Preface

This monograph contains a series of archaeological reports on investigations undertaken between 2002 and 2007 in the Batanes Islands, located in the northern Philippines, half-way between Taiwan and Luzon. Because of this location, the Batanes Islands occupied a strategic position for all prehistoric human migration from southern China, through Taiwan, into Luzon and the Philippines, and sometimes possibly in the other direction as well (e.g. from the Batanes to Lanyu Island). The prehistory of these islands reflects very greatly on the early migrations of the Austronesian-speaking peoples, a phenomenon dating between 4500 and 3000 years ago for its earliest Malayo-Polynesian manifestations beyond Taiwan, as inferred from current investigations in comparative linguistics, archaeology, and biological anthropology (Blust 2013; Bellwood 2013; Cox 2013).

The bulk of this monograph presents archaeological data as its primary purpose. It is not intended to serve as a commentary on the Austronesian origins debate, or even to provide a firm statement on this issue, although the issue of links between Taiwan and the northern Philippines is necessarily an ever-present topic of discussion in the text. The first chapter introduces the project and the islands themselves. Three chapters then cover excavations and other investigations on the islands of Itbayat, Batan and Sabtang. The remainder of the volume deals with various categories of material culture and subsistence through time, particularly pottery, lithic and nephrite items, animal (including fish) bones, and marine shells.

The Batanes research project was designed originally in 2001 by Atholl Anderson, Peter Bellwood and Eusebio Dizon to throw light on the migrations of Neolithic populations from Taiwan to Luzon, or perhaps vice versa (depending on one’s point of view on Austronesian prehistory), between about 4500 and 3000 years ago. The results, however, date not only from this time period, but cover all of Batanes prehistory right down to the arrival of Japanese and European seafarers in the late 17th century. During this 4000 year time span, the people of the Batanes Islands forged a unique island-based culture, while remaining in fairly continuous contact with their contemporaries in Taiwan to the north (a major source of nephrite, as well as other aspects of Neolithic material culture), and Luzon to the south.

The field teams comprised the following individuals, in alphabetical order of surname:

Australian National University: Atholl Anderson, Peter Bellwood, Deirdre Cook, Daniel Davenport, Hsiao-chun Hung, Damien Kelleher, Marc Oxenham, Janelle Stevenson, Mary Clare Swete Kelly, Katherine Szabó, Michelle Wright, Shawna Hsiu-Ying Yang.

National Museum of the Philippines: Giovanni Bautista, Rey Bautista, Alexandra De Leon, Eusebio (Bong) Dizon, Jonathan Jacar, Clyde Jago-on, Ligaya (Gay) Lacsina, Antonio (Tony) Peñalosa, Erwin Sebastian, Adan Soriano.

Archaeological Studies Program, University of the Philippines: Jane Carlos, Darryl De Leon, Pamela Faylona, Andrea Jalandoni, Armand Mijares, Aileen Paguntalan, Alfred Pawlik, Victor Paz, Jessica Peña, Andrea Ragrario, Emil Robles, Eliza Romualdez-Valtos, Sharon Teodosio, Archie Tiauzon, Edwin Valientes.

Other Institutions: Hallie Buckley (University of Otago); Julien Corny (Erasmus Mundus International Masters Program in Quaternary Studies and Prehistory, Museum of Natural History, Paris); Yoshiyuki Iizuka (Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei); Daud Tanudirjo (Jurusan Arkeologi, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta); Sophie Tynan (University of Liverpool).

Some further acknowledgements are necessary here, since this research involved input from many funding agencies and Filipino supporters. Funding for the project was received from the following agencies:

Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant - Understanding the Early Phases of Neolithic Dispersal in the Western Pacific (2002-2004).

Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant - The Creation of Southeast Asian Peoples and Cultures, 3500 BC to AD 500 (2007-2010).

Chiang Ching–Kuo Foundation, Taiwan - The Role of Taiwan in the Creation of Southeast Asian Peoples and Cultures, 3500 BC to AD 500 (2007-2010).

National Geographic Committee for Research and Exploration - The Genesis of Austronesian Dispersal in Taiwan and the Philippines (2002).

National Geographic Committee for Research and Exploration - The Taiwan-Philippine Interaction Sphere, 2000 BC to AD 500 (2005).

Australian Institute of Nuclear Sciences and Engineering (AINSE) - C14 dating of Neolithic Colonization and Nephrite Trade in the Batanes Islands, Northern Philippines (2005).

Australian Institute of Nuclear Sciences and Engineering (AINSE) - C14 Dating of a 2000 Year Old Jade Workshop in the Northern Philippines (2007).

Australian National University, Centre for Archaeological Research - funding for the ANU and some of the Waikato C14 dates.

Australian National University, Faculties Research Grants Scheme - Origins and Dispersals of Early Agricultural Populations in Island SE Asia (2001).

The Australian National University - for infrastructure support in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Department of Archaeology and Natural History.

The team wishes to thank the following people in the Philippines who provided permissions and assistance for the fieldwork:

In Manila: Corazon S. Alvina, former Director of the National Museum; Willie Ronquillo, former Chief of the Archaeology Division, National Museum.

In Batanes: Florencio B. Abad, former Congressman for Batanes; Vicente S. Gato, former Governor of Batanes; George Reyes, Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Rodobaldo Ponce, Julius S. Velayo, Magdalena Siazon, Ed Delfin and Tomas Ibardo, National Commission for Indigenous Peoples; William A. Agsunod, former Mayor of Mahatao; Leonor Hornedo-Belgado, Rural Health Unit, Mahatao; Ireneo Canela, Barangay Savidug, Sabtang; Romeo L. Gonzalez, former Mayor of Itbayat; Magdelena C. Ruiz, Barangay Santa Lucia, Itbayat; Gershom P. Gato, Barangay Santa Rosa, Itbayat; Faustina Cano, Mayan, Itbayat.

The following graduate student theses have been completed within the bounds of this project:

Shawna Hsiu-Ying Yang, School of Archaeology and Anthropology, ANU: Fishing Sinkers in the Batanes Islands (Philippines) and Taiwan, and Further Relationships with East Asia. MA 2006.

Armand Mijares, Department of Archaeology and Natural History, ANU: Unravelling Prehistory: The Archaeology of North-eastern Luzon. PhD 2006.

Alexandra De Leon, Archaeological Studies Program, University of the Philippines: Pottery and Cultural Interaction from 3000 to 600 BP, Batanes, Northern Philippines. MSc 2008.

Hsiao-chun Hung, Department of Archaeology and Natural History, ANU: Migration and Cultural Interaction in Southern Coastal China, Taiwan and the Northern Philippines, 3000 BC to AD 1: the Early History of the Austronesian-speaking Populations. PhD 2008.

Mary Clare Swete Kelly, Department of Archaeology and Natural History, ANU: Prehistoric Social Interaction and the Evidence of Pottery in the Northern Philippines. PhD 2008.

Fredeliza Campos, Archaeological Studies Program, University of the Philippines: The Ichthyoarchaeology of Batanes Islands, Northern Philippines. MSc. 2009.

Finally, thanks to Jenny Sheehan and Kay Dancey of CartoGIS (formerly Education and Multimedia Services) in ANU College of Asia and the Pacific for many of the maps. Most illustrations, especially those of artefacts, were prepared by the chapter authors using Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop software, except where otherwise stated. All tables were assembled by the chapter author(s) from primary data. For Terra Australis editorial and submission advice we thank Sue O’Connor, Sally Brockwell and Katie Hayne.