Traditional Philippine Pottery: Tapayan Jars, Earthenware, and Indigenous Ceramic Heritage

Early Malay Pottery and Its Spread

Pottery in the Malay world goes way back. People in the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra were making ceramics as far back as the Neolithic period. This early pottery followed the cord-marking tradition, which you can also see in parts of mainland Southeast Asia.

Around 2,000 years ago, a new kind of pottery showed up along the coasts of the Straits of Melaka. It appeared from southern Thailand, through the Malay Peninsula, into Sumatra, the Riau islands, the coastal parts of Borneo, and even parts of West Java. This pottery was different because of its decorative style. Instead of cord markings, artisans used a carved wooden paddle to press patterns into the clay. This method marked a change in technique and design.

What’s interesting is how the areas where this paddle-stamped pottery spread match the regions where Malay is widely spoken today. We can’t say for sure that all of the potters were Malay speakers, but the overlap is hard to ignore. It points to a shared culture that still connects people across this region.

In archaeology, when we talk about “The Malay World,” we’re talking about a group of people with related artistic styles. That includes the design and style of their pottery. You can find similar ceramics in places like Sulawesi, the Maluku Islands, and the southwest Pacific. In those regions, scholars use the word “Lapita” to describe that ceramic tradition. It looks like people were on the move about 2,000 years ago, possibly from a central point around Sulawesi or eastern Borneo, heading both east and west.

Revisiting the Origins of the Malay People

For the last fifty years, most archaeologists thought the ancestors of the Malays came from Taiwan and arrived in the Philippines around 4,500 years ago. But new studies are starting to shake that up. With DNA analysis now in the mix, some researchers argue the Malay group may have formed in the southern Philippines or northern Borneo instead. According to this view, people expanded outward from there in both directions.

The Study of Philippine Earthenware Ceramics

The first expert who really focused on the earthenware pottery of the island regions in Southeast Asia was W G Solheim II. He started working in the southern Philippines during the 1950s. His early research led to an important paper in 1964 titled Pottery and the Malayo-Polynesians. This piece helped shape how scholars looked at pottery across the region.

Solheim’s work didn’t stop there. He kept at it for decades. In 2003, he published updated findings in a collection called Earthenware in Southeast Asia, edited by John Miksic. Then, in 2006, Solheim brought out a major book titled Archaeology and Culture in Southeast Asia: Unraveling the Nusantao. It pulled together years of research and offered a bigger picture of how ceramics, trade, and migration all played a part in shaping the region.

Solheim’s ideas still carry weight. His studies helped open up new paths for thinking about early Southeast Asian culture, especially in places like the Philippines, where pottery tells part of the story about who people were, where they came from, and how they moved across the islands.

Solheim’s View on Pottery and Ethnic Identity

In his 2006 book, W.G. Solheim II dug deep into the cultural connections between Malayo-Polynesian groups across Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and even Madagascar. Malays, Javanese, Balinese, Minangkabau, Batak, and Iban are just a few of the groups he included in this vast network. His main focus was how pottery can help us understand ethnic identity and cultural development in these regions.

He argued that pottery isn't just a tool or a craft. It can show patterns in migration, trade, and language. He believed ceramic styles often reflect cultural and linguistic ties between communities. But he also made it clear that pottery isn’t foolproof evidence. It can travel far through trade, and styles can be copied by unrelated groups. So, while ceramic remains can suggest links between people, they don’t always prove direct ancestry or shared identity.

Still, Solheim believed pottery offers real value. Even with some limits, ceramics help reveal how Malay identity formed and spread. Over the last 2,000 years, earthenware has given clues about social structure, trade networks, and how different groups interacted across Southeast Asia.

 

Philippine Ceramics: Early Pottery Traditions

Philippine ceramics include both pottery used in daily life and pieces made for rituals or burial. This tradition goes back thousands of years and forms a major part of early Filipino culture.

Traditional pottery in some areas used clay found near places like the Sibalom River. Artisans shaped it with wooden paddles, and they had to keep the clay away from sunlight while working it. This kind of method shows up in many early communities.

Filipinos have been making ceramics for about 3,500 years. Some of the oldest pots were used as burial jars. These containers held the remains of the dead and often came with symbolic designs. Pottery from the Neolithic period in the Philippines, which lasted from around 4,500 to 3,000 years ago, featured red-slipped finishes and circle patterns. These were the dominant designs at the time.

Besides burials, pottery was also used for everyday life. Early Filipinos made ceramic water jars, bowls, plates, and cups. Pottery was part of how people stored food, cooked, and handled daily routines.

Ceramic Art in the Metal Age

The Metal Age in the Philippines ran from around 500 BCE to roughly 960 CE. In some cases, scholars narrow that range to 500 BCE to 500 CE. Pottery continued to evolve during this era. Some jars used for burial came with lids shaped like human heads. These anthropomorphic designs appeared between the 5th century BCE and the 3rd century CE. They’re among the most iconic ceramic pieces found in the region.

As time passed, production became more organized. Certain areas developed into pottery centers. One well-known site was Tanjay in Negros Island. This community produced earthenware from about 500 CE through 1600 CE. Its activity stretched into the early colonial period. Tanjay’s ceramics were used not just for cooking or storing goods, but also for ritual purposes.

