How old are the Ifugao Rice Terraces, really?
Philcongen LA, UCLA launch ‘Breaking Myths: Food, Feasts, and the Ifugao’ ethnographic exhibit
In celebration of National Heritage Month, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Center for Southeast Studies opened an ethnographic exhibit entitled “Breaking Myths: Food, Feasts, and the Ifugao” at the Consulate General’s Community Hall.
The exhibit aims to promote a better understanding of Philippine history through the meticulous research undertaken by the Ifugao Archeological Project, a collaboration between the UCLA Center for Southeast Asia Studies, the University of the Philippines Archeological Studies Program, the National Museum, and the Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement.
Among the findings of the Ifugao Archeological Project is one that, debunking the long-held belief that the Ifugao Rice Terraces were built around 2,000 years ago, that the terraced landscape of the Ifugao are the end-result of population expansion into the Cordillera highlands as a response to Spanish colonization.
The research provided interesting insights on Ifugao and Cordillera society while debunking the long-held belief that the Ifugao Rice Terraces are about 2,000 years old. It also affirmed the ingenuity and adaptability of our Cordillera ancestors in the face of adversity brought about by the Spanish colonization of the lands and peoples in what would eventually become the Philippines.
The exhibit runs until June 25, with special viewings available on weekdays, except holidays, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Special viewings are by appointment only. Those who are interested to pay a visit are requested to send an email to [email protected].