The first time I laid eyes on Surigao's pre-historic gold treasure is, sadly, just on TV. Since then it never left my thoughts. I'd made plans of going to the two museums that house have the treasure now.
According to the Probe documentary film, the treasures were discovered in an excavation site in Surigao. There were belts of pure gold, gold masks, gold daggers, gold ornaments, bowls, bracelets, rings, pectorals, earrings, and a pure gold rope that turned out to be a sacred thread or "sablay" and weighs 400 kilos, so intricately designed that one could just stare at it in wonder. The man who allegedly found these valuable pieces of treasure sold some of them and left most of the treasure to a priest in their parish. Eventually, these gold pieces found their way to the Ayala Museum and the Central Bank of the Philippines.
After Probe's documentary, I made it a point to search more about the gold of our ancestors. What I found is something of great importance to me since I never learned this in school. We were taught that the Spaniards came here for the spices. Maybe it is partly true but there is more to spices. I actually found a blog that proposes that the Philippines is actually a gold-rich land. In some of accounts made by the colonizers, they described our ancestors as adorned with gold from head to toe. "Gold as big as eggs" could be found just "lying around." The king had gold in his teeth and ate in golden plates. Even his abode has pure gold as part of the structure. Wow!
I will attach some pictures here. All of them are from the internet. I hope they will arouse the same interest as they did to me. I'm proud of our heritage. I just thought it great to share this information today, our Independence Day.
To those who have the patience, read on... It's worth it.
Sacred and secular iconography converge in an anthropomorphic plaque depicting a lady or binibini. The plaque portrays an elite female person with hands upraised in orant position. She wears an elaborate headdress depicting the tree of life; multiple necklaces with lozenge patterns and tutubi beads adorn her neck; quatrefoil blossoms and double scrolls form an elaborate halo around her. Her ears are distended, indicating her high rank. It is unclear whether this image represent deceased elite females or deities, or both.
The mount of the Vishnu in Hindu mythology, the composite bird-like creature known as the garuda occurs in a number of gold ornaments found in the Philippines. These ornate adornments of hammered gold with protruding beaks and dangling trimmings recall related Indonesian examples. The use of the garuda imagery attests to regional affinities in pre-colonial Philippines. The large sizes of the paired ornaments suggest their use as ear or arm ornaments.
This exquisite golden vessel is rendered in the shape of the winged kinnari—half woman and half bird.
In Hindu mythology, the kinnari personifies the feminine ideal of beauty, grace, and accomplishments. She is renowned for her enchanting voice, graceful dance, and gifted poetry.
The kinnari’s haunting allure is captured in the sensitive rendering of this image. Her delicate features suggest ethereal beauty, a bejeweled chignon at the nape of her neck enhances her elegance. The textured patterns of chased and engraved feathers on her wings and tail provide a pleasing counterpoint to the softly glowing smoothness of her skin.
By the way, here is the literature from the blog related to the gold in the Philippines: (I didn't edit it. Just copied and pasted. hehehe! Talk about plagiarism. But don't worry, I'll let the blogger know. Tomorrow. )
Chryse (Glossary)
Chryse, the "Golden One," is the name given by ancient Greek writers to an island rich in gold to the east of India.
Pomponius Mela, Marinos of Tyre and the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mention Chryse in the first century CE. It is basically the equivalent of the Indian Suvarnadvipa the "Island of Gold." Josephus calls it in Latin Aurea, and equates the island with biblical Ophir, from where the ships of Tyre and Solomon brought back gold and other trade items.
Chryse is often coupled with another island Argyre the "Island of Silver" and placed beyond the Ganges. Ptolemy locates both islands east of the Khruses Kersonenson the "Golden Peninsula" i.e. the Malaya Penisula. North of Chryse in the Periplus was Thin, which some consider the first European reference to China.
In addition to gold, Chryse was also famed for having the finest tortoise shell in the world according to the Periplus. Large ships brought trade goods back and forth between Chryse and the markets at the mouth of the Ganges.
Chin-lin
In ancient Chinese literature, a mysterious region beyond their southern border in Annam was known as Chin-lin "Golden Neighbor" and the Southeast Asian border was also called the "Golden Frontier."
When China invaded Annam (northern Vietnam) in the first century BCE, the kingdom of Champa fortified villages along the old caravan trail. This path became Route Colonial 9 during the French colonial period, and it was used by the Americans to build the McNamara Line of fortified bases during the Vietnam War.
