In the Philippines, we share a long-standing connection with pigs both archaeologically and culturally

03 Sep 2025

Pigs play a very significant role in our society. They are not only seen as a food source but also as an important symbol in various cultures. In the Philippines, we have demonstrated our long-standing relationship with pigs based on their presence in the archaeological record and using the available genetic, archival, and ethnographic data. Our analysis of animal bones from historical archaeological sites in Luzon showed the presence of pig remains, with butchery marks serving as evidence that this animal was part of the people’s diet during that time.

On the other hand, genetic data showed that pigs as we know them today could be a product of a complex history of introduction and interbreeding of different populations of pigs, which resulted from our interactions with neighboring countries as well as the several centuries of colonial occupation of the Philippines. Acceptance of imported pigs is also represented by the transformation of food recipes such as that of sisig and menudo, where pork replaced the main ingredients in their original foreign versions. Philippine ethnographic records have shown the role of pigs in rituals and their symbolism in people’s beliefs.

This research demonstrates the relationship between humans and animals using archaeology, genetics, history, and ethnography. Furthermore, it explores how animals shaped our culture and history, as well as our impact on our environment, and how we utilize our natural resources. One contribution of the findings is a greater understanding of the status of livestock farming in the Philippines and how tracing back centuries of introduction, crossbreeding, and consumption of certain animals can shed light on animal management strategies, conservation of wild species, and food security and sustainability.

Authors: Joan Quinct Lingao (School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines Diliman) | Juan Rofes (School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines Diliman; Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements; National Museum of the Philippines) | Michelle Eusebio (Science and Society Program, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman) | Grace Barretto-Tesoro (School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines Diliman) | Michael Herrera (School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines Diliman)

Read the full paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10761-024-00754-6

Image from top to bottom right: Select pig specimens from the three archaeological sites. San Diego wreck site: a fragmentary left mandible of Sus scrofa with the third molar still in situ; Intendencia Ruins: a left lower second molar of Sus scrofa; Structure B: a lower first molar of Sus sp. Scale: 1 bar = 1 cm

In the Philippines, we share a long-standing connection with pigs both archaeologically and culturally

Pigs play a very significant role in our society. They are not only seen as a food source but also as an important symbol in various cultures. In the Philippines, we have demonstrated our long-standing relationship with pigs based on their presence in the archaeological record and using the available genetic, archival, and ethnographic data. Our analysis of animal bones from historical archaeological sites in Luzon showed the presence of pig remains, with butchery marks serving as evidence that this animal was part of the people’s diet during that time.

On the other hand, genetic data showed that pigs as we know them today could be a product of a complex history of introduction and interbreeding of different populations of pigs, which resulted from our interactions with neighboring countries as well as the several centuries of colonial occupation of the Philippines. Acceptance of imported pigs is also represented by the transformation of food recipes such as that of sisig and menudo, where pork replaced the main ingredients in their original foreign versions. Philippine ethnographic records have shown the role of pigs in rituals and their symbolism in people’s beliefs.

This research demonstrates the relationship between humans and animals using archaeology, genetics, history, and ethnography. Furthermore, it explores how animals shaped our culture and history, as well as our impact on our environment, and how we utilize our natural resources. One contribution of the findings is a greater understanding of the status of livestock farming in the Philippines and how tracing back centuries of introduction, crossbreeding, and consumption of certain animals can shed light on animal management strategies, conservation of wild species, and food security and sustainability.

Authors: Joan Quinct Lingao (School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines Diliman) | Juan Rofes (School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines Diliman; Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements; National Museum of the Philippines) | Michelle Eusebio (Science and Society Program, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman) | Grace Barretto-Tesoro (School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines Diliman) | Michael Herrera (School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines Diliman)

Read the full paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10761-024-00754-6

Image from top to bottom right: Select pig specimens from the three archaeological sites. San Diego wreck site: a fragmentary left mandible of Sus scrofa with the third molar still in situ; Intendencia Ruins: a left lower second molar of Sus scrofa; Structure B: a lower first molar of Sus sp. Scale: 1 bar = 1 cm