A stunning new archaeological discovery reveals that people living in the Philippine islands more than 35,000 years ago were not only surviving—they were thriving with advanced technology and a strong maritime culture.
After 15 years of research, scientists from Ateneo de Manila University, working alongside international partners, have uncovered solid evidence that the Philippines played a major role in early human migration and innovation across Southeast Asia.
Published in the journal Archaeological Research in Asia, the findings come from the Mindoro Archaeology Project, which explored key sites in Occidental Mindoro, including Ilin Island, San Jose, and Sta. Teresa in Magsaysay.
These areas provide some of the earliest signs of modern humans—Homo sapiens—living in the Philippine archipelago.
What makes this discovery especially remarkable is that, unlike the island of Palawan, Mindoro was never connected to mainland Asia by land bridges.
That means the only way for people to reach it—even tens of thousands of years ago—was by crossing the sea.
This suggests that the early inhabitants were already capable of building boats and navigating open water, a feat that required creativity, courage, and advanced technology.
The archaeological team uncovered a rich collection of materials that tell the story of these early people.
Human remains, bones of animals, marine shells, and tools made from stone, bone, and shell paint a picture of a community deeply familiar with both land and sea. They weren’t just surviving—they were skilled hunters and fishers who could catch powerful ocean predators like sharks and bonito.
One of the most surprising findings was the use of giant clam shells (from the Tridacna species) to make tools known as adzes—cutting tools used for shaping wood.
These shell adzes, dated to around 7,000 to 9,000 years ago, are almost identical to tools found thousands of kilometers away in Island Southeast Asia and even as far as Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.
This discovery hints at ancient trade or communication networks that stretched across vast distances, long before the age of written history.
The team also discovered a 5,000-year-old burial site on Ilin Island. The body had been carefully placed in a fetal position and surrounded by limestone slabs—very similar to burial practices seen in other parts of Southeast Asia. This shows that the people of ancient Mindoro shared cultural and spiritual ideas with communities far beyond their own island, and that their society may have been more complex than previously thought.
These discoveries reveal that Mindoro was part of a vast and advanced maritime network during the Stone Age. Far from being isolated, its people were connected through technology, trade, and shared cultural practices to other communities across Southeast Asia.
The research not only fills important gaps in the history of the Philippines but also changes how scientists view early human migration and life in the region. The Philippine islands weren’t just remote outposts—they were dynamic centers of innovation, skill, and connection across the ancient seas.
Source: KSR.
