Layout by: Ayris Celine Aqui
Published by: Christine Mae Karunungan
Date Published: March 20, 2025
Time Published: 2:10 PM
A recent study in Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) discovered evidence of ancient technology in the Philippines in a forthcoming study in the April 2025, Journal of Archaeological Science reports.
This piece of evidence suggests that the early people of those island have mastered seafaring and have built sophisticated boats 40,000 years ago, long before Magellan and the Polynesians.
Researchers Riczar Fuentes and Alfred Pawlik highlighted that the Philippines and the Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) were never connected to the Mainland Asia, by land, bridges, or icesheet; however the precesence of early human habitation is documented across the ISEA.
How these people crossed the ocean remains an open question to archaeologists, given the vast majority of ancient evidence of Paleolithic sailors quickly decomposed due to organic nature such as wood or fiber-based materials.
But the recent of evidence found in the archeological sites in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste showed a strong link that early seafarers have already long acquired highly sophisticated level of technology equivalent to much later civilization.
Microscopic analyses excavated at these sites have shown clear traces of plant processing, specifically, fiber extraction use in making ropes, nets, and materials essential for building boats.
Remains of deep sea fish including tuna and sharks, together with complex fishing tools, particularly, fishing hooks, gorges, and net used to catch this type of fish that dated as far back as some 40,000 years ago were found in the archaeological sites in Mindoro and Timor-Leste.
According to the researchers, "the remains of large predatory pelagic fish in these sites indicate the capacity for advanced seafaring and knowledge of the seasonality and migration routes of those fish species."
These findings contradict the widely accepted view that the advancement of Paleolithic technology can only be traced in Europe and Africa.
REFERENCES:
[1] GMA Integrated News. (2025, February 22). New Ateneo de Manila University study suggests early Filipinos mastered seafaring before other civilizations. GMA News Online. https://www.gmanetwork.com/.../new-archaeological.../story/
[2] Ateneo de Manila University. (2025, Feb 21) Clues of advanced ancient technology found in the Philippines and Island Southeast Asia. University News. https://www.ateneo.edu/.../clues-advanced-ancient...
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