Pottery During the Philippine Iron Age

During the Iron Age in the Philippines, pottery can be grouped into three major styles: Kalanay, Novaliches, and Bau.

The Kalanay pottery complex was found in the Visayas, especially in Negros and Mindoro. It matches what Henry Beyer called Early Iron Age pottery. The Novaliches complex came from Rizal province and is also part of Beyer’s Early Iron Age finds.

Bau pottery doesn’t line up with those two groups. It may belong to the later part of the Iron Age. It has different features and likely came from another cultural wave or a newer phase in pottery development. Each complex gives clues about trade, migration, and the everyday life of early communities in the islands.

Colonial Impact on Ceramic Production

The Spanish colonial period in the Philippines started in 1521 and lasted until 1898. It began when Ferdinand Magellan arrived and ended when Spain sold the islands to the United States. This era brought major changes to local industries.

By 1565, the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade took off. At first, it created global links. But over time, it hurt the local economy. Traditional trade systems and prestige goods networks broke down. Villages were disrupted, and many people were pushed out of their homes. As a result, local ceramic production dropped sharply. Earthenware became less common, and pottery-making in many areas faded.

This period also marked a growing divide between lowland and highland groups. The economy was changing, and much of the old craftwork got lost in the process.

Post-Colonial Decline in Ceramic Art

After the Philippines gained independence in 1946, the pottery industry never fully bounced back. From 1946 to 1986, ceramic production dropped even more. Most of what remained was purely practical. Pottery was no longer made for ceremony or art. It was just used in kitchens or for storage.

The move away from traditional ceramic art during this period marked the final stage in a long decline. What began as a rich, symbolic, and widespread craft became something mostly utilitarian.

Still, even basic clay pots tell stories. They show the reach of ancient cultures, the impact of colonization, and the loss of local knowledge. Pottery may seem simple, but it holds deep roots in Philippine history.

Contemporary Philippine Ceramics: 1986 to Present

Today, traditional pottery methods still survive in some parts of the Philippines. Even without large-scale industry, small communities continue to produce ceramics using age-old techniques. In places like Talibon and Valencia, potters still rely on open-air firing. They also shape clay without using a potter’s wheel. These non-industrial methods carry on what’s been done for centuries.

 

How Philippine Earthenware Was Made

Potters in the Philippines used two main methods to shape these vessels. One was the paddle-and-anvil method. The other was coiling and scraping. Both took time and skill, but no large kilns were used. That’s because the local clay could only take low heat. High firing temperatures would crack or ruin it.

To finish the pottery, five surface styles were common. The first was simple smoothing or polishing. The second involved liquid treatments like slipping or painting with red hematite. The third used incising, where designs were cut into the surface. The fourth involved stamping patterns directly into the clay. And the fifth added extra clay on top to raise patterns and give it a textured look.

 

Pottery in the Northern Philippines

When we talk about the Northern Philippines, we’re referring to the islands of Luzon, Babuyan, and Batanes. These areas have rich archaeological histories and have revealed some of the oldest pottery traditions in the country.

The Batanes Islands sit at the northern tip of Luzon, just below Taiwan. This area belongs to the Municipality of Calayan in the Province of Cagayan. Archaeologists have found boat-shaped burials made from limestone and coral rock here. These graves are unique to the region. Along with the stone coffins, earthenware bowls, and high-fired ceramic pieces have been uncovered. Many of them were found beside burial remains.

South of Batanes lies Babuyan Island, which is also part of the Calayan Municipality in Cagayan Province. On Fuga Island, W.G. Solheim II carried out a dig in 1952. He discovered burial jars made of earthenware, a major find that helped shape his later research. These jars were key in supporting his work on burial practices across Island Southeast Asia.

Luzon, the biggest island in the Philippines, also holds important archaeological sites. It lies north of Mindoro, Marinduque, and Masbate. Some of the best-known sites are Pintu Rockshelter in Nueva Vizcaya, Dimolit on Palanan Bay in Isabela, and Lal-lo in the Cagayan Province.

Findings from Luzon Excavations

The Pintu and Dimolit sites were excavated in 1969 by Warren Peterson. He found signs that hunter-gatherer groups stayed there off and on, at various points around 5,120, 3,900, and 3,280 years before present. Both sites had pottery made using coiling and the paddle-and-anvil method. At Pintu, shallow dishes with short pedestal feet were common. Many had circle-shaped impressions on the surface.

At Dimolit, researchers found small and large post-holes, which pointed to it being an open living area. The pottery from this site had plain or red-slipped finishes. The vessels included dishes with holes - some round, some square - punched through the base. Globular and angular pots were also found.

Lal-lo and the Shell Midden Discovery

Lal-lo is considered one of the largest shell midden sites in Southeast Asia. Archaeologists began digging there in the 1980s. Thiel led the first excavation in 1980, followed by Aoyagi in 1983, then Aoyagi and Tanaka in 1985, and finally Ogawa and Aguilera in 1987. Together, they recovered over 21,000 earthenware sherds. These included red-slipped jars, bowls with ring bases, and shallow dishes with paddle-pressed designs.

