PHILIPPINE ARCHAEOLOGY AT UCLA

The Archaeology Program at the Department of Anthropology, University of California-Los Angeles, has established a long-term project in the Philippines that involves research, training, and community engagement. Together with UCLA’s Cotsen Institute of Archaeology and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Dr. Stephen Acabado has successfully run the Ifugao Archaeological Project, and more recently, the Bicol Archaeological Project.  In 2019, UCLA will launch the Archaeology of Spanish Colonialism in the Philippines, with the Partido State University, Ifugao State University, Archaeological Studies Program-University of the Philippines, and the Archdiocese of Caceres as collaborators.

The research program aims to contribute to archaeological studies in the Philippines as well as train the next generation of archaeologists, particularly those interested in the archaeology of the Philippines. More importantly, the training component of the research program provides opportunities for heritage students to conduct research in the Philippines. Indeed, more than 20 students of Filipino heritage have participated in the IAP since its inception.