Analysis of Artifacts

Trade Ceramics

Jingdezhen blue and white wares

Jingdezhen is considered the primary ceramic production center of blue and white ceramics in China. Jingdezhen’s products are considered high class due to the availability of fine deposits (kaolin and petuntse) and the abundant natural resources of wood, water, and good quality cobalt found in its immediate vicinity. Its manufacture of blue and white ceramics first began during the Yuan Dynasty (1127-1368), and its peak was during the Ming period (1368-1644).

Samples recovered at Plaza Independencia appear to be of earlier attribution (perhaps 15^th century).

Kraak

Kraak refers to underglazed cobalt blue wares whose decoration divides the rim and much of the cavetto into panels or segments radiating from the central medallion (also known as the Wanli style).

Few kraak pieces were recovered at the site. These mostly represent plates, bowls saucers and cups. Scholars believed that its production started after the end of the Ming period and its peak about 1585 to 1645-50.

Provincial wares

Swatow

Swatow is described in the literature  as crudely or carelessly constructed and heavily potted ware, having a dense, coarse porcelain or stoneware body that ranges from coarse grey or buff to fine-grained white. It is a large, ambiguous and diversified family of export ceramics manufactured  in miscellaneous kilns along the borders of Guangdong and Fujian from the 16^th century to at least the end of the Transitional Period in 1680.

Large quantities of swatow were recovered at the site, many are decorated in the kraak or Wanli Style.

Minnan wares

Those recovered blue and white wares manufactured in the Minnan region of Funan were mostly bowls and dishes.

Popular motif at the Plaza Independencia was mostly painted although there are a few printed samples.

Many of the monochrome vessels recovered at Plaza Independencia also appear to have been manufactured at Minnan, as well as celadon wares but this time, with white pastes instead of the conventional pale grey, thus resulting in a very pale green hue.

Swankhalok

The presence of a few ceramic manufactured in Sawankhalok (now Si Satchanalai) in north-central Thailand, (which are traditionally dated to the 14^th-15^th century) initially suggests that there might have been a period of earlier occupation at Plaza Independencia.

Monochrome wares

In addition to swatow and Minnan monochromes, significant quantities of greenish glazed and grayish glazed wares were also recovered at Plaza Independencia. 

EARTHENWARE

Golden Death Mask

A death mask was found which is made of hastily etched thin gold sheets. This is a vital proof of the wealth of pre-Hispanic Cebuanos and the burial practices they carried out for their dearly departed.

This mask is exactly as the Jesuit Pedro Chirino described in his Relaciones de las Islas Filipinas which was published in Rome in 1600, where he write that, to Bisayans who could afford it, gold was pounded into a thin sheet when a person died.

CERAMIC AND GLASS BOTTLES

Majority of bottle and bottle fragments are made of glass. People used pontil rods during 17th to mid 19th century to make bottles. The first Plaza Independencia report in 2000 concluded that the site's bottle assemblages date to middle or late middle 19th century to mid 20th century. The bottles were used to serve both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Large percentage of recovered material at Plaza Independencia were high-fired and low-fired ceramics from 

Europe and Asia. Brown and tiger-glazed stoneware jars were also recovered. 

Ceramic evidence suggests that the site was intensively used during the 16th to early 18th century.

	No. Of Glass bottles/fragments	No. Of Ceramic bottles/fragments	Totals
Layer I	18	2	20
Layer II	96	4	100
Disturbed Layer	20	8	28
Totals	134	14	148

METAL ARTIFACTS

Counts and Distribution

Artifact Type	Quantity	Amount (%)
Iron nails	45	46%
Iron slag	14	14%
Miscellaneous & unidentifiable artifacts	30	31%
Modern waste	6	6%
Coins	2	2%
Knife	1	1%
TOTAL	98	100%

Early Spanish Period

Metal artifacts include 13 pieces (which is 13% of the metals recovered). These artifacts include iron nails, iron slag, an iron dagger, a hook, a spoon, and an unidentifiable metal. Historical accounts made no statement on how the Plaza site was used during the early years of Spanish occupation.

Iron was a major component during this period. Iron ore and slag was retrieved but no other evidence of metalworking (e.g. metal smith workshops and tools) was found. Iron nails and an iron dagger were also found but proving archaeologically that iron was being worked at the site is difficult. Moreover, it is difficult to explain the presence of iron due to lack of historical accounts. Whether they were used for a light structure in the site or misplaced items of people from the Fort nearby cannot be conclusively claimed. No postholes were found at the excavated layer because either they never existed or depositional conditions on a beach sand matrix hardly leave noticeable archaeological evidence.

The one piece of iron dagger was found in only one burial site. The dagger is corroded but textile remains are visible on its surface. Analysis of this dagger and other metal pieces is significant to determine the possible interrelationships among the artifacts and the implications of use of metal in Cebu and during the early Spanish period.

In general, the relatively small amount of artifacts recovered from the excavated layer indicates minimal utilization of the site or difficulty in obtaining iron during this period.  

