Paper short abstract:

The excavation in Barangay Magsuhot, Bacong, Negros Oriental in the Philippines distinctly shows materials suggestive of ritual and burial rites. Understanding relationships of burial jars and site implied a strong social organization and social ideology.

Paper long abstract:

This summarizes the report on the re-excavation of a jar burial site in Barangay Magsuhot in the Municipality of Bacong, Negros Oriental in Central Philippines. Barangay Magsuhot has been previously excavated by the Silliman University in 1972 (Chiong 1972) and the University of San Carlos, Cebu City in 1975 (Tenazas 1975) that discovered unique material evidences of mortuary and ritual practices in the area. The present excavation in Magsuhot had continuously brought considerable amount of diverse typology of earthenware vessels and burial jars recovered from a clear archaeological context dated to the period of ca. 500 B.C. - AD 800. The classification or the typology of the Magsuhot pottery assemblage was used to formulate inferences on social organization and status differentiation in treating the dead. This report revealed that the dichotomy of pottery form, design and representational motif is distinct only to the Magsuhot pottery assemblage that had been intended for mortuary rites or as grave furniture. The stylistic presentation or production of these potteries has shown correlation on the daily activities of the ancient inhabitants in the area. Information on the relationship between the pottery variability and social organization could be attained through intensive analysis of these material evidences. However, information on gender related issues of this Metal Age society does not appear to be strong and need further investigation.