Part-Time Pottery in Kalinga

Kalinga Province is in the middle of the Cordillera region in northern Luzon. It borders Mountain Province to the south, Abra and Isabela to the east, Cagayan to the northeast, and Apayao to the north. In this area, there’s evidence of part-time pottery production. Though not made in high volumes, ceramics from Kalinga show that the craft still had a role in daily life.

These finds from northern Luzon help paint a clear picture of how long pottery has been part of Filipino culture. Even today, the methods and meanings tied to this ancient craft continue in quiet pockets across the country.

Batangas Pottery and the Calatagan Pot

Batangas is a province in the southern Luzon region of the Philippines, bordered by Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. It sits at 13 degrees 50 minutes north, 121 degrees east.

One of the most important archaeological spots in Batangas is the Laurel site, also known as the Taal-Lemery complex. Excavations here have been led by teams from the National Museum. Most of the pottery found belongs to the Metal Age. This site stands out for having some of the finest earthenware in the region after the Neolithic era. The pieces are usually highly polished or treated with a fresh slip. Chinese ceramics had a strong influence on the pottery styles found here.

Unfortunately, several areas were damaged by looters and illegal digging. But one site was found completely untouched, thanks to Maharlika A. Cuevas, a research assistant. She suggested that the site might have been used as a burial ground in the past.

The most notable artifact from Batangas is the Calatagan Pot, discovered in Talisay, Calatagan. Archaeologist Eusebio Z. Dizon called it unusual because it carries syllabic markings around its shoulder. It’s the only known earthenware piece in the country with inscriptions like this. The text has not yet been fully deciphered. Some researchers believe the Calatagan Pot should be officially declared a National Cultural Treasure because it may show proof of early writing in the Philippines.

Quezon Province and Archaeological Interest

Quezon Province is also part of the Calabarzon region in southern Luzon. It shares borders with Aurora to the north, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Batangas to the west, and Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur to the east. It lies at 14 degrees 10 minutes north, 121 degrees 50 minutes east.

While Quezon has historical value, the current data doesn’t mention major earthenware findings from this province directly. Still, its location makes it part of the broader region that connects to early Philippine ceramic traditions.

Paradijon and Sorsogon Pottery Production

Paradijon is in the town of Gubat, in Sorsogon, Bicol. It sits at 12.912 degrees north, 124.1176 degrees east. Evidence shows that earthenware pottery was produced full-time in this area, which points to an established ceramic tradition rather than casual or small-scale crafting.

Palawan Island and the Mannungul Jar

Palawan is the fifth largest island in the Philippines and lies far to the west. It’s located at 9 degrees 30 minutes north, 118 degrees 30 minutes east.

There are several key sites here, including Ille Cave in El Nido and the Tabon Caves in Lipuun Point. One of the most famous finds from Palawan is the Mannungul Jar. Dr. Robert Fox uncovered this burial jar in the Tabon Caves. It dates back to the late Neolithic period. The jar is known for its fine detail and symbolic design, showing that pottery had both functional and ritual use at the time.

Earthenware in the Visayas Region

The Visayas sits in the central part of the Philippines, between Luzon and Mindanao. It includes six main islands: Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and Samar.

Archaeological work has confirmed sites with earthenware on the islands of Masbate, Bohol, and Negros. In Masbate, these sites are found in the Batungan Mountain range. In Negros, earthenware pieces have been discovered in Tanjay. The pottery here is low-fired, showing a different kind of production technique. In Bohol, a key burial site was found in District Ubijan, Tagbilaran City. Earthenware from this area has been studied to figure out if Bohol might have been a center for pottery production.

To answer that, researchers performed a petrographic analysis. That means they looked closely at the clay and temper materials in the pottery to compare them to the local resources. The findings suggested that if Bohol was a major production site, other earthenware across the region should match its material signature.

Panay Island and the Islas de Gigantes

Panay is the sixth-largest island in the country. It lies just west of Negros at 11 degrees 9 minutes north, 122 degrees 29 minutes east. One area of interest is the Islas de Gigantes, where pottery used for serving or display, known as presentation dishes, was common. This points to both functional and ceremonial use of ceramics.

 

Underwater Sites in Western Philippines

Comiran Island is part of the South China Sea region, south of Bugsuk Island and east of Balabac Island in Palawan. Its coordinates are 7 degrees 54 minutes 57.6 seconds north, 117 degrees 13 minutes 13.79 seconds east.

A partial survey done near Lumbucan Reef revealed broken pieces of earthenware and what appears to be a fragment of a stove. This suggests there was once domestic activity at or near the site, even though much of it is now underwater.

The Pandanan Shipwreck and Southeast Asian Maritime Trade

Pandanan Island is a small, rectangular island in the South China Sea, part of the Balabac Municipality in Palawan. It's about 9.6 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide. It lies at 8 degrees 17 minutes north, 117 degrees 13 minutes east.