Late Spanish Period

        Thirteen pieces of metal artifacts were recovered during this period comprising of 76% of the total amount of metals recovered. Among the metals were iron nails, iron slag, a Chinese coin, and several miscellaneous unidentifiable items. The increase in the frequency of metal artifacts during this period indicate surplus of human activity. Historical accounts mention that the area currently occupied by the Plaza used to be a part of the plaza de armas and a catedral antigua. This explains the increase in amount of the metal artifacts. Moreover, the iron nails recovered from this excavation layer point to the existence of an organic structure most probably made of wood during this period. The iron nails account for 57% of the metal artifacts recovered from this period. Three keys and a posthole were seen and recovered from different burial sites. Whether the structure served for the military or some other purpose cannot be ascertained based on the metals because from this layer, the metals were already corroded and vary in shape and size.

                The iron slag recovered comprised 12% of all the metals from this layer. The probable metalworking tradition from the early Spanish period thus, continued on in the site or nearby areas during the late Spanish period.   The recovered Chinese coin dates back to the Ming Period particularly the Wanli period (AD 1573-1619). This was most likely kept as an heirloom piece because of it incongruity with all the cultural materials associated in the late Spanish period.

                No matter how abundant metal artifacts were during this period, further studies on economics, sourcing, production and distribution processes are still essential to understand the importance of metal use at this time.

SHELLS

Shells can tell a lot of information about the past people diet and how the utilized their environment. A total of 384 Molluscan shells were recovered in Plaza Independencia. There are 27 identified species recovered from Plaza Independencia. Oyster shells were the most abundant species recovered from the site. This type of shell has high calorie content, larger meat and can easily be extracted.

Species	Family	N	Type of Environment
Family Ostreidae	Ostreidae	60	Salt water
Strombus canarium	Strombidae	39	Salt water
Telescopium telescopium	Potamididae	36	Brackish water
Lambis lambis	Strombidae	29	Salt water
Anadara scapha	Arcidae	21	Salt water

FAUNAL ANALYSIS

The rescue archaeology conducted in Plaza Independencia also found animal bones and teeth. The remains were bagged according to the layer from which they were found and were identified as to genus or a particular animal taxon.

Layer	Mass(Grams)	Percentage of total mass(%)
1	1565	3.53
2	6939	15.63
3	32671	73.60
4	3214	7.24
Total	44389	100.00

Several factors may have been responsible for this turnout of values. Layer 3 could have been used as a midden, or used to bury the animals which  explains the higher mass of bones found in it.

Layer	Animals
1	Pig, unidentified
2	Pig, bovid, chicken, fish, others unidentified
3	Pig, bovid, horse, chicken, fish, other unidentified
4	Pig, bovid, fish, others unidentified

The bones of all identified mammalian taxa exhibited peri-mortem cutmarks and evenly made cut surfaces while the bones were still fresh, indicating the use of a butchering or cutting tool to process parts of the animal carcass for food.

History and Rescue Archaeology of Plaza Independencia

History

Plaza Independencia is strategically located between Fort San Pedro and the building that used to be the Gobierno Provincial in the downtown area of Cebu.  An obelisk dedicated to the memory of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first Spanish governor-general of the Philippines, is planted at the very heart of the plaza.

In the early 1600s, it was called Plaza de Armas. It served as the open space where you can find the important structures that they call the Plaza Mayor. This place also serves as the location for military training and marching. Later in the Spanish rule, it was further landscaped and developed and was christened Plaza Maria Cristina, in honor of the queen regent. During the American colonial period, its name was changed to Plaza Libertad, as the Americans asserted how they liberated Cebuanos from the Spanish rule. Later on it finally became known as Plaza Independencia.

RESCUE ARCHAEOLOGY

Before 2000, the Department of Public-Works and Highways (DPWH) had a plan of constructing a four-lane tunnel linking the Southern Road Project with the northern roads that will traverse Plaza Independencia, damaging archaeological resources buried underneath.

Because of this, in 2000, an archaeological activity was conducted by the National Museum, agreed upon by DPWH, to verify the presence of archaeological deposit in the Plaza that will be impacted by the said construction project of DPWH. 

The 2000 archaeological excavation showed rich cultural deposit dating to Pre-Hispanic, Early Hispanic and Late Hispanic periods.

The archaeological team recommended either the proposed tunnel be diverted to a different area or more “comprehensive systematic excavation” be conducted on the affected area.

Nevertheless, DPWH decided to push through with the construction of the four-lane tunnel.

Rescue archaeology is conducted when a development and road building will impact archaeological sites (Grant et.al 2005). This entails rapid recording and rushed excavation.

In order to accelerate the rescue archaeology of Plaza Independencia in 2006, National Museum contracted the service of Archaeological, Cultural and Environmental Consultancy, Inc. (ACECI) to mobilize and conduct the actual rescue archaeology under its supervision.

Although a rescue archaeology, the project was considered a research endeavour that will contribute to reconstructing pre-colonial and Spanish colonial period in Cebu and in the Philippines.

The archaeological record although incomplete can provide additional information on the culture and social dynamics of the people living within that area in history.