On this episode we talk to Dr. Stephen Acabado, an archaeologist and author of the book “Antiquity, Archaeological Processes, and Highland Adaptation: The Ifugao Rice Terraces” published by Ateneo University Press in 2015.
Growing up in the Philippines, I learned that our world-famous “hagdang-hagdang palayan” or ‘stairway of rice fields’ were thousands of years old, and a cultural treasure tended by what our school books called “the original Filipinos”, referring to the Ifugao and other highland groups who have lived in the Cordillera mountains for generations.
But what if I told you that’s wrong?
Archaeological findings show us that the terraces are actually much younger than we thought. They were constructed roughly 400-500 years ago - not over 2,000 years, as you’ll find in every textbook and tourism brochure.
As to our perception of highland peoples as the “original” inhabitants of the Philippine islands - well, that’s a fallacy, too - borne of theories that remained unchallenged for so long.
There’s a lot to discuss and unpack this episode, and I’m glad you’re here to listen.
Show notes
01:15 The kinds of truths that set you free
05:45 About Stephen
07:20 Products of the Philippine educational system
10:35 Change entails unlearning
11:20 On Beyer's "Waves of Migration" theory
14:15 A need to think critically
15:00 2,000 year dating is not based on any scientific data
18:15 (The perils of) clinging to romanticism
20:05 On the centrality of rice
23:45 Terracing is part of a larger system
26:10 Perspectives on "kaingin" in farming
28:40 Implications of the long history model
30:40 Epics of the Philippines: "Hudhud"
33:50 Taro was here
35:40 Rice came with the Spanish
38:45 Not much supports "Out of Taiwan" theory either
39:55 Archaeology tests hypotheses
41:35 Starting the Ifugao Archaeological Project
42:10 The Old Kiyyangan Village
44:10 Terraces are BUILT UP, not dug down
47:20 Cross-section of a terraced field
49:05 90 years by 5 people: Energetics study
50:25 On terracing irrigation systems
53:00 A typical day of excavating artifacts
58:05 How old is this residue?
01:02:20 "Identity is now"
01:04:50 On local reactions
01:06:05 How do we empower the Ifugao community?
01:07:45 Rice, not isolation, prevented Spanish conquest
01:10:55 An indigenous education centre at today’s Kiangan village
01:12:10 Takeaways
01:13:50 Future projects
Further learning:
Read more about Dr. Acabado’s work on his website, and follow him on Twitter for updates.
Add his articles “Demystifying the age of the Ifugao Rice Terraces to decolonize history” and “The Bahay Kubo and the making of the Filipino” to your reading list.
Spend some time on Ifugao Nation - it’s a beautiful site! Read about the Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement (SITMo) led by Marlon Martin and visit their learning resources. Our friends at Cambio & Co. carry some their products, such as masks, for worldwide shipping - which makes directly supporting the weavers of Kiangan village, and the Indigenous Peoples Education Center run by SITMo, one click or tap away.