With this fortified line, the rugged Central Highlands and a policy of constant piracy, the Champa kingdom held the Chinese at bay for a thousand years. After the fall of the Chin dynasty in the 5th century, Cham raids on Tongking became so frequent that the governor appealed to the emperor for assistance. A war of attrition between China and Champa began that lasted until the rise of the T'ang dynasty.
During this time though, China was well aware of the golden lands far to the south. The Buddhist pilgrim I-Tsing mentions Chin-Chou "Isle of Gold" in the archipelago south of China on his way back from India.
Zabag and Wakwak
In this blog, I have suggested that the kingdoms of Zabag and Wakwak, famed among the medieval Muslims as rich in gold, referred to the eastern islands of the Malay archipelago i.e. the Philippines and Eastern Indonesia.
Zabag was based in what would later become the kingdom of Lusung.
In this sense, the Philippines fits the bill as a gold-rich realm.
The country has consistently ranked second in the world behind only South Africa in gold deposits per land area. The Philippines has historically been the largest producer of gold in Asia despite its relatively small size and the fact that until 1980 most gold was obtained only through small alluvial deposits.
Although some ancient gold artifacts have been found in this region, they don't match the age suggested by linguistic reconstruction. Gold may have been mostly handed down from generation to generation rather than being used as a burial good item.
In about the second century CE, there arose a practice of using gold eye covers, and then, gold facial orifice covers to adorn the dead resulting in an increase of ancient gold finds. More than a millennium later, the popularity of dental gold to decorate the teeth significantly increased the amount of gold found at archaeological sites.
When the Spanish came they discovered an abundance of gold used among the people of the Philippine islands. Here are some relevant quotes:
Pieces of gold, the size of walnuts and eggs are found by sifting the earth in the island of that king who came to our ships. All the dishes of that king are of gold and also some portion of his house as we were told by that king himself...He had a covering of silk on his head, and wore two large golden earrings fastened in his ears...At his side hung a dagger, the haft of which was somewhat long and all of gold, and its scabbard of carved wood. He had three spots of gold on every tooth, and his teeth appeared as if bound with gold.
--- Pigafetta on Raja Siaui of Butuan during Magellan's voyage
For brass, iron and other weighty articles, they gave us gold in exchange...For 14 pounds of iron we received 10 pieces of gold, of the value of a ducat and a half. The Captain General forbade too great an anxiety for receiving gold, without which order every sailor would have parted with all he had to obtain this metal, which would have ruined our commerce forever.
--- Pigafetta on gold trade in Cebu
Sailing in this manner, for some time, in 16° of north latitude, they were obliged by continual contrary winds, to bear up again for the Philippine islands, and in their way back, had sight of six or seven additional islands, but did not anchor at any of them. They found also an archipelago, or numerous cluster of islands, in 15 or 16 degrees of north latitude, well inhabited by a white people, with beautiful well-proportioned women, and much better clothed than in any other of the islands of these parts; and they had many golden ornaments, which was a sure sign that there was some of that metal in their country.
--- Antonio Galvão in 1555 describing the journey of Bartholomew de la Torre in 1548
"...the ore is so rich that I will not write any more about it, as I might possibly come under a suspicion of exaggerating; but I swear by Christ that there is more gold on this island than there is iron in all Biscay."
--- Hernando Riquel et al., 1574
In this island, there are many gold mines, some of which have been inspected by the Spaniards, who say that the natives work them as is done in Nueva Espana with the mines of silver; and, as in these mines, the vein of ore here is continouus. Assays have been made, yielding so great wealth that I shall not endeavor to describe them, lest I be suspected of lying. Time will prove the truth.
--- Hernando Riquel et al. on island of Luzon, 1574
There are some chiefs in this island who have on their persons ten or twelve thousand ducats' worth of gold in jewels--to say nothing of the lands, slaves, and mines that they own. There are so many of these chiefs that they are innumerable. Likewise the individual subjects of these chiefs have a great quantity of the said jewels of gold, which they wear on their persons--bracelets, chains, and earrings of solid gold, daggers of gold, and other very rich trinkets. These are generally seen among them, and not only the chiefs and freemen have plenty of these jewels, but even slaves possess and wear golden trinkets upon their persons, openly and freely.
--- Guido de Lavezaris at al., 1574
About their necks they wear gold necklaces, wrought like spun wax, and with links in our fashion, some larger than others. On their arms they wear armlets of wrought gold, which they call calombigas, and which are very large and made in different patterns. Some wear strings of precious stones--cornelians and agates; and other blue and white stones, which they esteem highly. They wear around the legs some strings of these stones, and certain cords, covered with black pitch in many foldings, as garters.
