Philippine jade culture, or jade artifacts, made from white and green nephrite and dating as far back as 2000–1500 BC, have been discovered at a number of archaeological excavations in the Philippines since the 1930s. The artifacts have been both tools like chisels and ornaments such as lingling-o earrings, bracelets, and beads.
The green nephrite has been traced to a deposit near modern Hualien City in eastern Taiwan. The source of the white nephrite is unknown. The jade was worked in the Philippines, especially in Batanes, Luzon, and Palawan. Some was also processed in Vietnam, while the peoples of Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia also participated in one of the most extensive sea-based trade networks of a single geological material in the prehistoric world. It was in existence for at least 3,000 years, where its peak production was from 2000 BC to 500 AD, older than the Silk Road in mainland Eurasia or the Maritime Silk Road. It began to wane during its final centuries, from 500 AD until 1000 AD.[1][2][3][4]
Austronesian migration area. Majority of which participated in the ancient Maritime Jade Road and later, after two thousand years, the Maritime Silk Road.[5]
Jade was discovered by the animist Taiwanese indigenous peoples in Taiwan and mined soon after, in 2000 BCE. During this time, migrations by Austronesians from Taiwan began southward towards the Philippines, which also resulted in some animist indigenous peoples from the Philippines returning to Taiwan. Indigenous Filipinos soon began processing the jade from Taiwan for trade as technological advances were met. This initial trade between island communities established the first phase of the Maritime Jade Road.[6][7][8][9]
With the advent of further technologies propagated by indigenous Filipinos, more styles were made to process raw jade from Taiwan. These jade crafts became sought-after in many places in Southeast Asia, which led to the expansion of the network to Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia. Vietnam then learned to process the Taiwanese raw jade and added healthy competition to the trade network. Most of the jade crafts were still manufactured and processed in the Philippines. By 500 CE, the trade network began to weaken, and by 1000 CE, the trade route's jade production had formally stopped, although trade in other goods continued and expanded towards India and China. During this period, Southeast Asia became influenced by the Maritime Silk Road. Throughout its history, the Maritime Jade Road was fully independent from the Maritime Silk Road. In its productive history of 3,000 years (peaking between 2000 BCE and 500 CE), the animist-led Maritime Jade Road became known as one of the most extensive sea-based trade networks of a single geological material in the prehistoric world. It is also one of the major achievements of the animist peoples of the region.[10][11][12][13] Thousands of artifacts made and traded through the Maritime Jade Road have been recovered from multiple archeological sites.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][excessive citations] The network likely waned due to later aggressions by cultures outside of Southeast Asia, such as India and China. Peace was essential to the continuation of the sea jade network, as seen in the case of the Philippines (the main jade manufacturing area), where the islands experienced at least 1,500 years of near absolute peace from 500 BCE to 1000 CE, coinciding with the operations of the jade network.[21]
Batanes, a province in northern Philippines, was a major processing site for the Maritime Jade Road; many lingling-o artifacts originate from the ancient workshops of Batanes.
The following are the major locations with historical links to the Maritime Jade Road; many other places, aside from the following, traded through the network.
Identified Fengtian and possibly Fengtian nephrites: WG. Liyushan, Wangan Islands; QM, Nangang, Qimei Islands, Penghu Archipelago; JXL, Jialulan, eastern Taiwan; LD, Yugang and Guanyindong, Ludao Islands; LY, Lanyu High School Site, Lanyu Islands; AN, Anaro, Itbayat Islands; SG, Sunget, Batan Islands; SD, Savidug, Sabtang Islands; NGS, Nagsabaran, Cagayan Valley; KD, Kay Daing, Batangas; EN, Leta-Leta and Ille Caves, El Nido, Palawan; TC, Tabon Caves, Palawan; NC, Niah Cave West Mouth, Sarawak; AB, An Bang; GM, Go Mun; DL, Dai Lanh; GMV, Go Ma Voi; BY, Binh Yen (these five sites in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam); GCV, Giong Ca Vo, Ho Chi Minh City; SS, Samrong Sen, Cambodia; UT, U-Thong, Suphanburi; BTDP, Ban Don Ta Phet, Kanchanaburi; KSK, Khao Sam Kaeo, Chumphon.
Identified non-Fengtian nephrites: BTG, Uilang Bundok and Pila, Batangas; TK, Trang Kenh; YB, Yen Bac; MB, Man Bac; QC, Quy Chu; GB, Go Bong; XR, Xom Ren; GD, Go Dua; GL, Giong Lon[22]
UNESCO published an article falsely alleging that the Maritime Jade Road is the Maritime Silk Road.[23][24] The Maritime Jade Road is older than the Maritime Silk Road by more than two thousand years.[25][26][27][28] The article also did not refer to the importance of Taiwan on the Maritime Jade Road. The article was on a platform operated and maintained by China (PRC), which has a political and geographical dispute with Taiwan (ROC). Taiwan has repeatedly been blocked by the Chinese government from entering or participating in the activities of UNESCO.[29][30] In 2017, China initiated a call for the nomination of the Maritime Silk Road to UNESCO while undermining the independent existence of the Maritime Jade Road and its connection to Taiwan.[31] In 2020, Taiwanese citizens, including scientists and other scholars, were banned from UNESCO activities amidst Chinese (PRC) pressure over UNESCO. The ban was widely criticized.[32][33]
^Tsang, Cheng-hwa (2000), "Recent advances in the Iron Age archaeology of Taiwan", Bulletin of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association, 20: 153–158, doi:10.7152/bippa.v20i0.11751
^Turton, M. (2021). Notes from central Taiwan: Our brother to the south. Taiwan's relations with the Philippines date back millenia, so it's a mystery that it's not the jewel in the crown of the New Southbound Policy. Taiwan Times.
