A bit of archeology

LONG before the Spaniards arrived in the island of Leyte, thriving communities populated several coastal areas that later became town centers. Contrary to popular beliefs, these were not uncivilized savages that lived here but well-ordered societies having their own laws and customs, their own culture and ways of coping with the problems of survival.

Excavated relics in the pacific town of Cabalian for instance showed that it had existed at least a hundred years before the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan. Indeed, during the period of discovery (1521), it was already ruled by Malitik, a tributary of King Siagu.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Ormoc was a well established Malayan village at the beginning of the 16th century. Ancient gold ornaments and ceramic pieces were dug there. Three of these were identified by Prof. Otley Bayer as not unlike Javanese gold work of the pre-Majapahit period. A heavy gold chain was declared by Dr. Bayer to resemble certain ancient jewelry of the pre-Spanish inhabitants of the Batanes Islands and Central Luzon.

Carigara was another ancient village where enterprising traders from the present land of Bohol found a thriving community showing a workable, though crude, irrigation system in their fields. (source: V. Braganza, Story of Leyte, unpublished manuscript. (DWU Museum)

 But a more recent archeological survey conducted in the island of Limasawa, found sherds of tradeware ceramics attributed to the Ming Dynasty period (13th to 17th centuries) pasted on a cemented structure above an old Spanish deep well. Other materials consisted of sherds of Vietnamese and Thai which were possibly contemporaries of Ming Dynasty period.

Waterproof ultra HD camera

An interview conducted with local residents in area near the shrine showed a burial site as indicated by the presence of skeletal remains unearthed during the pothunting activities.

In another site located near the shoreline north of Brgy. Magallanes, the survey also yielded numerous sherds of earthenware consisting of Celadon and porcelains attributed to Ming dynasty period. Considered significant is the presence of iron slags in association with these sherds. This is proof of a metal smelting activity, suggesting an organized community already thriving in the area.

Lage fragments of earthenware jars that were found in association with human skeletal remains were indications that the jar-burial traditions were not only being practiced on the main lands such as in Samar, Bohol, Sorsogon and other parts of the country but at small islands like Limasawa. (To be continued)

#Limasawa
#diggingsinlimasawa
#limasawaarcheology