Manunggul Jar
Encyclopedia
The Manunggul Jar is a secondary burial jar excavated from a Neolithic
burial site in Manunggul cave of Lipuun (present day Quezon, Palawan
) dating from 890-710 B.C. The two prominent figures at the top handle of its cover represent the journey of the soul to the after life
.
The Manunggul Jar is widely acknowledged to be one of the finest Philippine
pre-colonial artwork
ever produced and is a considered as a masterpiece. It is considered as a national treasure
and it is designated as item 64-MO-74 by the National Museum of the Philippines
. It is now housed at the Museum of the Filipino People and is one of the most popular exhibits there.
and Miguel Santiago in 1962. It was found alongside the discovery of the remains of Tabon Man
. The faces of the figures and on the prow of the boat have eyes and mouth rendered in the same style as other artifacts of Southeast Asia
of that period. Note the depiction of sea-waves on the lid. This style of decoration places this jar in the Sa-huýnh-Kalanay pottery tradition of Southern Vietnam
. The steersman's oar is missing its paddle, as is the mast in the center of the boat, against which the steersman would have braced his feet. This symbolizes that they are traveling to the next life. In secondary burial, only bones were placed in the jar, and the jar itself is not buried.
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
burial site in Manunggul cave of Lipuun (present day Quezon, Palawan
Quezon, Palawan
Quezon, Palawan is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 41,669 people in 8,453 households...
) dating from 890-710 B.C. The two prominent figures at the top handle of its cover represent the journey of the soul to the after life
After Life
After Life, known in Japan as , is a 1998 film by Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda starring Arata, Oda Erika and Terajima Susumu.-Plot summary:...
.
The Manunggul Jar is widely acknowledged to be one of the finest Philippine
Arts of the Philippines
Arts of the Philippines is diverse. Weaving is popular in the northern part of the Philippines. Pottery is also common in pre-Hispanic societies. Ornate carvings are found in the southern Philippine islands...
pre-colonial artwork
Prehistory of the Philippines
Philippine prehistory covers the events prior to the written history of what would become the Philippine archipelago. The current demarcation line between this period and the early history of the Philippines is 900 AD, which is the date of the first surviving written record to come from the...
ever produced and is a considered as a masterpiece. It is considered as a national treasure
National treasure
The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of Romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology which supports the nation as the fundamental unit of human social life, which includes shared...
and it is designated as item 64-MO-74 by the National Museum of the Philippines
National Museum of the Philippines
The Museum of the Filipino People is a department of the National Museum of the Philippines that houses the Anthropology and Archaeology Divisions of the National Museum. It is located in the Agrifina Circle, Rizal Park, Manila adjacent to the main National Museum building...
. It is now housed at the Museum of the Filipino People and is one of the most popular exhibits there.
Discovery of the jar
It was found by Dr. Robert B. FoxRobert Bradford Fox
Dr.Robert Bradford Fox was an anthropologist and leading historian on the prehispanic Philippines.In 1958, Fox led a National Museum team in conducting extensive excavations on two sites at Calatagan, Batangas in what may be considered the first systematic excavation involving the National Museum...
and Miguel Santiago in 1962. It was found alongside the discovery of the remains of Tabon Man
Tabon Man
Tabon Man refers to fossilized anatomically modern human remains discovered on the island of Palawan in the Philippines on May 28, 1962 by Dr. Robert B. Fox, an American anthropologist of the National Museum of the Philippines...
. The faces of the figures and on the prow of the boat have eyes and mouth rendered in the same style as other artifacts of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
of that period. Note the depiction of sea-waves on the lid. This style of decoration places this jar in the Sa-huýnh-Kalanay pottery tradition of Southern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. The steersman's oar is missing its paddle, as is the mast in the center of the boat, against which the steersman would have braced his feet. This symbolizes that they are traveling to the next life. In secondary burial, only bones were placed in the jar, and the jar itself is not buried.