Limestone tombs of Kamhantik
| Pundod ng Kamhantik | |
| Location | Mulanay, Quezon province |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 13°31′13″N 122°25′13″E / 13.52028°N 122.42028°ECoordinates: 13°31′13″N 122°25′13″E / 13.52028°N 122.42028°E |
| Type | Tomb complex / Burial site |
| Part of | Philippines |
| Area | 280 hectares |
| History | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Founded | c. 9th century |
| Abandoned | c. 15th century |
| Cultures | Ancient Filipino |
| Associated with | Maharlikas and common peoples |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 2011–2012 |
| Management |
Buenavista Protected Landscape of Mulanay, Quezon, National Museum of the Philippines |
The Limestone Tombs of Kamhantik is an excavated remains of a thousand-year-old village found in the jungles of Mount Maclayao in Sitio Kamhantik within the Buenavista Protected Landscape of Mulanay, Quezon, Philippines.
It is composed of fifteen limestone coffins that can be dated back from the period of 10th to 14th century based on one of National Museum's top archaeologist "a complex archaeological site with both habitation and burial remains from the period of approximately 10th to the 14th century ... the first of its kind in the Philippines having carved limestone tombs." However, after carbon-dating the human bones found on the site, it was known that the age of the site is much older, between 890-1030 AD.
The archaeological site is part of 280 hectares (692 acres) of forest land that was declared a government-protected area in 1998 to keep away treasure hunters and slash-and-burn farmers. Treasure hunters looking for gold exposed some of the limestone tombs years ago, but it was only in 2011 that Manila-based archaeologists started to unearth the graves and artifacts and realize the significance of the find.
The site is the focal property of the Buenavista Protected Landscape, which is being nominated by locals in the tentative list of the Philippines for designation in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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