Friday, January 18, 2008

CAVITE PRE-COLONIAL RELICS

Dr. Otley H. Beyer


Cavite Province: Stone-Age remains.-Several plowed fields (mostly with red soil) along the main road to Tagaytay, and others near Indang, have produced small numbers of obsidian and flint microliths, while excavation near the Manila Hotel Site at Tagaytay Ridge produced a good Late Neolithic barkcloth beater. (A few other obsidian and flint microliths, probably of Neolithic date, were picked up along the trail to the Diesta Site to be described later.)

Possible Iron-Age site.-A thin layer of small sherds of common red pottery was examined in the back wall of a sizable excavation near the Van Schaick residence on Tagaytay Ridge. No associated objects were found, but the pottery itself is almost identical with the Early Iron-Age material from the Novaliches District sites. (This vicinity should be further examined, both for additional Late Neolithic remains and for possible Iron-Age artifacts.)

Porcelain-Age sites.-Only one important pre-Spanish site has been investigated-that on the Diesta Farm, in Pangil barrio, about half-way between Amadeo and Indang, and accessible by trail only. About 10 whole pieces of 15th and early 16th century Ming wares were accidentally excavated when a sizable ditch across one end of the farm was being dug; and a later visit by E. D. Hester disclosed the presence of good midden fragments, from a nearby village site, being plowed up in the surrounding fields. One sizable piece of a 15th century Sawankhalok tall jarlet was also plowed up. Mr. Hester expressed the opinion that a ton or more of midden fragments might easily be gathered from the plowed fields seen by him in 1932.

Hester's original visit had been made from Indang, on horseback, but in 1940 he and I tried again to reach the site from Amadeo-going by car nearly to Pafigil barrio, and then on foot for several kilometers. We found the middenfilled fields now overgrown by tall grass and brush-as cultivation had been shifted to other fields-but we did gather a small bagful of fragments from two adjoining new fields. These appear a little older than the first finds, and indicate that the upper side of the village site began at least as early as the 14th century. (The whole area looks very interesting, and merits further exploration and search for other sites.)

Historic sites. —The whole Cavite coast, from old Cavite town as far south as Ternate, was the seat of important happenings in the Early Spanish regime (and before), and should contain important historical remains meriting exploration. (Also Buck's fire-walkers.) Workers. —E. de Mitkiewicz, Robert L. Pendleton, H. H. Buck, E. D. Hester, H. 0. Beyer, Tomas Tirona.


H. Otley Beyer. Outline Review of the Philippine Archelogy by Islands and Provinces. The Philippine Journal of Science 77 (July-August, 1947). pp. 242

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