formative phase report

PHILIPPINE HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT

PHASES OF PRE-HISTORIC

PERIOD

Cultural Developments ca. 50,000-500 B.C.

FORMATIVE PHASE

>2 major industries were involved:

a. Stone-Tool Makingb. Ceramic Manufacturing

<ancestors were also involved in other economic activities like:

a. Foragingb. Huntingc. Horticulture

I. STONE-TOOL INDUSTRYA. Early Stone-Tools (ca. 10,000-

8,000 B.C.)>pebble/cobble tools>flake tools

B. Polished Stone-Tools (ca. 8,000-500 B.C.)

>early polished tools>late polished tools

PRIMITIVE CULTURE

>They use stone in hunting animals like pygmy

elephant (gadya) and rhinoceros.

A. Early Stone-Tools>Cagayan Valley, Northern Philippines (200,000 years ago) but no human fossils.

>pebble/cobble tools – These are made from rolled river stones, they are crudely shaped into pointed instruments, and used to obtain the marrow of large bones or breaking up the skull of an elephant for its brain.

>flake tools - They are smaller stones with sharp edges, used to skin bagged animals or to scrape wooden objects to form digging sticks or spears.

B. Polished Stone-Tools>early polished tools - Tools during the

early phase of this development included roughly flaked tools, with ground blades or cutting edges. At this time, only the cutting edges were polished. Our ancestors found this innovation efficient and effective in harnessing the environment for survival.

>late polished tools – The next to appear were the oval-shaped, cross-section tools with bodies and blades that were ground and polished.

II. CERAMICS INDUSTRY (ca. 1,500 B.C.)

A. Method of ManufacturingB. Pottery TypesC. Jar Coffins

A. Method of Manufacturing>The process of pottery making

involved kneading, molding, drying, and firing.

>Fine sand was plastered around the pots before drying as additional material.

>The whole process was initially done by hand.

>Later paddles made of wood were used to achieve the desired shape.

B. Pottery Types >Some pots are plain, others were

decorated, others were varnished probably with almaciga.

>Simple flat-bottom bowls were common. >Different forms were known, these included numerous chalice and goblet-like wares.

C. Jar Coffins>Early ceramics,

particularly jars, were associated with burial practices before they were used for other purposes.

>Archeological materials recovered in many parts of the country reveal two types of burials practices; primary and secondary.

Manunggul Jar “Life after Death”

>that soul was immortal

III. OTHER ECONOMIC

ACTIVITIES A. Foraging and GatheringB. Hunting and Fishing

>use of fireC. Horticulture

A. Foraging and Gathering

>They roamed around the nearby forests, streams, rivers, and seashores looking for food.

>It was a simple type of existence.

>They were part of their surrounding world, the original nature lovers.

B. Hunting and Fishing> Our ancestors were also great hunters. >The most common technique was stalking and ambush.>They were also fishermen. Their technique was simple, they caught fish either by hand or by spearing with pointed sticks.

Use of Fire>A piece of charcoal was found 30,000

years ago in the archipelago.>How fire was discovered is not

known. But many archeological sites, dated as early as 5,000 BC, have yielded empty edible shells mixed with charcoal,

indicating the use of fire in preparing food.In fact, it is apparently due to the use of fire that other complexities in group life

were formed.

C. Horticulture>Archeologists argue that agriculture

developed about the later part of the Formative Phase.It was during this time that other plants (like tubers) and animals (like pigs and chickens) were domesticated for carbohydrates and protein respectively.

>Agriculture was horticultural. Small patches of soil close to the campsites were planted with edible crops – thereby assuring early men of food, lessening their long tiring travels

>As this took place, the people became semi-sedentary. They moves about hunting and gathering only during certain seasons of the year.