^Everington, K. (2017). Birthplace of Austronesians is Taiwan, capital was Taitung: Scholar. Taiwan News.
^Bellwood, P., H. Hung, H., Lizuka, Y. (2011). Taiwan Jade in the Philippines: 3,000 Years of Trade and Long-distance Interaction. Semantic Scholar.
^Tsang, Cheng-hwa (2000), "Recent advances in the Iron Age archaeology of Taiwan", Bulletin of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association, 20: 153–158, doi:10.7152/bippa.v20i0.11751
^Turton, M. (2021). Notes from central Taiwan: Our brother to the south. Taiwan's relations with the Philippines date back millenia, so it's a mystery that it's not the jewel in the crown of the New Southbound Policy. Taiwan Times.
^Everington, K. (2017). Birthplace of Austronesians is Taiwan, capital was Taitung: Scholar. Taiwan News.
^Bellwood, P., H. Hung, H., Lizuka, Y. (2011). Taiwan Jade in the Philippines: 3,000 Years of Trade and Long-distance Interaction. Semantic Scholar.
^Tsang, Cheng-hwa (2000), "Recent advances in the Iron Age archaeology of Taiwan", Bulletin of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association, 20: 153–158, doi:10.7152/bippa.v20i0.11751
^Turton, M. (2021). Notes from central Taiwan: Our brother to the south. Taiwan's relations with the Philippines date back millenia, so it's a mystery that it's not the jewel in the crown of the New Southbound Policy. Taiwan Times.
^Everington, K. (2017). Birthplace of Austronesians is Taiwan, capital was Taitung: Scholar. Taiwan News.
^Bellwood, P., H. Hung, H., Lizuka, Y. (2011). Taiwan Jade in the Philippines: 3,000 Years of Trade and Long-distance Interaction. Semantic Scholar.
^Scott, William (1984). Prehispanic Source Material. p. 17.
^Bellwood, Peter (2011). Pathos of Origin. pp. 31–41.
^Bellwood, P. & Dizon, E. 4000 years of migration and cultural exchange : the archaeology of the Batanes Islands, Northern Philippines / edited by Peter Bellwood and Eusebio Dizon. (2013) Australia:ANU E Press
^Jocano, F. Landa. "Philippine prehistory." Philippine Center for Advanced Studies. Diliman, Quezon City (1975)
^Bellwood ,P. (2011). "Holocene population history in the Pacific region as a model for worldwide food producer dispersals". Current Anthropology Vol. 54 no. S4, The origins of Agriculture: New Data, New Ideas, USA: University of Chicago Press
^Solheim II, W. (1953). "Philippine Archaeology". Archeology Vol. 6, No. 3. pp. 154–158. USA: Archaeological Institute of America
^Iizuka, Yoshiyuki, H. C. Hung, and Peter Bellwood. "A Noninvasive Mineralogical Study of Nephrite Artifacts from the Philippines and Surroundings: The Distribution of Taiwan Nephrite and the Implications for the Island Southeast Asian Archaeology." Scientific Research on the Sculptural Arts of Asia (2007): 12–19.
^Junker, L. L. (1999). Raiding, Trading, and Feasting: The Political Economy of Philippine Chiefdoms. University of Hawaii Press.
^Hsiao-Chun Hung, et al. (2007). Ancient jades map 3,000 years of prehistoric exchange in Southeast Asia. PNAS.
^Cultural Selection: The Early Maritime Silk Roads and the Emergence of Stone Ornament Workshops in Southeast Asian Port Settlements. UNESCO.
^Everington, K. (2017). Taiwanese banned from all UNESCO events. Taiwan Times.
^Tsang, Cheng-hwa (2000), "Recent advances in the Iron Age archaeology of Taiwan", Bulletin of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association, 20: 153–158, doi:10.7152/bippa.v20i0.11751
^Turton, M. (2021). Notes from central Taiwan: Our brother to the south. Taiwan's relations with the Philippines date back millenia, so it's a mystery that it's not the jewel in the crown of the New Southbound Policy. Taiwan Times.
^Everington, K. (2017). Birthplace of Austronesians is Taiwan, capital was Taitung: Scholar. Taiwan News.
^Bellwood, P., H. Hung, H., Lizuka, Y. (2011). Taiwan Jade in the Philippines: 3,000 Years of Trade and Long-distance Interaction. Semantic Scholar.
^Cultural Selection: The Early Maritime Silk Roads and the Emergence of Stone Ornament Workshops in Southeast Asian Port Settlements. UNESCO.
^Everington, K. (2017). Taiwanese banned from all UNESCO events. Taiwan Times.
^UNESCO Expert Meeting for the World Heritage Nomination Process of the Maritime Silk Routes. UNESCO. May 30–31, 2017.
^Everington, K. (2017). Taiwanese banned from all UNESCO events. Taiwan Times.
^Smith, N. (2020). Inside Chinas Quiet Campaign Bend International Institutions. The Telegraph.
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