panay and later Maynila
(some thought the name was Maynilad because of the presence of Mangrove Trees in the
area called nilad).[30]
Historic expeditions reaching the Philippines
When Who Ship(s) Where
1521
/ Ferdinand
Magellan
Trinidad, San Antonio,
Concepcion, Santiago and
Victoria
Visayas (Eastern
Samar, Homonhon, Limasawa, Cebu)
1525
García Jofre de
Loaísa
Santa María de la Victoria,
Espiritu Santo, Anunciada, San
Gabriel, Santa María del Parral,
San Lesmes and Santiago
Surigao, Islands
of Visayas and Mindanao
1527
Álvaro de
Saavedra Cerón
3 unknown ships Mindanao
1542 Ruy López de
Villalobos
Santiago, Jorge, San Antonio, San
Cristóbal, San Martín, and San
Juan
Visayas (Eastern
Samar, Leyte), Mindanao(Saranggani)
1564
Miguel López de
Legazpi
San Pedro, San Pablo, San Juan
and San Lucas
Almost entire Philippines
Primary sources for early Philippine history[edit]

9. Primary sources for this period in Philippine history are sparse, which explains why so little is
known. This is evidenced by the Laguna Copperplate Inscription written in copper metal sheet.
Historian William Henry Scott has provided a compilation and analysis of available archival
primary source materials, linguistic analyses, archaeological, and other materials and analyzes
several purported prehispanic historical accounts that lack any primary source documentation.[31]
The LCI is both the earliest local source on this era and the earliest primary source, with the
Calatagan jar being more or less contemporary, although the translation of the text on the jar is
in some question. Early contacts with Japan, China, and by Muslim traders produced the next
set of primary sources.[32]
Genealogical records by Muslim Filipinos who trace their family roots
to this era constitute the next set of sources. Another short primary source concerns the attack
by Brunei's king Bolkiah on Manila Bay in 1500. Finally, and perhaps with the most detail,
Spanish chroniclers in the 17th century collected accounts and histories of that time, putting into
writing the remembered history of the later part of this era, and noting the then-extant cultural
patterns which at that time had not yet been swept away by the coming tide of
hispanization.[27][33][34]
References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b c Laguna Copperplate Inscription - Article in English[unreliable source?]
2. Jump up^ The Laguna Copperplate Inscription Archived 2014-11-21 at the Wayback Machine..
Accessed September 04, 2008.
3. Jump up^ Tomb raiders spoil Philippine archeological find - FRANCE 24
4. Jump up^ "Tamil Cultural Association - Tamil Language". tamilculturewaterloo.org. Archived
from the original on 2008-01-02.
5. Jump up^ Cebu, a Port City in Prehistoric and in Present Times. Retrieved September 05, 2008,
citing Regalado & Franco 1973, p. 78
6. Jump up^ Postma, Antoon (June 27, 2008). "The Laguna Copper-Plate Inscription: Text and
Commentary". Philippine Studies. Ateneo de Manila University. 40 (2): 182–203.
7. Jump up^ http://ncca.gov.ph/subcommissions/subcommission-on-cultural-communities-and-
traditional-arts-sccta/central-cultural-communities/the-islands-of-leyte-and-samar/
8. Jump up^ Samar (province)#History
9. Jump up^ http://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/ilongot/
10. Jump up^ http://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/glimpses-peoples-of-the-
philippines/
11. Jump up^ http://ncca.gov.ph/subcommissions/subcommission-on-cultural-heritagesch/historical-
research/politico-diplomatic-history-of-the-philippines/
12. Jump up^ Batanes#History
13. Jump up^ Ilocos Sur#Precolonial era
14. Jump
up^ http://www.ilocossur.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=286&Itemid=60
2
15. Jump up^ http://ncca.gov.ph/subcommissions/subcommission-on-cultural-heritagesch/historical-
research/politico-diplomatic-history-of-the-philippines/
16. Jump up^ http://tagaloglang.com/biag-ni-lam-ang-buod/
17. Jump up^ Biag ni Lam-ang
18. Jump up^ http://ncca.gov.ph/publications/
19. Jump up^ Baybayin, the Ancient Philippine script Archived 2010-08-08 at WebCite. Accessed
September 04, 2008.
