Led by Director of the UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies Dr. Stephen Acabado, the Ifugao Archaeological Project is an ongoing and impactful effort that has produced important findings about Philippine history.
9/30/2023 12:00:00 AM § Alisa Egecioglu, Global Data Coordinator
The Ifugao Archaeological Project focuses on rice terraces in the Northern Philippines, and was born from Dr. Acabado’s graduate research in 2003. These rice terraces are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage monuments, and contain valuable history pertaining to communities that have inhabited the region. Main archaeological fieldwork for the Ifugao Archaeological Project — which began in 2007 — has dated the rice fields to ca. 1600 AD and revealed that they were built as a response to colonial pressure from the Spanish. In addition to providing important historical findings, the Ifugao Archaeological Project has also positively impacted the local community through the establish
ment of an Indigenous People’s Education (IPEd) Center, a national program in the Philippines with several locations. The center is one of the most successful in the country, enriched by its proximity to the project’s research and previously established Ifugao Community Heritage Galleries. Currently, the center serves as an educational resource for heritage research and working with marginalized populations. The Ifugao Archaeological Project continues to operate in the Philippines, increasing engagement with locals by hosting workshops for elders and schoolteachers. These workshops have introduced newfound knowledge from the project into community stories as well as history curricula in schools.