In 1993, a pearl diver named Mr. Gordirilla found something unexpected while searching for a missing pearl basket, an old shipwreck buried under a coral reef. The site was about 250 meters northeast of Pandanan’s coast, sitting 40 meters below sea level. This area sits in a strait that links the South China Sea with the Sulu Sea. That passage was likely part of an old trade route.

The National Museum started excavation work in 1995. They uncovered the remains of a wooden ship roughly 25 to 30 meters long and 6 to 8 meters wide. Inside, they found a cargo filled with Southeast Asian ceramics from Vietnam, Thailand, and China. A total of 4,722 artifacts were recovered from the wreck. Vietnamese ceramics made up the bulk of it, with more than 72 percent of the total haul falling under this category. There were also Chinese porcelains, Thai stoneware, coins, glass items, metal tools, and stone artifacts.

Among the artifacts were 301 earthenware pieces. These included pots, lids, jarlets, stoves, and pouring vessels. When compared to items found at other archaeological sites in the Philippines, these vessels showed clear similarities. The pouring pots resembled those found at the Calatagan sites in Batangas. The stoves matched those discovered in Sta. Ana, Manila, and in Butuan in northeastern Mindanao. These connections point to the possibility that the Pandanan ship had passed through or traded in those places before sinking.

Researchers believe the shipwreck happened sometime between the mid and late 15th century. The oldest artifact recovered was a Chinese coin from the reign of Yung-le, between 1403 and 1424 CE. The cause of the wreck is unknown, but it may have been due to sudden weather changes between amihan and habagat seasons, rough storms, or hitting coral reefs in the area.

This find is solid proof of active maritime trade in the precolonial Philippines. It shows how island and mainland Southeast Asia were connected through commerce long before the Spanish arrived.

Rasa Island and Jar Burial Practices

Rasa Island sits in the Sulu Sea, south of Arena Island and near the town of Narra in Palawan. The coordinates are 9 degrees 13 minutes north, 118 degrees 26 minutes east.

A partial site survey revealed signs of jar burials. Pieces of earthenware jars and broken pottery suggest that the island was used as a burial ground in ancient times. This hints at local mortuary practices tied to the use of ceramics for ritual or symbolic reasons.

Ramos Island and Everyday Earthenware Use

Ramos Island, also known as Secam Island, is just north of Balabac Island. It’s located at 8 degrees 6 minutes north, 117 degrees 2 minutes east. A survey at the site uncovered an earthenware stove and jar fragments. These finds suggest domestic activity and daily ceramic use on the island.

North Mangsee Island and Ceramic Trade Traces

North Mangsee Island is positioned between the South China Sea and Sulu Sea, right along the border with Malaysia. It lies within the treaty limits that mark the edge of Philippine territory. The coordinates are 7 degrees 30 minutes north, 117 degrees 18 minutes east.

A limited survey here found ceramic sherds and iron ingots. These objects point to trade or transport activity. It’s possible the island served as a stopover or had a small settlement that participated in wider trade networks.

Each of these sites strengthens what the Pandanan Shipwreck already suggested: ceramics in the Philippines weren’t just for cooking or burial. They were part of a complex web of trade, cultural exchange, and movement across the islands and beyond. Pottery helps trace those ancient routes and reveals how local communities connected with the rest of Southeast Asia.

 

Southern Philippines: Where Ancient Pottery Tells Forgotten Stories

The Southern Philippines covers a broad area, including the island of Mindanao and nearby islands like Surigao del Norte, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. This region holds some of the oldest and most distinct archaeological finds in the country, especially when it comes to prehistoric ceramics and burial traditions.

Mindanao: Maitum Burial Jars and the Lost Faces of the Past

Mindanao, the second-largest island in the Philippines, sits far south of islands like Leyte, Bohol, and Samar. Deep in this southern part of the country, a major discovery changed what we know about early Philippine culture.

In 1991, while searching for Japanese World War II treasure, geologist Michael Spadafora stumbled upon strange pottery pieces in a cave in Maitum, a town in Sarangani, South Cotabato. What he found were anthropomorphic burial jars, pottery shaped like people. A later survey by the National Museum confirmed the site as a limestone cave from the Miocene era, sitting about a kilometer inland and six meters above sea level in the village of Pinol.

The site had already been looted by treasure hunters before the team arrived. The entrance was damaged, layers of soil were disturbed, and many of the items had been left exposed or moved. To make things worse, the area had been affected by the Moro conflict, a long-running war between the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front. Still, researchers pushed ahead and began a proper excavation.

The dig happened in three stages. The first ran from November to December 1991. The second took place in April and May of 1992. The third and final phase happened in early 1995. The team, led by Dr. Eusebio Dizon, recovered around 200 artifacts. Among them were 29 nearly complete jars, 20 that could be restored, and the rest in broken pieces.

What made the Maitum jars different was their human-like design. Some showed arms, hands, breasts, and other physical traits. Many had faces, each with a unique expression. Eyes, noses, mouths, even ears - all carved or shaped into the clay. Experts believe these jars were used to hold the remains of specific people. They were not just generic figures. They were portraits of the dead.

