Maitum Anthropomorphic Potteries

In 1991, the National Museum archaeological team discovered anthropomorphic secondary burial jars in Ayub Cave, Barangay Pinol, Maitum, Sarangani Province, Mindanao, Philippines. The jars are commonly known today as Maitum jars. They are made of earthenware, and are characterized by their design that suggests human figures with complete or partial facial features of the first inhabitants in Mindanao. Furthermore, they give emphasis to the Filipinos’ popular belief of life after death.

According to Dr. Eusebio Dizon, head of the archaeological team, this type of burial jars are “remarkably unique and intriguing” because they have not been found elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Thus, many archaeologists from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Burma and Indonesia gained interest on this initial find and a number of archaeological - either government or privately sponsored - excavations have been conducted to recover these artifacts.

These jars have characteristics that belong to the Developed Metal Age Period in the Philippines [calibrated date of 190 BC to 500 AD]. According to the laboratory results determined through radiocarbon dating, these secondary burial jars date back to the Metal Age. Two conventional dates were 1830 +/-60 B.P. [calibrated date of AD 70 to 370] and 1920 +/- 50 B.P. [calibrated date of 5 BC to 225 AD]. Experts used soot samples taken from the walls of a small earthenware vessel found inside one of the larger burial jars.

The information about “potteries bearing human forms encountered while treasure hunting for Pacific War treasures” was shared through a phone call, on June 3, 1991, between a consulting geologist named Michael Spadafora and an archaeologist named Dr. Eusebio Dizon. Three days after, the archaeologist received photographs of exceptional artifacts collected by local residents. The artifacts have high probability of significance not only to the history of Maguindanao, but also to the entire Philippine prehistory. That’s why when they found a fund sponsor for Dr. Dizon’s trip to Mindanao, he still went despite the unpredictable climate and safety risks.

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