A TEAM of archaeologists from the University of San Carlos (USC) and the National Museum unearthed ancient pottery they believed to be dated back to the Philippine Metal Age at the grounds of the parish church in San Remigio town, Cebu.
In a press statement, the university said the expedition led by Prof. Jobers Bersales and Dr. Ame Garong of the National Museum discovered the earthenware pottery in three burials off the grounds of the San Remigio Parish after 10 days of test excavations.
The team also includes 15 archaeology students from USC.
They said the pottery's designs bore resemblance to other finds in the country that were dated in the Philippine Metal Age period, between A.D. 900 and 500 B.C.
The team said this may mark the first time that a Metal Age site was uncovered in Cebu.
Other significant finds include a large Philippine Melon shell (Melo diadema) crafted into some kind of scoop and plenty of red-slip pottery fragments.
Another excavation unit on the municipal beach right across the church has also yielded a midden or trash full of broken pottery, shells and clay net sinkers.
Prof. Bersales and Dr. Garong said they believe the site to have burials that at least date to about 1,000 to 2,000 years ago.
But they cautioned that only radiocarbon dating of some bone samples in the United States may provide the absolute date for the site.
They said the absence of Chinese and other Asian tradeware ceramics also helped provide a date much older than those found in Boljoon as well as Plaza Independencia.
Bersales said the site appears unlooted and is certain to provide important information on the culture of Cebuanos before the arrival of Asian and Arab traders.
The USC-National Museum team will continue to conduct excavations until April 16. They will return to the site on June 4 with a joint team from USC, University of Guam and the University of the Philippines.
Funding for the excavations was proviced through a grant from the University of San Carlos with logistical support from the Cebu provincial government.
Source: Cebu Daily News [April 05, 2011]
In a press statement, the university said the expedition led by Prof. Jobers Bersales and Dr. Ame Garong of the National Museum discovered the earthenware pottery in three burials off the grounds of the San Remigio Parish after 10 days of test excavations.
The team also includes 15 archaeology students from USC.
They said the pottery's designs bore resemblance to other finds in the country that were dated in the Philippine Metal Age period, between A.D. 900 and 500 B.C.
The team said this may mark the first time that a Metal Age site was uncovered in Cebu.
Other significant finds include a large Philippine Melon shell (Melo diadema) crafted into some kind of scoop and plenty of red-slip pottery fragments.
Another excavation unit on the municipal beach right across the church has also yielded a midden or trash full of broken pottery, shells and clay net sinkers.
Prof. Bersales and Dr. Garong said they believe the site to have burials that at least date to about 1,000 to 2,000 years ago.
But they cautioned that only radiocarbon dating of some bone samples in the United States may provide the absolute date for the site.
They said the absence of Chinese and other Asian tradeware ceramics also helped provide a date much older than those found in Boljoon as well as Plaza Independencia.
Bersales said the site appears unlooted and is certain to provide important information on the culture of Cebuanos before the arrival of Asian and Arab traders.
The USC-National Museum team will continue to conduct excavations until April 16. They will return to the site on June 4 with a joint team from USC, University of Guam and the University of the Philippines.
Funding for the excavations was proviced through a grant from the University of San Carlos with logistical support from the Cebu provincial government.
Source: Cebu Daily News [April 05, 2011]