-- Antonio de Morga, 1609
"... the natives proceed more slowly in this ,and content themselves with what they already possess in jewels and gold ingots handed down from antiquity and inherited from their ancestors. This is considerable, for he must be poor and wrethced who has no gold chains, calombigas, and earrings."
-- Antonio de Morga, 1609
The Portugese explorer Pedro Fidalgo in 1545 found gold so abundant on Luzon the inhabitants were willing to trade two pezoes of gold for one pezo of silver.
When the Portuguese first arrived, most of the gold traded into Brunei came from Luzon. That island was known as Lusung Dao or "Golden Luzon" to the Chinese who also traded for gold in this region.
Regards,
Paul Kekai Manansala
Sacramento
References
Legeza, Laszlo. "Tantric Elements in pre-Hispanic Philippines Gold Art," Arts of Asia, July-Aug. 1988, pp.129-136. (Mentions gold jewelry of Philippine origin in first century CE Egypt)
Peralta, J.T. "Prehistoric gold ornaments from the Central Bank of the Philippines," Arts of Asia 1981, no.4, p.54.
Villegas, Ramon N. Ginto: History Wrought in Gold, Manila: Bangko Central ng Pilipinas, 2004.
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Last edited by cmo; 06/13/08 at 09:03 PM.
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Re: Surigao Pre-historic Gold: A National Treasure
This is such a great national treasure!
The Filipinos were rich in gold and culture, not to mention that majority of the people (both men and women) were around 90% literate in Alibata before the colonizers came and we should NEVER forget that!
for all this wonderful info, Trail!
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Re: Surigao Pre-historic Gold: A National Treasure
Quote:
Originally Posted by ctivnan
This is such a great national treasure!
The Filipinos were rich in gold and culture, not to mention that majority of the people (both men and women) were around 90% literate in Alibata before the colonizers came and we should NEVER forget that!
for all this wonderful info, Trail!
You're welcome, ctivnan! Yeah, you're right. Our people then were literate and they already had a social system in their community.
Hmmm... I just wonder how the Philippines would turn out had the Spaniards not interfered.
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Re: Surigao Pre-historic Gold: A National Treasure
The Philippines is indeed very rich in natural resources like gold, nickel and other minerals. It is also very rich in 'human resources' with talented Filipinos working in nearly all corners of the world. We are also blessed with beautiful tourists spots which if properly developed and promoted are far precious than all the gold in our country.
The sad thing is abject poverty still persists inspite of all these resources. Why? Because our country has always been economically mismanaged by our political leaders, past and present.
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Re: Surigao Pre-historic Gold: A National Treasure
Quote:
Originally Posted by neyx
Wow this one made me speechless. The picture of the rope is gone though :(
Yeah, it's really a magnificent collection. It's difficult to get pictures of these treasures. But the moment I feel strong enough to travel, I intend to go to Ayala Museum and the Central Bank to see them myself. I'll try to get permission to take pictures. I'd love to post the pictures here. I'm not sure, though, if they'll grant it.
(Off-topic: Hey, neyx! I'm glad you're back!)
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Re: Surigao Pre-historic Gold: A National Treasure
Quote:
Originally Posted by trailblazerstravelntours
Yeah, it's really a magnificent collection. It's difficult to get pictures of these treasures. But the moment I feel strong enough to travel, I intend to go to Ayala Museum and the Central Bank to see them myself. I'll try to get permission to take pictures. I'd love to post the pictures here. I'm not sure, though, if they'll grant it.
(Off-topic: Hey, neyx! I'm glad you're back!)
Where can you find a picture of the rope? I wanted to see it so badly :(
(Off-topic: I missed you trail!)
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Re: Surigao Pre-historic Gold: A National Treasure
Quote:
Originally Posted by neyx
Where can you find a picture of the rope? I wanted to see it so badly :(
(Off-topic: I missed you trail!)
The only one that saw was the link that I have posted. You should've seen that sacred rope or thread of "sablay" when Probe featured that documentary. Maybe you can check Probe out. They have a website on the documentaries they have featured already. When I checked the Surigao Anceint Gold documentary last week, it wasn't there yet. It is truly a magnificent piece of art. Imagine, more than four kilograms of intricately-designed threads of gold intended for sacred ceremonies only. I don't think I could carry such a load for long. It was a grand sight on TV. I bet it is more majestic to behold it with my own eyes.
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Surigao Pre-historic Gold: A National Treasure
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Re: Surigao Pre-historic Gold: A National Treasure
for all this wonderful info, Trail! 
Re: Surigao Pre-historic Gold: A National Treasure
You're welcome, ctivnan! Yeah, you're right. Our people then were literate and they already had a social system in their community. 
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