Historical Archaeology in the Philippines: Methods, Motivations, and Practices — A Critical Review of Past Studies

Frances Arielle Tumaneng and Grace Barretto-Tesoro*

School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines; *mdbarretto@up.edu.ph

Historical archaeology, which emerged as a formal field of inquiry in the 1970s, integrates material culture and written records to reconstruct past lifeways. Originating in Western scholarship, its concepts and methods have been variably adapted in the Philippine setting. This paper reviews how historical archaeology has been practiced in the Philippines by analysing published and archival site reports on historical sites. We examine the research questions that have guided past studies, the methods employed, and the interpretive frameworks used, and assess the status and trajectories of historical archaeology in the country. Based on patterns and gaps identified in the literature, we propose priority research questions and methodological refinements to strengthen future work. Finally, we also address both documented and informal resistance within parts of the local archaeological community to historical archaeology and suggest strategies for addressing conceptual barriers. The presentation aims to clarify the field’s development in the Philippines and to outline an agenda for more coherent, context-sensitive historical archaeology.