A Report on the Archaeological Survey Along the Coastal Area of Misamis Oriental, Philippines

Abstract

This article is the result of the initial archaeological reconnaissance conducted along the coast of Misamis Oriental in the island of Mindanao, Philippines. The team was able to identify possible archaeological sites based on the presence of artefacts and stone ruins. Based on the conventional and prevailing way of archaeological identification in the Philippines, these identified sites are classified as open sites, cave sites, and historical sites. Foreign ceramics were used to establish the relative dates of the archaeological sites in the different municipalities in Misamis Oriental. Forty-one archaeological sites were identified along the coast of Misamis Oriental: 25 open sites, 12 historical sites, and 4 cave sites. This initial archaeological investigation will help generate information on the history of the area and may serve as significant reference for future archaeological research in Mindanao.

Editor’s note: Earlier versions of the different sections of this paper came out in various publications (Neri and Ragragio 2008; Neri et al. 2008, 2009, 2010a, 2010b). The current format consolidates all the archaeological explorations conducted in Northern Misamis Oriental by the author.