Angono Rock Art, Oldest Form of Art in PI: 3,000+ yrs old Options

[dalawapo]

In 1965, National Artist for Visual Arts Carlos "Botong" Francisco discovered some 127 carvings engraved on the wall of a shallow cave in Angono, Rizal. The town of Angono is some 40 kilometers south of Manila, around 1 hour and 30 minutes away. The Angono petroglyphs, as they are called, are said to be the oldest known artworks in the Philippines, dating from the 3rd millenium, BC. The 3000 year old carvings are line incisions of human figures, with the circular heads set on top of rectangular or V-shaped bodies. The figures are without necks but with arms and legs. Whoever carved the figures may have also carved the geometric figures that also appear on the rock wall: rectangles, triangles and circles. Most of the carvings have eroded away due to the rain, the harsh sunlight, and the wind. Others have been destroyed by vandals and visitor traffic.

Rock art in the Philippines is unique because most artists in Southeast Asia used paint or charcoal as the medium for their art, rather than carving the images directly on stone. According to anthropologist Dr. Jesus Peralta, "The engraved drawings are made without any reference to a baseline, suggesting that these were made during different points in time through a long period." Aside from the Angono petroglyphs, there are five other areas where rock art samples have been reported in the Philippines. These are in the Penablanca caves in Cayagan Valley; the rock outcroppings in Baranggay Alab, Bontoc, Mountain Province; the Anda Peninsula in Bohol; the Singnapan basin caves in Ransang, Southern Palawan; and in Northwestern Palawan. Other samples of rock art may exist in other areas, but remain unreported.

The Angono Petroglyphs are listed in the World Inventory of Rock Art. In 1996, it was also included in the World Monuments Watch, a list of the 100 Most Endangered Sites in the World. Established in 1995 by the World Monuments Fund, a private worldwide preservation organization, the World Monuments Watch draws attention to the conservation problem faced many of the world's greatest cultural sites.

At present, the National Museum of the Philippines is undertaking measures to ensure the preservation of these ancient artworks. These include fencing off the site, and posting guards against vandals. There are plans to build a glass-encased canopy and a viewing platform for visitors. It is hoped that with careful planning, the Angono petroglyphs will last for 3000 more years.

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/10864/87272

http://mvphilippines.hypermart.net/pertoglyphs.htm

And the tradition is surviving to this day as contemporary artists cultivate the ancient designs by incorporating them into modern art!

Artist's Village

From Cainta, the road leads southeast to Angono, home of the Angono Artist's Village, one of the top art centers in the Philippines. In the early 1990s, ancient petroglyphs dating back 5,000 years were discovered on a cave wall just outside town. In Dona Justa Village, visit the Nemiranda Arthouse, featurig the whimsical sculptures and naked female forms favoered by one of the top contemporary artists in the country!

Taken from: Insight Guide - Philippines

This post has been edited by dalawapo: Jul 29 2004, 04:09 AM

[Ek-ek]

Indeed it is known as Angono petroglyps