HOPsea project helps discover our origins

More than one and a half million years ago, the Southeast Asian archipelago was inhabited by hominids, the family of two-legged primates that were the ancestors of human beings.

But despite the discovery of ample fossils and artifacts, we know little about these early inhabitants. Research in these areas has been hampered by the scattered collections of artifacts that require money and time to study.

To address this concern, the "Human Origins Patrimony in Southeast Asia (HOPsea)" project was set up recently to create a network of international institutions in the field of hominid evolution.

The project partners include the National Museum of the Philippines, the University of the Philippines, Diliman; Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris; Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung; Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt; Ikatan Ahli Arkeologi Indonesia, Jakarta; and .naturalis, Leiden.

The HOPsea project is presently designing a program that will allow graduate students to take courses from partner institutions which will be credited in their home schools.

Dr. Victor Paz, director of the UP Archaeological Studies Program (ASP), says, "This will allow the students to get experience in working on excavation sites outside the country, and be able to develop connections and integrate with various nationalities."

To be implemented this year, the program will also help the partners to paint a more accurate picture of the past through collaborated research and scientific exchanges.

Another part of the HOPsea project is the "Hominid Environment and Lifestyle in Southeast Asia Portal (HELsea)," which will include a "virtual museum" with collections and exhibits about hominids and hominids sites.

All research materials and learning modules under this topic will be uploaded online through the portal to come up with a consolidated database that is accessible and up to date.

According to Paz, one of the aims of the HOPsea project is to develop a cultural heritage perspective among the partner countries, especially those located in Southeast Asia.

"Archaeology is fascinating, and it attempts to trigger and develop a heritage consciousness in the people’s minds," he says.

Field schools in the Philippines are centered on developing this heritage consciousness because the work of archaeologists actually does not end with excavation.

One of the responsibilities of archaeologists is to make the findings public by holding various activities to inform the local communities of their history.

The ASP has been an active force in "public" archaeology and in developing a heritage perspective and is the only academic archaeological program in the country that is recognized and respected worldwide.

Since 2004, field schools under the ASP’s Mindoro Archaeological Research Institute have worked to better understand the coastal settlements of our ancestors. The locals are trained to safeguard the exhibits of the artifacts discovered such as pottery and metal, shell, and bead jewelry pieces.

The community is also taught to preserve and take pride in its historical settlements — mostly churches — which are usually tourist spots.

Other locations that have also been explored in the past five years include Batanes and Cagayan de Oro.

Excavations in Palawan, which is known to have some of the oldest material remains, started in the 1960s.

"It is the part of the Philippines where you will have a good continuity of archaeology from the earliest time, such as the existence of humans in Southeast Asia, up until around 200 years ago," Paz says.

"We are not only looking for the remains of early humans, but maybe also homo erectus remains, which will help create a more accurate picture of our ancestry," he adds.

By the end of 2007, the HOPsea Project hopes to improve its framework for training and teaching so that it can be used by universities, museums, and other institutions worldwide.