The pottery had several kinds of decoration. Some used paddle stamping. Others had cord-markings, etched lines, or complex geometric designs. Some showed sharp, angular cuts. A few had black and red paint. The black came from burned organic material. The red was hematite, applied before the jars were fired. Foot rings often had open cut-out patterns.

Other objects found in the same area included iron tools, shells shaped into tools and jewelry, glass beads and bracelets, human teeth, bones from fingers, and small earthenware jars and beads. When researchers compared the Maitum ceramics to pottery from other Southeast Asian sites, they noticed some similarities. These included pieces from Tambler in the Philippines, the Manunggul Jar from Palawan, and Ban Chiang pottery from Thailand. But no other place in the region has burial jars quite like the ones from Maitum.

Experts date these jars to the Metal Age, between 500 BCE and 500 CE. The discovery opened a new chapter in Philippine archaeology. It gave a voice to ancient communities once forgotten. And it showed why the country’s historical sites need serious protection and care.

Tawi-Tawi: Balobok Rockshelter and the Oldest Layers of Culture

Tawi-Tawi sits at the very bottom edge of the Philippines, near the sea border with Malaysia. It’s part of the Bangsamoro region and includes several small islands. One of the most important sites here is the Balobok Rockshelter, located on Sanga-Sanga Island.

The National Museum first heard about the site in 1966. A partial excavation happened in 1969. But it wasn’t until 1992 that a proper re-excavation gave a clearer picture of the site’s history. What they found were thick-bodied earthenware shards and small ceramic vessels.

Samples from Balobok were dated using radiocarbon testing. Shells from the site revealed three different cultural layers.

Layer I is the oldest, dating back over 8,000 years. Layer II is about 7,300 years old. Layer III goes back to roughly 5,100 years ago.

Pottery showed up in Layers II and III. Layer II had signs of a hunting and gathering lifestyle. Stone tools, discarded shells, and bones were scattered around, with only a few pottery shards.

Layer III painted a different picture. More advanced tools like adzes, gouges, and axes appeared. There was also an opaque glass bead, more broken pottery, and more signs of settled living.

The finds at Balobok show just how far back human life goes in the Philippines. They also help explain how early cultures evolved, especially in island environments where trade, travel, and tools shaped how people lived and survived.

These discoveries from both Maitum and Tawi-Tawi help fill in the missing gaps of Southeast Asian history. They show how rich and complex precolonial Philippine culture really was, long before outside powers arrived.

 

Pottery Decoration Styles in the Philippines and Southeast Asia

Pottery found across the Philippines shows a wide range of surface treatments. These techniques weren't just for looks. They helped identify the function of the vessels and often marked cultural identity. Decorations found on these ceramics include plain surfaces, polished finishes, incised lines, impressed patterns, cord-marked textures, slipped coatings, and lime inlays. In many cases, potters used a mix of these techniques on a single vessel.

Prehistoric Pottery Links Across Island Southeast Asia

Wilhelm G. Solheim II’s research in 2003 traced how prehistoric pottery moved across island Southeast Asia. He believed a seafaring group called the Nusantao helped spread these pottery styles around 4000 years ago. Two distinct types, red-slipped ware and small stamp-impressed ceramics, traveled east into the western Pacific. These potteries reached places like Taiwan, Sulawesi, Flores, and multiple sites across the Philippines, including Palawan, Batanes, and Masbate. They were also found as far out as the Marianas in Micronesia and in the areas associated with the Lapita Culture.

In Taiwan, this kind of early pottery is linked to the Yuanshan culture. In Sulawesi, similar finds have been uncovered in Galumpang and in caves like Batu Ejaya II and Leang Burung. These connections across such distant regions suggest strong prehistoric maritime movement and cultural sharing.

Modern Southeast Asian Pottery Methods

John N. Miksic’s 2003 study on more recent pottery traditions in mainland Southeast Asia found six distinct styles of ceramic production. These types are identified by both region and technique.

Type A, from the Thai-Korat area in northeast Thailand, uses a hollow cylinder with no base. Type B, linked to Tai groups in north-central Thailand, uses a slow wheel or turntable. Type C, possibly Mon-Khmer or Austronesian in origin, builds vessels from coiled strips added to a flat base, then shaped toward the rim. The surface is later smoothed with tools like paddles or anvils. Type C is common along the coasts of Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia.

Type D, found in eastern and southern India, uses a fast wheel. Type E, from northern Thailand and Burma, also uses a fast wheel. Type F, seen in central Vietnam, mixes fast wheel production with a scraping method like that used in early Chinese ceramics.

Among all these types, Type C stands out for being closely related to traditional earthenware pottery. Its step-by-step coiling and scraping construction mirrors many older, non-mechanized forms found in the Philippines and coastal parts of Southeast Asia.

Kalinga Pottery and Its Cultural Use

Kalinga pottery, from northern Luzon, follows a clear structure based on function. There are three main kinds of vessels. Rice-cooking pots, called ittoyom, are larger, thinner, and have smaller openings. Vegetable or meat-cooking pots, known as oppaya, are generally thicker and wider. Water storage pots, called immosso, are more uniform in size and often have a smaller neck.

Cooking pots can come in small, medium, or large sizes, depending on use. While water storage pots usually stick to one size, some smaller versions also exist, especially in homes that use them for daily storage or travel.