20. Jump up^ Hector Santos. Kavi, a borrowed Philippine script. bibingka.com. Accessed April 35,
2010.
21. Jump up^ Go, Bon Juan (2005). "Ma’l in Chinese Records - Mindoro or Bai? An Examination of
a Historical Puzzle". Philippine Studies. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University. 53 (1): 119–
138. Retrieved 2012-10-16.

10. 22. ^ Jump up to:a b Patanne, E. P. (1996). The Philippines in the 6th to 16th Centuries. San Juan:
LSA Press. ISBN 971-91666-0-6.
23. Jump up^ Scott, William Henry. (1984). "Societies in Prehispanic Philippines". Prehispanic
Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History. Quezon City: New Day Publishers.
p. 70. ISBN 971-10-0226-4.
24. Jump up^ https://www.dumagueteinfo.com/other-destinations/siquijor-island/siquijor-history/
25. Jump up^ http://www.marineconservationphilippines.org/siquijor/historyofsiquijor
26. Jump up^ http://www.phtourguide.com/the-mystical-island-of-siquijor/
27. ^ Jump up to:a b *Scott, William Henry (1994). Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and
Society. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press. ISBN 971-550-135-4.
28. Jump up^ del Mundo, Clodualdo (September 20, 1999). "Ako'y Si Ragam (I am
Ragam)". Diwang Kayumanggi. Archived from the original on October 25, 2009. Retrieved 2008-
09-30.
29. Jump up^ Santiago, Luciano P.R., The Houses of Lakandula, Matanda, and Soliman [1571-
1898]: Genealogy and Group Identity, Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society 18 [1990]
30. ^ Jump up to:a b Ocampo, Ambeth (January 22, 2009). "Legaspi’s wish list". Looking Back:
Legaspi’s wish list. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
31. Jump up^ Scott, William Henry. (1984). Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine
History (Revised Edition). New Day Publishers, Quezon City. 196pp. ISBN 9711002264.
32. Jump up^ South East Asia Pottery - Philippines Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine.
33. Jump up^ "Philippines | The Ancient Web". theancientweb.com. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
34. Jump up^ Scott, William Henry (1992), Looking for the Prehispanic Filipino. New Day Publishers,
Quezon City. 172pp. ISBN 9711005247.
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16. Cultural achievementsof pre-colonial
Philippines
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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when to remove this template message)
Part of a series on the
History of the Philippines
Prehistory (pre-900)[show]
Archaic epoch (900–1521)[show]
Colonial period (1521–1946)[show]
Post-colonial period (1946–1986)[show]
Contemporary history (1986–present)[show]
By topic[show]
Timeline
Philippines portal
 v

17.  t
 e
The cultural achievements of pre-colonial Philippines include those covered
by prehistory and early history of the Philippines archipelago and its inhabitants, which are the
indigenous forebears of today's Filipino people.
Main article: History of the Philippines (900–1521)
Contents
[hide]
 1Agriculture
 2Art of War
 3Education and writing
 4Maritime culture and aquaculture
 5Mining and jewelry making
 6Pottery
 7References
 8External links
Agriculture[edit]
The Banaue Rice Terraces, they are part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, ancient sprawling
man-made structures from 2,000 to 6,000 years old, which are a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.
Early peoples of what is now Philippines were good agriculturists. A report during the time of Miguel
López de Legazpi noted of the great abundance of rice, fowls, wine as well as great numbers
of carabaos, deer, wild boar and goats in Luzon. In addition, there were also great quantities
of cotton and colored clothes, wax, honey and date palms produced by the native peoples. In
the Visayas, according to another early report, rice, cotton, swine, fowls, wax and honey
abound. Leyte was said to produce two rice crops a year, and Pedro Chirino commented on the
great rice and cotton harvests that were sufficient to feed and cloth the people
Duck culture was also practiced by the natives, particularly those around Pateros and Taguig City.
