TABON
CAVES
ROBERT B. FOX
•BETWEEN
THE
YEAR OF 1962-1966
•FOUND
BY
ANTHROPOLOGIST
DR. ROBERT FOX
•ARTIFACTS RECOVERED RANGING
TH
50,000 YEARS AGO TO THE 14
CENTURY
•TABON MAN ONE OF THE
OLDEST KNOWN
HUMAN SKELETAL
TABON CAVE
❑ Large main cave where
only Pleistocene human
fossils in the Philippines
were found.
❑ Scattered fossils bones
of at least 3 individuals
were excavated
FOSSIL HUMAN
BONES
❖ Tabon Man may
be dated from
22,000 – 24,000
years ago.
✔ He led a 6-year
archaelogical
research
in
Palawan;
✔ caves
&
rockshelters
of
Lipuun Point.
BURIAL JAR
IN TABON CAVE
AT LEAST 200 JARS,
JAR
COVERS
AND
SMALL
VESSELS
SCATTERED ON THE
CAVE WAS RECOVERED
MANUNGGUL
CAVE
DISCOVERED BY MR. VICTOR DECALAN, MR. HANS
KASTEN AND VOLUNTEER WORKERS FROM US
PEACE CORPS IN 1964
MANUNGGUL
JAR
A KIND OF BURIAL JAR
WHICH IS UNRIVALED IN
SOUTHEAST ASIA AND
CONSIDERED AS THE WORK OF A
MASTER POTTER, SIGNIFIES THE
BELIEF OF EARLY FILIPINOS IN
LIFE AFTER DEATH.
The boatman is seated behind a figure whose hands are
crossed on the chest. The position of the hands is a
traditional Filipino practice observed when arranging the
corpse.
Manunggul Cave
□ Composed of 4 chambers
with 3 openings but only
2 were used for jar burial.
□ Has a large round mouth.
□ Tunnel-like having a send
opening on the northeast
side of the cliff.
CHAMBER A
➢
➢
Has three animal or bird heads
surrounding an opening
A unique tripod construction
OTHER
ARTIFACTS
wooden coffin
Kalayaan pottery
La-huynb pottery
“True Jade”
Fragments of the distinct
bracelets and other accessories:
➢
➢
➢
➢
➢
4 of jade
3 of agate
two made fom large limpet shells.
1 perfect jasper ear pendant
super thin and translucent, ellipsoid-shaped pendant of a
red chalcedony.
CHAMBER B
➢
•
•
•
•
A highly decorated funerary
Sand Tempering
Surface colors
Form of burial jars
Trunconial jar cover
Types of Pottery
Tabon plain
Tabon polish
Tabon impressed
➢
➢
➢
Types of Shells
➢
➢
➢
•
•
Large ring – like beads
Tiny disk beads
Typical small covering beads
Shell spoons
In 1948 – Number of spoons collected
INTERNAL
CRITICISM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R
• ANTHROPOLOGIST
OBERT BRADFORD FOX (1918-1985)
AND
LEADING
THE PRE-HISPANIC
HISTORIAN ON
PHILIPPINES
• ACTIVELY SERVED THE NATIONAL
MUSEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES IN
1948-1975
• SERVING AS CONSULTANT TO THE
PHILIPPINE
PRESIDENT
ON
ANTHROPOLOGICAL MATTERS AND AS
DEAN OF BRENT SCHOOL IN BAGUIO CITY.
About the Author
• Head of the Anthropology
Division of the National
Museum of the Philippines
• Taught at the University of the
Philippines and served as
Presidential Assistant for
National Minorities