Palaeometallic Period Anthropomorphic Burial Jars and Pottery in Island Southeast Asia as Evidence of Shared Social Burial Traditions (CHL Mid Term Review)

Time: 2pm to 3:30pm AEDT
Date: Friday, 21 February 2025
Speaker: Anna Pineda, PhD Candidate
Venue: Room 3.253 HC Coombs Room and Online via Zoom
Meeting ID: 828 2169 2671
Meeting Passcode: 991601

The use of earthenware jars as burial receptacles has been a prominent mortuary practice in Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) since the Neolithic period, and became more widespread during the Palaeometallic period. Previous studies (e.g., Bulbeck 2017) examined jar burial traditions in ISEA primarily through comparative analyses of associated archaeological materials, pottery styles, and interment methods.

Anthropomorphic and zoomorphic motifs on burial jars are commonly found on burial jars from Southern Mindanao, Philippines (Dizon and Santiago 1996), yet similar stylistic elements also appear in other vessel forms used for mortuary purposes across the Philippines and the rest of the ISEA region (see Fox 1970; De Leon 2021; Galipaud et al. 2016; Ono et al. 2018).

This research investigates if the occurrence of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic designs on burial jars signifies a shared funerary tradition across ISEA. It explores the possibility that these stylistic choices reflect intentional cultural expressions linked to mortuary practices (jar burial) scattered among communities in the Western Philippines. It investigates if the manufacturing techniques found throughout this region are potentially connected to jar burial sites exhibiting comparable motifs in East Nusa Tenggara. Employing the analytical framework of chaînes opératoires, this study examines the technological transmission and shared knowledge underlying the production of burial jars and associated ceramic assemblages. It aims to contribute to the discourse on cultural transmission and localised mortuary practices in ISEA by contextualising burial jar production within a technological and symbolic framework.

This study conducts comparative analysis of four archaeological sites across ISEA: Ayub Cave in Maitum, Sarangani (Philippines); the Magsuhot Sites in Negros Island (Philippines); Kolana Site in Alor Island (Indonesia); and the Manunggul Cave in Quezon, Palawan (Philippines). It assesses both technological and stylistic similarities. Preliminary findings from fieldwork in the Philippines and Indonesia indicate variations in manufacturing techniques across sites, yet deliberate resemblances in decorative motifs suggest a broader regional tradition. The results aim to contribute to the discourse on culturally learned actions and regional mortuary practices in ISEA by contextualising burial jar production within a technological and symbolic framework.