This resembled the Chinese methods of artificial incubation of eggs and the knowledge of every
phase of a duck's life. This tradition is carried on until modern times.[1]
The Ifugaos of the mountainous region of the Cordilleras built irrigations, dams and hydraulic works
and the famous Banaue Rice Terraces as a way for assisting in growing crops around 1000 BC.[1]

18. Art of War[edit]
Further information: Filipino martial arts
High quality metal casting, artillery, and other metal works had been traditions throughout the
ancient Philippines. The metal smith, or panday piray of Pampanga was skilled at making weapons,
and many individuals with the surnames Viray and Piray are said to be descendants of people who
were once members of the guild of smiths who followed the tradition of the panday pira.[1]
Ancient peoples used small arquebuses, or portable cannons made up of bronze. Larger cannons,
on the other hand, were made of iron and resembling culverins provided heavier firepower. The iron
cannon at Rajah Sulaiman III's house was about 17 feet long and was made from clay and wax
moulds.[1]
Guns were also locally manufactured and used by the natives. The most fearsome among these
native guns was the lantaka, or swivel gun, which allowed the gunner to quickly track a moving
target.[1]
Some of the weaponry used by the natives was quite unusual. For instance, one weapon
was the prototype of the modern-day yo-yo, and it returned to is owner after being flung at an
opponent.
Swords were also part of the native weaponry. Making of swords involved elaborate rituals that were
based mainly on the auspicious conjunctions of planets. The passage of the sword from the maker
entailed a mystical ceremony that was coupled with superstitious beliefs.[1]
The lowlanders
of Luzon no longer use the bararao, while the Moros and animists of the South still continue the
tradition of making kampilan and kris.[1]
In addition to weaponry, ancient peoples made good armor for use in the battlefield and built strong
fortresses called kota or moog to protect their communities. The Moros, in particular, had armor that
covered the entire body from the top of the head to the toes. The Igorots built forts made of stone
walls that averaged several meters in width and about two to three times the width in height around
2000 BC.[1][2]
Education and writing[edit]
Laguna Copperplate Inscription (c. 900), a thin copperplate document measuring less than 8x12 inches in size,
shows heavy Hindu-Malayan cultural influences present in the Philippines during the 10th Century.
See also: Ancient Philippine scripts and Enrique of Malacca
Prehistoric people devised and used their own system of writings from 300 BC, which derived from
the Brahmic family of scripts of Ancient India. Baybayin became the most widespread of these
derived scripts by the 11th century.
Early chroniclers, who came during the first Spanish expeditions to the islands, noted the proficiency
of some of the natives, especially the chieftain and local kings, in Sanskrit, Old Javanese, Old
Malay,and several other languages.[3][4][5]
Maritime culture and aquaculture[edit]

19. Native boats and outriggers as depicted in The history and conquest of the Philippines and our other island
possessions; embracing our war with the Filipinos by Alden March, published in 1899. Caption (cropped out)
read: "Boats of the upper type were used to land the U.S. troops at Manila. One of those in which the Astor
Battery landed sank in the surf just before reaching shore. The natives carried the men ashore on their
shoulders. The lower boat is a fisherman's craft used by the Negritos, who shoot fish in the clear water with
bows and arrows."
