Jars of the Dead

Join me in this walk to see ancient burial jars and resting place which were found from various locations across our country. These were on display on the National Museum of Anthropology in Manila. Join me as I share with you the..............

Jars of the Dead

This museum houses a lot of historical and archaeological finds across the country. From shipwrecks to artworks but what caught my attention was this section which exhibits burial jars and coffins.

On display is a miniature depiction of the discovery of the jars in a cave from the Mountains of Saranggani. The lids of the jars were detailed sculptured human figures. Each face sculpture was unique and probably represents the previous life of each remain inside the jar.

Thru carbon dating the jars dates back from 5 BC to around AD 370 as per experts. These jars are a rare find especially in our country. This is evidence that culture was developing during this period.

Here are some of the lids which were recovered from the excavation site. As you would notice there are lines with holes on top of the sculptures. No one could explain what the holes were for. Maybe the lines represents status, tribe or holes so they could escape to the afterlife. I am no expert but researchers would probably have the answer to that.

Also on display are large lime stone jars found from a different location. The design is very different than the ones found from the mountains. An indication that there are a lot of tribes with different cultures thriving in the country.

There were also wooden coffins with skeleton remains inside as indicated . I am just not sure if it is still there as the coffin is closed. It is designed with carvings of a snake head and crocodile. Does not indicate though from which period it was from.

This is called the Mananggul Jar found in Palawan and was told to date back from 710-890 BC.

The intricate design on the lid depicts two people sailing to the afterlife. You would also notice that the boat has a face which could also represent a lot of things in their culture.

On display is the map of the Philippines where the artifacts were found. Underwater archaeology , historic locations and museums can be shown by pressing the button. It lits up areas on the map where it is located in the country.

Historical discoveries are very important as it could change or explain the missing link in history. These are considered as treasure that showcases our culture and life from the past.

Thank you for joining me in this walk and I hope you enjoyed my share for today. Cheers Steemians!

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Also thanks to @bayanihan where the impossible becomes possible thru unity.

Taken with Lumix GX85 and 12-32 mm