Pulido, Mercy R.

Arkiyoloji 1

2014 89556

Arkiyoloji Summary II

The first proto- bifacial handaxe discovered in the Philippines was found in an open

site called Arubo located in Central Luzon. The bifacial and unifacial features are

similar to artifacts found in Lower Palaeolithic sites located in South China. The Arubo

showed some unique characteristics compared to other artifacts excavated from other

Lower Paleolithic sites in the Philippines. When other Palaeolithic stone tools showed

“choppers and chopping tools and unretouched flakes” form, the handaxe structures

indicates several contacts with hard and soft materials, even bamboo. It is therefore a

tool with different function and has multiple uses. Also, wear traces were found. The

significance of these and the mark damages found on the artefacts tells that in the

past the site was used as a camp.

There is no available direct dating for the artefacts found in Arubo. However, a

different approach was used. In which they found similarities of the assemblages of

these artifacts in other regions. Bose Basin dated back in 08ma BP in South China,

Lampang in Thailand, Roc Tung in Central Vietnam, Sangiran in Indonesia, and Soa

Basin sites on Flores Island. The morphological and technological characteristics of the

handaxe are silimilar to the mentioned artefacts excavated in Lower Palaeolithic sites