Two shipwrecks excavated in Marinduque Island will soon be exhibited at the National Museum of the Philippines’ (NMP) Marinduque Area Museum in Boac.
Marinduque Island lies at the heart
of the Philippines and played a vital role in shaping the country’s seafaring
history. Its strategic location south of Luzon was part of the maritime highway
by many kinds of watercraft for centuries. Manila galleons and other merchant
vessels engaged in the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade departed from Manila – the
main commercial hub – and stopped for provisions, as well as trade and exchange
at Marinduque before traversing the San Bernardino Straits and proceeded across
the Pacific Ocean to Acapulco.
In 1980, fishermen accidentally
discovered a shipwreck while diving for aquarium fishes near Gaspar Island,
Barangay Pingan, Gasan Municipality. The site was unfortunately looted before
it was reported to the NMP. The shipwreck was intermittently excavated from
1981 to 1983 and then again in 1989. The underwater archaeologists collected a
total of 1,260 artefacts comprising of ceramics (porcelain, stoneware and
earthenware), iron objects and wood remains. Analysis of the shape and style of
the Chinese blue and while porcelains revealed “Swatow” type ceramics produced
at the Zhangzhou region of Southeast China during the sixteenth century CE. The
stoneware were mostly undecorated and “dragon” jars and jar covers while the
earthenware were composed of cooking pots and a stove. The iron objects
comprised of possible cooking pans. The shipwreck yielded very minimal wooden
remains that prevented the researchers in formulating theories about its
shipbuilding construction.
The Laylay, Marinduque Maritime
Archaeology Project started in 2013 with a reported salvaged cannon at Barangay
Lay-lay, Boac Municipality. Subsequent land and underwater investigations
carried out by the NMP representatives revealed a wooden shipwreck found less
than 100 meters from the nearest shoreline and lying at approximately four
meters. Seasonal excavations from 2014 until 2016 resulted in the unearthing of
wooden ship remains consisting of a keel approximately 28 meters long as well
as planks and other timbers. Some parts of the keel were covered with copper
sheathing which is a good benchmark for its age. Sheathing wood was done to
protect the ship’s hull from marine organisms that attack the submerged part of
the ship. Another cannon was also discovered at the stern part.
In 2016, wooden samples taken from the site and were identified as Terminalia citrina (local name binggas) coming from a species of trees found in the Philippines. The shallowness of the site combined with a very active marine environment may account for the scarcity of artifacts related to the shipwreck. Initial finds suggest that the wreck may have been a Spanish patrol boat dated to the late 18th century CE as indicated by the type of cannon retrieved from the site.
Archaeological study is very important
in supporting accurate interpretation of past events, which helps in
reconstructing our history. When a site is disturbed or pilfered, we lose
information forever without the significant context to assist us in piecing
together our story. This is much more valuable than the selfish individual’s
monetary gain or enriching their personal collections. Our heritage and
recounting its narrative through material culture benefits future generations
and our aspirations as a nation. If you see or have knowledge of sites being
filched and robbed, report to your local government authorities immediately or
contact the closest NMP office near you.
Text by Bobby Orillaneda, poster by
Nero Austero, photos by NMP MUCHD
©National Museum of the Philippines (2020)
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