By Hyacinth Estrada
New archaeological discoveries in Mindoro are reshaping the understanding of early human life in Southeast Asia, positioning the Philippine islands as a hub of prehistoric maritime innovation, adaptation, and cultural exchange as far back as 35,000 years ago.
The findings, detailed in Archaeological Research in Asia, are the result of over 15 years of fieldwork under the Mindoro Archaeology Project led by Ateneo de Manila University and international collaborators.
Evidence of modern humans
Excavations at sites across Occidental Mindoro – including Ilin Island, San Jose, and Sta Teresa – have unearthed some of the earliest evidence of modern human presence in the Philippines.
According to the study, what sets Mindoro apart is its geographical isolation: unlike other islands, Mindoro has always been surrounded by open waters.
This suggests the presence of a long-standing maritime culture as early people would have had to acquire sophisticated nautical skills and equipment to reach and colonise the island.
Among the artefacts recovered are fishhooks for capturing deep-sea animals like sharks, bone tools indicating hook-and-line methods, shell adzes from 7,000 to 9,000 years ago, and obsidian blades connected to Palawan.
These indicate both strategic interaction with coastal and pelagic habitats and subsistence-level fishing.
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Southeast Asian cultural networks
Similar to funerary customs in Vietnam and Indonesia, a flexed burial on Ilin Island from 5,000 years ago raises the possibility that the people of Mindoro were part of larger cultural and ideological networks that extended throughout Southeast Asia.
Instead of it being a remote outpost, the discovery positions Mindoro as part of a vibrant maritime network that allowed for the sharing of thousands of years of cultural traditions, ideas, and skills.
The Mindoro Archaeology Project thus reframes the Philippines as an early contributor to civilisation rather than a late beneficiary by recording long-term human occupancy, symbolic burial customs, and nautical technology.
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