ARTIFACT ANALYSIS
(Manunggul Jar)
This is a group activity for 3 members per group. Answer the questions briefly and concisely.
You are given a research break to accomplish this.
1) Describe Manunggul Jar as if you are describing it to somebody without a sight or
cannot see. (Describe its physical characteristics (e.g. material used, dimensions,
weight, color, etc.)
The Manunggul jar is made out of clay and its dimensions are 51.5 cm wide and
66.5 cm high. Its embossed and curved designs especially those that are at the upper portion
of the jar were painted in pure hematite and iron.
2) When and where was the jar discovered.
Describe the archeological site: The Manunggul Jar is a secondary burial jar excavated
from a Neolithic burial site in the Manunggul cave.
Circumstances of its discovery: 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.
3) Analyze the carvings and motifs on the jar’s lid. What do they represent, and what
insights do they provide into the beliefs and practices of the people who created it?
Early Filipinos believed that a man is composed of a body, a life force called
ginhawa, and a kaluluwa. This explains why the design of the cover of the Manunggul Jar
features three faces – the soul, the boatman, and the boat itself.
4) How does the Manunggul Jar exemplify the artistic craftsmanship of its time period?
The lid of the Manunggul Jar provides a clear example of a cultural link between
the archeological past and the ethnographic present. It also signifies the belief of ancient
Filipinos in life after death.
5) What can the materials used in the jar’s construction tell us about the available
resources and technological capabilities of the period?
This was a period where every resource from nature was well used in favor for its
development. The use of available resources was then used in a diversified way, such as
clay to build items to store items that’s why Manunggul jar was made from clay with some
sand soil.
6) Describe the symbolism behind the imagery on the jar, particularly the
representation of the boatmen and the soul’s journey. How does it reflect the cultural
and spiritual beliefs of the ancient Filipinos?
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. The Manunggul jar stands as sociological evidence of
a society with clear beliefs in both the existence of the soul and life after death, thousands
of years before contact with organized religions.
7) What does the jar reveal about burial practices and rituals during the late Neolithic
Philippines?
The practice of jar burial is an instance of secondary burial, in which only the bones
of the deceased are reburied.[3] The jar itself was not interred.The burial jar with a cover
featuring a ship-of-the-dead is perhaps unrivalled in Southeast Asia; the work of an artist
and master potter.This vessel provides a clear example of a cultural link between the
archaeological past and the ethnographic present.
8) Explain the conservation and preservation efforts undertaken to safeguard the
Manunggul jar, and discuss its current display location.
The Manunggul jar 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 Philippine ethno-linguistic groups.It is now housed at the National Museum of
Anthropology and is one of the most popular exhibits there.
9) Reflect on the significance of the Manunggul jar as a cultural treasure and its role in
promoting Filipino heritage and identity.
The Manunggul jar is considered a living evidence of the Filipinos’ shared cultural
legacy with their Austronesian ancestors since marks of their tradition and culture were
seen in various areas of the Philippines and in numerous ethnic tribes.
References:
https://epa.culturalcenter.gov.ph/3/82/2227/#:~:text=The%20Manunggul%20jar%20stan
ds%20as,before%20contact%20with%20organized%20religions
https://openroadreview.in/the-manunggul-jar-a-relic-of-philippinehistory/#:~:text=The%20two%20human%20images%20were,(Chua%201%2D2).
Ringor, Mae Ann I.
Gancho, Danica
Pascua, Marhyza Jade V.
BS ChE 1-A