Making these pots starts with gathering local clay. The clay is pounded and mixed with water to get the right texture. Then, it’s placed on a rotating plate where hand-molding begins. Artisans use coil-and-scrape methods to shape the body and adjust thickness. To make the rim smooth and even, they use a wet rag while spinning the pot in the opposite direction. If the walls come out too thick, they get scraped down for balance.

After shaping, pots are dried slightly. Then, the base is formed. Additional thin layers of clay may be added to both inside and outside to even out the surface. Some pots are polished using stones. Others are painted with red hematite to add stylized detail, though this step is optional and mostly decorative.

Kalinga pottery is still made today using traditional methods passed down for generations. The techniques show how skilled craftsmanship, practical design, and cultural identity all come together in one ceramic vessel. This pottery isn’t just for use. It’s part of the region’s long, living history.

What Pots Were Really Made For

Pots are clay containers shaped by hand and hardened with heat. They’ve been around since early farming times. People used them to hold extra food they couldn’t eat right away. That made life easier and more stable.

In his book Pottery Function: A Use-Alteration Perspective, James Skibo explained why pots were better than baskets or other organic containers. Clay pots could take heat without getting damaged. That made them perfect for cooking or holding hot food. They also protected the contents from water, bugs, and spoilage. Plus, pots could hold both dry and wet goods, unlike baskets or animal skins that had limits.

In Pottery Analysis, author Rice broke down ceramic pots into 17 types based on how they were made and used. One way he sorted them was by what they held. He divided them by food state, solid or liquid, and by temperature, hot or cold. According to Rice, pottery mainly served three jobs: storage, processing, and transport.

Skibo took this further. He said ceramic vessels had two main kinds of use: what they were meant for and how people actually used them.

Intended use means how the pot was supposed to be used when it was made. Potters designed pots to fit those needs, so the shape matched the purpose. But actual use is how people really used the pot in everyday life, and that often didn’t match the original design. People made do with what they had, even if it wasn’t the perfect fit.

In places like Kalinga in the Philippines, pots had roles in both daily life and rituals. Day-to-day, people used them to cook rice or fetch water. In ceremonies, they had symbolic roles tied to tradition and belief.

How Experts Figure Out What Pots Were Used For

Because people often used pots differently than intended, archaeologists don’t just rely on shape or design to guess function. They study the wear and changes on the surface. These include residue build-up and damage from use. Skibo focused on three main signs: residue inside the pot, scratches or wear, and carbon staining from fire.

Dissolved residue tells you what was stored or cooked in the pot. Using tools like a gas chromatograph and a mass spectrophotometer, scientists can detect leftover fatty acids. That helps them figure out whether the pot once held rice, meat, or vegetables. They can’t always identify the exact plant or animal, but they can tell the general type of food.

Surface attrition looks at marks and scratches. These tell a lot about how the pot was handled. By checking the angle and direction of the wear, Skibo figured out how often and how hard the pot was stirred. For example, pots used for rice had fewer marks. Pots used to cook vegetables or meat showed more scratches, because those dishes required more stirring.

Carbon deposits are dark stains from fire. They show how the pot was heated and where the flames hit it. This helps tell what was cooked and how it was cooked. It also gives clues about whether the pot was placed directly on the fire or held above it.

All these signs help paint a clearer picture of how people used their tools, not just how they were made.

 

The Kalanay Pottery Complex in Masbate

The Kalanay pottery complex takes its name from Kalanay Cave, a small burial site on the northwest coast of Masbate. This cave is the main archaeological source for this type of pottery. The ceramics found here are grouped into two styles: Kalanay and Bagupantao.

The pottery stands out for its decorative variety. Designs often include paired diagonals with borders, single diagonals, vertical lines, and wavy lines. You’ll also see curved scrolls, triangles in alternating patterns, rectangles, and diagonal combinations. Some pieces show animal-like shapes, known as zoomorphs. Others feature punctate fields, where lines are filled with tiny dots or dashes.

There are also decorations made by pressing tools into the clay. These include impressed crenelations, scallop patterns, and other carved or stamped details. Some pots have carved cutouts in their ring stands, adding both design and function.

Solheim organized Kalanay pottery into 16 types. These include large jars with either wide or narrow necks, small jars, deep and shallow bowls, very shallow bowls, and lids. Some shallow bowls have ring stands. There are also unique forms like tetrapods, jars with angled bases, round jars with small mouths, and vessels with sharp, angular shapes.

Bau Pottery Complex: Simpler but Distinct

Bau pottery is different. It’s more basic in both form and decoration compared to Kalanay. It lacks the variety but still shows clear cultural patterns.

Decorations on Bau ceramics include paddle impressions and tool marks. These tools were either simple or compound, creating different textures. Stamp impressions and applied ribbons of clay are also common.

The forms are mostly small jars, some with everted rims and some without. There are also squat jars with flat bases, cups with ring feet, and jars with ring feet. These forms are fewer in number and variation than what’s seen in the Kalanay group.