Ancient peoples of the Philippines, being descendants of the balangay-borne Austronesian migrants
from Maritime Southeast Asia,[6]
were known for their navigational skills. Some of them
used compass similar to those used among maritime communities of Borneo and traders of China,
although most had no need for such devices. In modern times, some fishermen and traders in
the Visayas, Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan can still navigate long distances over open water without
the use of modern navigational instruments.[1]
Philippine ships, such as the karakao or korkoa were
of excellent quality and some of them were used by the Spaniards in expeditions against rebellious
tribes and Dutch and British forces. Some of the larger rowed vessels held up to a hundred rowers
on each side besides a contingent of armed troops.[4]
Generally, the larger vessels held at least
one lantaka at the front of the vessel or another one placed at the stern.[1]
Philippine sailing ships
called praos had double sails that seemed to rise well over a hundred feet from the surface of the
water. Despite their large size, these ships had double outriggers. Some of the larger sailing ships,
however, did not have outriggers.
Communities of ancient Philippines were active in international trade, and they used the ocean as
natural highways.[4]
Ancient peoples were engaged in long-range trading with their Asian neighbors
as far as west as Maldives and as far as north as Japan.[1]
Some historians even proposed that they
also had regular contacts with the people of Western Micronesia because it was the only area in
the Oceania that had ricecrops, tuba (fermented coconut sap), and tradition of betel nut chewing
when the first Europeans arrived there. The uncanny resemblance of complex body tattoos among
the Visayans and those of Borneo also proved some interesting connection between Borneo and
ancient Philippines.[1]
Magellan's chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, mentioned that merchants and
ambassadors from all surrounding areas came to pay tribute to the king of Sugbu (Cebu) for the
purpose of trade. While Magellan's crew were with the king, a representative from Siam was paying
tribute to the king.[1]
Miguel López de Legazpi also wrote how merchants
from Luzon and Mindoro had come to Cebu for trade, and he also mentioned how the Chinese
merchants regularly came to Luzon for the same purpose.[1]
The Visayan Islands had earlier
encounter with the Greektraders in 21 AD.[7]
Its people enjoyed extensive trade contacts with other
cultures. Indians, Arabs, Koreans, Japanese, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Thais, Malaysians and Indo
nesians as traders or immigrants.[8][9]
Aside from trade relations, the natives were also involved in aquaculture and fishing. The natives
make use of the salambao, which is a type of raft that utilizes a large fishing net which is lowered
into the water via a type of lever made of two criss-crossed poles. Night fishing was accomplished
with the help of candles made from a particular type of resin similar to the copal of Mexico. Use of
safe pens for incubation and protection of the small fry from predators was also observed, and this

20. method astonished the Spaniards at that time.[1]
During fishing, large mesh nets were also used by
the natives to protect the young and ensure future good catches.
Mining and jewelry making[edit]
Mining in the Philippines began around 1000 BC. The early Filipinos worked various mines
of gold, silver, copper and iron. Jewels, gold ingots, chains, calombigas and earrings were handed
down from antiquity and inherited from their ancestors. Gold dagger handles, gold dishes, tooth
plating, and huge gold ornaments were also used.[1]
In Laszlo Legeza's "Tantric elements in pre-
Hispanic Philippines Gold Art", he mentioned that gold jewelry of Philippine origin was found
in Ancient Egypt.[1]
According to Antonio Pigafetta, the people of Mindoropossessed great skill in
mixing gold with other metals and gave it a natural and perfect appearance that could deceive even
the best of silversmiths.[1]
The natives were also known for the jewelries made of other precious
stones such as carnelian, agate and pearl. Some outstanding examples of Philippine jewelry
included necklaces, belts, armlets and rings placed around the waist.
Pottery[edit]
The ancient philippine had a very rich tradition of pottery as verified by the finds at Ayub Cave
in South Cotabato and other parts of the islands. Japanese texts mentioned trading expeditions to
the island of Rusun (Luzon) for the highly prized Rusun and Namban jars occurred. Japanese texts
were very specific about these jars being made in Luzon. The Tokiko, for example, calls the Rusun
and Namban jars, Ru-sun tsukuru or Lu-sung ch'i (in Chinese), which means simply "made in
Luzon."[1]
These Rusun jars, which had rokuru (wheel mark), were said to be more precious than
gold because of its ability to act as tea canisters and enhance the fermentation process.[1]
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