The Manunggul Jar is an important Neolithic burial jar excavated from a site in Palawan, Philippines dating to 890-710 BC. It depicts two prominent figures on the lid representing the soul's journey to the afterlife. Considered a national treasure and masterpiece, the jar is now housed in a museum in Manila. It was found alongside remains of the Tabon Man and its artistic style shares similarities to artifacts from Vietnam during that period, symbolizing travel to the afterlife.

1. MANUNGGUL JAR
The Manunggul Jar is a secondary burial jar excavated from a Neolithic burial site in Manunggul cave of Lipuun (present day
Quezon, Palawan) dating from 890-710 B.C.[1] The two prominent figures at the top handle of its cover represent the journey of
the soul to the after life.
The Manunggul Jar is widely acknowledged to be one of the finest Philippine pre-colonial artwork ever produced and is a
considered as a masterpiece. It is considered as a national treasure and it is designated as item 64-MO-74[2] by the National
Museum of the Philippines. It is now housed at the Museum of the Filipino People and is one of the most popular exhibits there.
It was found by Dr. Robert B. Fox and Miguel Santiago in 1962. It was found alongside the discovery of the remains of Tabon
Man. The faces of the figures and on the prow of the boat have eyes and mouth rendered in the same style as other artifacts of
Southeast Asia of that period. Note the depiction of sea-waves on the lid. This style of decoration places this jar in the Sa-huýnh-
Kalanay pottery tradition of Southern Vietnam. The steersman's oar is missing its paddle, as is the mast in the center of the boat,
against which the steersman would have braced his feet. This symbolizes that they are traveling to the next life. In secondary
burial, only bones were placed in the jar, and the jar itself is not buried.