GE-RPhis

Week 03
Manunggul Jar: A Relic of Philippine History

The Manunggul Jar is a secondary burial jar excavated from a Neolithic burial site in the
Manunggul cave of the Tabon Caves at Lipuun Point in Palawan, Philippines. It dates from 890–
710 B.C.
The secondary burial, or “double funeral” is a feature of prehistoric and historic gravesites. The
term refers to remains that represent an exhumation and reburial, whether intentional or
accidental.
The Manunggul jar is largely made from clay and it measures 51.5 cm wide and 66.5 cm high.
Its embossed, curved designs especially those at the upper portion of the jar were painted in
pure hematite and iron (National Museum Information).
There are two human images riding a boat located on top of the jar’s cover. The first human
image, holding an oar with a missing blade, is situated at the back area. He seems to be
steering the oar rather than paddling the boat. The second human image, with arms folded
across the chest, is situated at the front.
The two human images were said to symbolize two souls on a voyage toward the afterlife. The
arms folded across the chest of the second human image and the band being tied from the top
of the head down to the jaw, on the other hand, represented the Philippine tradition of arranging
a dead body (Chua 1-2).
The three main features of the Manunggul jar is composed of the boat itself, the boat driver and
the soul. This was based on the Austronesian belief wherein the soul of a human separates
from the body after death and returns to the Earth in another form for the purpose of looking
after his or her descendants.
The Manunggul jar was discovered in a cave at Lipuun Point, Quezon, Palawan on March 1964
by a team of volunteer workers from the United States Peace Corps headed by Victor Decalan
and Hans Kasten.
The Manunggul jar was regarded as a work accomplished by an ingenious artist and master
potter (National Museum Information).
 CONTENT
The Manunggul Jar: A Relic of Philippine
History
• A secondary burial jar that has existed
since the late Neolithic Period (895-775
B.C.) in the Philippines.
• One of the numerous jars found in a cave
believed to be a burial site (Manunggul, was
part of the archaeologically significant Tabon
Cave Complex in Lipuun Point, Quezon,
Palawan)
• Discovered on March 1964 by Victor
Decalan, Hans Kasten and other volunteer
workers from the United States Peace
Corps.  nationalism and faith.
• There are two human images riding a boat
located on top of the jar’s cover. The first
human image, holding an oar with a
missing blade, is situated at the back
area. He seems to be steering the oar
rather than paddling the boat. The second
human image, with arms folded across the
chest, is situated at the front. Both human
images seem to have a band tied over
their heads down to their jaws. The image
of a head complete with carved eyes,
nose and mouth is also seen at the front
area of the boat
• The two human images were said to
symbolize two souls on a voyage toward
the afterlife.
CONTEXT
• It shows the artistry of the early Filipinos
reflected in those fine lines and intricate
designs, a clear proof that we were
definitely not as dumb as the Spaniards told
us we were.
• It was also a testament of the importance of
the waters to our ancestors. The seas and
the rivers were their conduit of trade,
information and communication.
• The Manunggul jar was a perfect
illustration of the creativity and sense of
artistry of the Filipino people.
• It also depicted the Filipino values of
respect for one’s soul, compassion,
• The jar served as a living reminder of
the country’s rich history and culture
since its existence during the late
Neolithic Period.
• Served as a proof of our common heritage
with our Austronesian-speaking ancestors
despite the diversity of cultures of the
Philippine peoples.
• Traces of their culture and beliefs were
seen in different parts of the country and
from different Philippines.
• It was also a potential proof of how art
can reflect a country’s history, tradition
and culture, no matter how simple or
intricate its form is.
• The arms folded across the chest of the
second human image and the band being
tied from the top of the head down to the
jaw, on the other hand,represented the
Philippine tradition of arranging a dead
body (Chua 1-2).
• The three main features of the Manunggul
jar is composed of the boat itself, the boat
driver and the soul. This was based on the
Austronesian belief wherein the soul of a
human separates from the body after
death and returns to the Earth in another
form for the purpose of looking after his or
her descendants. The souls were believed
to travel through boats just like the one
depicted on the jar’s cover (Chua 2-3).
The “ship-of-the-dead” image in the
Manunggul jar was found to have close
similarities with the ship motifs of
woodcarvings found in Taiwan, East Timor
and other places in South East Asia. Such
ship motifs were seen during ancient
funerals using boat-shaped coffins (Tan 89)

ASSESSMENT

1. What are the most noticeable features of the Manunggul jar?

2. Why do you think our ancestors designed the Manunggul jar that particular way?
Briefly explain.

REFERENCES

https://openroadreview.in/the-manunggul-jar-a-relic-of-philippine-history/

https://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/nationalmuseumbeta/Collections/Archaeo/
Manunggul.html