Prehispanic Philippines
| Horizon | Philippine History |
|---|---|
| Geographical range | Southeast Asia |
| Period | c.900-1560's |
| Dates | c. Before 900 AD |
| Major sites | Tundun, Seludong, Pangasinan, Limestone tombs, Idjang citadels, Panay, Rajahnate of Cebu, Rajahnate of Butuan, Kota Wato, Kota Sug, Ma-i, Dapitan, Gold artifacts, Singhapala, Ifugao plutocracy |
| Characteristics | Indianized kingdoms, Animist states, Sinified Nations, Islamized states |
| Preceded by | Prehistory of the Philippines |
| Followed by | Colonial era |
This article covers the History of the Philippines from the creation of the Laguna Copperplate Inscription in 900 to the arrival of European conquistador Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, which marks the beginning of the Spanish colonial period.
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI) is the first written document found in an ancient Philippine language. The inscription itself identifies the date of its creation as the year 900. Prior to its discovery in 1989, the earliest record of the Philippine Islands corresponded with the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. The discovery of the LCI thus extended the record of Philippine history back by 600 years. After 900, the early history of territories and nation-states prior to being present-day Philippines is known through archeological findings and records of contacts with other civilizations such as Song Dynasty and the Bruneian Empire.
Iron age finds in Philippines point to the existence of trade between Tamil Nadu and the Philippine Islands during the ninth and tenth centuries B.C. The Philippines is believed by some historians to be the island of Chryse, the "Golden One," which is the name given by ancient Greek writers in reference to an island rich in gold east of India. Pomponius Mela, Marinos of Tyre and the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mentioned this island in 100 BC, and it is basically the equivalent to the Indian Suvarnadvipa, the "Island of Gold." Josephus calls it in Latin Aurea, and equates the island with biblical Ophir, from where the ships of Tyre and Solomon brought back gold and other trade items. The Visayan Islands, particularly Cebu had earlier encounter with the Greek traders in 21 AD.
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