Novaliches Pottery: Complex and Refined

Novaliches pottery stands apart from both Bau and Kalanay. While it shares some elements with Kalanay, it has more variety than Bau and is considered the most refined of the three. According to Solheim, it’s the most advanced pottery ever found in the Philippines.

This type of pottery is easy to recognize. Most are shallow bowls with tall, high ring stands. While the bowls themselves are plain, the stands are highly decorated. The pottery is so well-shaped and polished that it looks like it was made with a potter’s wheel, even though it wasn’t.

The designs often include cutouts and narrow vertical lines that are either carved, tool-impressed, or stamped. You’ll also see horizontal and diagonal lines, made with simple or complex tools. Some designs are broad, carved lines pressed deeply into the surface.

The vessel types include shallow bowls with either high or low ring stands, jars with low ring stands, angular jars, and jars with short necks and everted rims.

Inside the Kalanay Cave Site

Kalanay Cave itself is small and was used for burials. It’s the main site where Kalanay pottery was found.

About 80 percent of the pottery uncovered was plain. These are called Kalanay Plain. Even though they share a common style, they come in many shapes and sizes. They were made using a paddle-and-anvil method. Some have round bottoms, while others use ring feet or tetrapods to stand upright. Color differences are common, caused by uneven firing. This shows potters didn’t always have full control over the heat during the firing process.

Some pieces are classified as Kalanay Incised. These pots have decorative bands carved around the neck or rim. But the overall construction looks rushed or poorly done. This suggests the designs might’ve lost meaning over time, and potters no longer treated the tradition with care.

There are also Kalanay Impressed pots. These show simple or complex tool marks, usually around the flange of a jar or bowl.

Then there’s Kalanay Slipped pottery. These pots come in both large and small sizes. Large ones often have wide mouths with everted rims. Bowls are either deep with sides that angle inward or very shallow with lips that flare outward. Some of these were polished, while others were left rough.

Bagupantao Pottery in the Philippines

Bagupantao pottery shows up in three main forms: plain, impressed, and painted. Each one tells us something about how early communities shaped and used clay. These pieces were mostly uncovered in archaeological digs around the southern Philippines.

Bagupantao Plain Pottery

Most Bagupantao plain vessels have a red-brown paste. Some are gray or black, but those are less common. The texture ranges from fine to medium. The walls are typically 5 to 8 millimeters thick. These pots are usually big, with body diameters between 24 and 35 centimeters. They come in jar shapes, with either wide or narrow mouths.

Compared to Kalanay Plain pottery, Bagupantao plain pieces have more even color and cleaner clay. That’s a key visual difference.

Bagupantao Impressed Pottery

The impressed type uses the same red-brown clay as the plain version, but the design is more detailed. These pots are decorated with rim patterns like circles, dot marks, and notched edges. They’re also larger, with body diameters from 28 to 31 centimeters, and thicker, measuring between 9 and 14 millimeters.

Bagupantao Painted Pottery

This painted version uses the same clay as the other two types. What makes it stand out is the red hematite slip applied on both the inner and outer neck areas. These are thinner, usually just 2 to 7 millimeters thick, and smaller in size than the plain jars.

Other Pottery Found at the Site

Three more pots were found that don’t match either the Bagupantao or Kalanay styles. The first one used the same red-brown clay as the known types. Its surface showed black specks and had crystal bits in the paste. It was as thin as the painted Bagupantao pots, around 3 to 8 millimeters thick.

The second pot had the same size and shape as Bagupantao pots, but used a different type of clay. The paste had a fibrous feel and visible mineral grains. It was well-polished and showed color changes from red-brown to light gray. Its thickness fell between 5 and 12 millimeters, just like the plain Bagupantao jars.

The third pot was completely different. It used chocolate-brown clay with a fine texture. But the wall thickness was extreme - up to 15 to 20 millimeters. It was poorly made, probably fired unevenly, since the pot cracked lengthwise.

Philippine Pottery and Its Place in Japanese Culture

Some pottery from Luzon caught the attention of Japanese collectors. These vessels became part of the tea ceremony tradition in Japan, where they were known as shimamono. This shows how far and wide Philippine pottery reached, not just in trade but in cultural impact.

Solheim’s Three Pottery Traditions in the Philippines

Archaeologist W G Solheim II divided Philippine ceramics into three major groups: Sahuynh-Kalanay, Novaliches, and Bau Malay. He based this on earlier survey data from Karl Guthe of the University of Michigan. The catch is that Guthe never excavated the sites he surveyed. So there’s no good data about which layer the pottery came from, or how old each piece really is. Solheim had to rely on associations with imported Chinese ceramics to guess the time periods.

The name Sahuynh-Kalanay comes from two places: Sahuynh in southern Vietnam and Kalanay in the Philippines. Pottery from both sites looks very similar. Southern Vietnam was once home to the Cham people, who spoke a Malayo-Polynesian language. That connection makes sense, since both regions share the same linguistic and cultural roots.

 

Bau Malay Pottery Across Southeast Asia

Bau Malay pottery shows up more often in places like Borneo, western Indonesia, and the Malaysian Peninsula. It’s less common in the Philippines. Some of the oldest pieces were found in the Musi River valley in southern Sumatra.

