New Ateneo de Manila University study suggests early Filipinos mastered seafaring before other civilizations

A new study by the Ateneo de Manila University claims that newly uncovered archeological evidence has shown signs that early Filipinos had already mastered boatbuilding and other seafaring skills over thousands of years before Magellan, Zhen He, and Polynesians were able to.

ADMU researchers Riczar Fuentes and Alfred Pawlik points out the Philippines and Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) possess evidence of early human habitation despite never being connected to Mainland Asia, which posed the question as to how their inhabitants were were able to cross oceans.

Microscopic analysis of stone tools excavated in archaeological sites in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste have shown clear traces of plant processing, specifically that used in the extraction of fiber that was often used for boatbuilding and open-sea fishing, the researchers said.

The university said the study is scheduled to be published in the April 2025 issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

According to Fuentes and Pawlik, sites in Mindoro and Timor-Leste also showed remains of deep ocean fish such as tuna, sharks as well as fishing tools used to catch these types of animals.

As such, the evidence challenges the idea that technological progress in the Paleolithic Age only emerged in Europe and Africa, as the evidence implied that ancient civilizations in Southeast Asia were able to build sophisticated boats and ropes out of organic materials for sailing and open-sea fishing.

“The remains of large predatory pelagic fish in these sites indicate the capacity for advanced seafaring and knowledge of the seasonality and migration routes of those fish species… [The discovery of fishing implements] indicate[d] the need for strong and well-crafted cordage for ropes and fishing lines to catch the marine fauna,” the researchers said in their paper.

“Prehistoric migrations across ISEA were not undertaken by mere passive sea drifters on flimsy bamboo rafts but by highly skilled navigators equipped with the knowledge and technology to travel vast distances and to remote islands over deep waters,” the statement read.

The First Long-Distance Open-Sea Watercrafts (FLOW) Project, A project launched by the researchers and a team of naval architects from the University of Cebu intends to test raw materials possibly used in the past and remake scaled-down seacraft models. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/RF, GMA Integrated News