Reflexivity, Power, and Community‑Centred Archaeology in Linapacan Island, Palawan

Zuzanna Anna Kowalczyk1,2, Dominador Gillang Jr.3, and Karolina Joka4

Recent paradigms in Philippine archaeology, as discussed by Victor Paz (2017), emphasise ethical reflexivity, postcolonial critique, and collaboration with local communities. Community‑based archaeology, however, represents not only a methodological approach but also an epistemological shift that challenges traditional hierarchies of knowledge and the authority of the researcher. This paper presents a case study of archaeological and ethnographic research conducted on Linapacan Island (Palawan) between 2022 and 2025, conceived as a collaborative project from its inception. While the project aimed to investigate the island’s cultural landscape within broader regional histories, it simultaneously exposed challenges related to power asymmetries, researcher bias, contested or unwanted heritage, and differing priorities in heritage management. These complexities required continuous negotiation and methodological flexibility. The paper argues that community‑based archaeology requires sustained critical self‑reflection and theoretical openness as necessary practices for navigating ethical complexity, epistemic plurality, and the political dimensions of heritage work. Paz, V. 2017. An outlined history of Philippine archaeology and its periodisation. In Handbook of East and Southeast Asian Archaeology, J. Habu, P. V. Lape, and J. W. Olsen (eds), pp. 151–156.