Among the three types Solheim proposed, the Novaliches group gets the most criticism. Many archaeologists today think it doesn’t really matter much. But the Bau Malay type, especially the ones with carved or paddle-impressed patterns, is widespread. Similar pottery even turned up in southern India, and researchers there believe Malay sailors brought it over during early trade missions.

New finds from sites in Singapore and Sumatra are helping to fill in the gaps. These discoveries are giving archaeologists a better view of how this pottery style evolved and changed over time.

Kendi Pottery from Southern Thailand

One last type of pottery from the Malay cultural zone stands out. This comes from the Satingphra region in southern Thailand, still mostly populated by Malays today. Potters there specialized in making ceremonial water vessels called kendi. They used high-quality clay and showed real skill in shaping and finishing the pieces.

Most of these kendis were white, but some were made red for the Javanese. These vessels were highly valued and got traded widely, reaching markets in Java, Singapore, and the Philippines. Their craftsmanship and material set them apart from the everyday ceramics of the region.

 

Islamic Influence on Malay Pottery

When Islam began to spread through Southeast Asia, a new kind of pottery showed up in the Malay region. This was especially clear in places like Aceh, Kedah, Perak, and Patani, which sit at the north end of the Straits of Melaka.

The kendis was still a common form, but the look changed. Potters moved away from the pale white finish and started favoring deep black tones. The shape of the spout also transformed from long and narrow to short and rounded. Some of this black pottery was polished smooth with stones until it had a glossy shine. You can still find this style being made in northern Perak today.

By the 1500s, older decorative methods like paddle-marking and the Bau Malay style started fading out. They slowly disappeared, though archaeologists have found good examples from that time at the Johor Lama site. Some of those pieces are now kept at Singapore’s Heritage Conservation Centre.

 

Philippine Ceramics: Earthenware Over Time

Most of the pottery found in the Philippines is earthenware. That means it hasn’t been fired hot enough to fully vitrify or turn glass-like. In contrast, stoneware and tradeware have been exposed to higher temperatures, which makes them stronger and less porous.

The difference between these types of ceramics mostly comes down to two things: the clay used and the firing temperature. Tradeware usually comes from outside sources and uses imported materials. Earthenware and stoneware, on the other hand, are typically made from local resources found throughout the islands.

Earthenware in the Philippines was mainly used for everyday purposes. It was made in domestic spaces, often by hand, without the use of kilns. People used it for cooking, eating, storing, and sometimes for rituals. According to archaeologist Alice Yao, one major use was during feasting. So you often find cooking pots, bowls, and goblets among the remains.

It also played a part in forming and keeping alliances between groups. Trading earthenware helped strengthen ties between lowland and highland communities. These exchanges were often political or economic.

Earthenware had a role in burial customs, too. It was common in secondary burials, where the bones were placed in jars, small vessels, or even in pots shaped like human figures. Some of these jars were used in ceremonies related to death and the afterlife.

 

The Palayok: Traditional Filipino Clay Pot

The palayok is a basic cooking pot made from clay. It’s been part of Filipino cooking for centuries. In Tagalog, it’s called palayok. In the Visayas, people call it kulon. Smaller ones are known as anglit. In Indonesia and Malaysia, a similar pot is known as periuk.

What makes the palayok special is the material. It’s made from earthenware, which is porous. That means steam can escape while cooking. Food doesn’t burn quickly because the heat stays gentle, and moisture sticks around longer. Since clay doesn’t heat up as fast as metal, cooking in a palayok takes more time and a bit more fire, but it cooks the food evenly and brings out strong flavors.

You can't clean it with dish soap. The clay would soak up the chemicals, and your food would taste strange next time you cook. Instead, people soak the pot in warm water, then scrub it with salt once the food bits have softened.

Turning the Palayok Into an Oven

Maria Orosa, a well-known Filipino food scientist, found a way to turn the palayok into an oven. She came up with the Palayok Oven. It’s a simple setup. A piece of metal is placed at the bottom of the pot, and a sheet of aluminum foil is tucked just under the lid. These pieces help trap and reflect heat inside.

The whole thing is placed over a native stove called a pugon or kalan, which is fired by wood. It works kind of like a Japanese shichirin, but it’s a local version. This setup let people bake without needing a full kitchen oven, using only local tools and materials.

 

The Special Asian Blog Collection:

1. Ceramic Production in Southeast Asia: Historical Periods, Styles, and Techniques

2. History of Ceramics in the Malay Region: Ancient Pottery, Cultural Heritage, and Trade in Southeast Asia

3. Vietnamese Ceramics History: Ancient Pottery, Trade, and Craftsmanship

4. Traditional Philippine Pottery: Tapayan Jars, Earthenware, and Indigenous Ceramic Heritage

5. History of Thai Ceramics and Traditional Pottery Art

6. Southeast Asian Ceramics: Khmer, Lao, and Burmese Pottery Traditions

7. Historic Southeast Asian Shipwrecks with Ancient Ceramics: Maritime Trade and Sunken Treasures

8. Top Museums in Asia for Southeast Asian Ceramics: Where to See Ancient Pottery and Porcelain