Lesson 3:

The Manunggul Jar

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, the student will be
able to:
◈ Identify the parts of the Manunggul jar
◈ Interpret the significance and symbolisms of the design of the jar
◈ Relate the design of the jar with the cultural practices of the early
civilization
◈ Illustrate the significance of the discovery of the jar to the history of
the Philippines
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The Manunggul Jar is
a secondary burial jar
excavated from a
Neolithic burial site in
Manunggul cave of
Tabon Caves at Lipuun
Point at Palawan dating
from 890–710 B.C.
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Discovery of the Jar
The Manunggul Jar was found by Dr. Robert B. Fox and
Miguel Antonio in 1962. It was found alongside the discovery of
the remains of Tabon Man. It was recovered by Dr. Fox in
Chamber A of Manunggul Cave in Southwestern Palawan.
Manunggul Cave is one of the Tabon Caves in Lipuun Point. In
the expansion, the Tabon Caves is known to be a site of jar
burials with artifacts dating a range from 4250-2000 BP. 4
Design of the Jar

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 The Manunggul Jar shows that the
Filipinos' maritime culture is
paramount that it reflected its ancestors'
religious beliefs.

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 The upper part of the Manunggul jar,
as well as the cover, is carved with
curvilinear scroll designs which are
painted with hematite. The depiction of
sea-waves on the lid places this
Manunggul jar in the Sa Huỳnh
culture pottery tradition. 8
 The fine lines and intricate designs of
the Manunggul Jar reflect the artistry of
early Filipinos.

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 The Manunggul Jar tells us of how
important the waters were to our
ancestors.

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In the Philippine archipelago, that is according
to Peter Bellwood, the Southeast Asians first
developed a sophisticated maritime culture
which made possible the spread of the
Austronesian-speaking peoples to the
Pacific Islands as far Madagascar in Africa
and Easter Island near South America.
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 Many epics around the Philippines would
tell us of how souls go to the next life aboard
boats, passing through the rivers and seas. The
belief was very much connected with the
Austronesia belief in the anito. Our ancestors
believed that man is composed of the body, the
life force called the ginhawa, and the kaluluwa
(soul). 12
 The Manunggul jar was a symbol of the
National Museum’s important role in
spearheading the preservation the cultural
heritage using multi-disciplinary techniques. It
was a testament of how art can be a vessel of
history and culture with the help of scholars.

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THANKS YOU!