This is a timely topic. I have just this week received a copy of Wilhelm Solheim's book on
The Archaeology of Central Philippines* that described his PhD thesis work in the early 1950s. He draws on specimens he collected mainly from the Visayas and Palawan at that time, and those collected by Dr Carl Guthe of the University of Michigan in the 1920s, as well as material held in the National Museum, Manila in the late 1950s. The specimens are not dated and little is said about the age of the various examples he describes, but they appear to predate contact with Europeans.
Much of the discussion is devoted to pottery, and linking pottery styles between the various sites. There are, however, a number of iron items described, including spear heads, knives and swords. There are a couple of black and white plates that I will scan and post of these ancient weapons. The swords seem to be on the short side, much as we see in the Visayas today and in the last 100 or so years.
I had expected more about weapons when I purchased this book, but there is a disappointing lack of detail about the weapons and other iron items, with more attention directed to the pottery. Most of the blades appear to be well suited as tools, although there are several weapon-like pieces as well. One item stood out--it appears to be a
keris.
More to come when I get to my scanner.
*Wilhelm G. Solheim, II.
The Archaeology of Central Philippines. A Study Chiefly of the Iron Age and its Relationships. Monograph 10, National Institute of Science and Technology, Manila. Manila Bureau of Printing, 1964, 235 pp, 48 plates.
Here are the two plates of edged items published by Soldheim. They represent both edged tools and weapons. Subsequent work has attributed these items as coming from the 12th to 15th C. CE. The keris-like object is seen in Plate 47 (j). This item is in the Wurthe Collection, University of Michigan and migueldiaz previously posted a much better, more recent picture of this blade (
here).
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