Huluga Caves
Encyclopedia
Huluga Caves is a prehistoric site in the Philippines
. It is located in the south end of Cagayan de Oro City
, about eight kilometers away. Composed of the two main caverns, it is situated on the eastern side of Cagayan de Oro River
, along the brow of a vertical limestone cliff. The skeletal fragment from these caves were found belong to a child and a woman who inhabited in 377 A.D. This was based on the acid racemization done by Scripps Institute in La Jolla, California, USA
.
trees on both the northern and southern flanks. According to the Heritage Conservation Advocates, is "the home of the original native people of Cagayan de Oro City
". It is considered by many people, to be a sacred
site which lacks protection and guidance by the government. Inside, they have found native tools such as glass beads, spoons, pendants, bracelets, stone tools, axe tip and pieces of iron.
In 1977, Burton sent bone samples taken from the caves for acid racemization to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California in San Diego, California, and the sample was traced to 1600 BP or 377 A.D. Experts at the National Museum earlier said they were convinced that these caves were used by early Cagayanons from the late Neolithic Age to the Iron Age
. At present, archeological artifacts can still be retrieved at the damaged portion of the open site.
Antonio Montalvan II, a former commissioner at the City Hall's Historical Commission, said no pits were ever dug by scientists at the open site but only surface scans. "It is therefore possible that the site will still yield unearthed artifacts and evidences of prehistoric Cagayan culture. This was in fact one of the recommendations of the National Museum team," he said.
Aside from its continuing archeological yields, the Huluga Site is believed to have been the site of prehistoric Cagayan de Oro known in written historical documents as "Himologan".
When the Spanish
soldiers and Augustinian friars arrived in Cagayan in the year 1622, there was no town in the area that existed. They founded only a large cave fortress called Himologan. It was only in 1626 that Himologan's chief, Datu Salangsang and his people were persuaded by Fray Agustin de San Pedro to move the town site to the present-day Gaston Park and the San Agustin Cathedral.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It is located in the south end of Cagayan de Oro City
Cagayan de Oro City
Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...
, about eight kilometers away. Composed of the two main caverns, it is situated on the eastern side of Cagayan de Oro River
Cagayan River (Cagayan de Oro)
Cagayan River, often called as Cagayan de Oro River, is one of the rivers draining the northern central part of the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. The river has its headwaters in the Kalatungan Mountain Range found in the central part of the province of Bukidnon. It traverses the...
, along the brow of a vertical limestone cliff. The skeletal fragment from these caves were found belong to a child and a woman who inhabited in 377 A.D. This was based on the acid racemization done by Scripps Institute in La Jolla, California, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Heritage
Huluga is more than 80-feet high. It has an area of 50 meters across it northern and southern parts and measures 40 meters from the western edge of the precipice to the eastern slope. Cogon grass covers much of the area with big baleteBalete
Balete can refer to:*The modern name for the baMalete, a Southern African Tswana tribe.*The Banyan Tree, locally known as 'Balite' or 'Balete' in the Philippines and closely associated with the spirit world according to a number of Philippine Myths, or any species of Ficus in general*Balete, Aklan,...
trees on both the northern and southern flanks. According to the Heritage Conservation Advocates, is "the home of the original native people of Cagayan de Oro City
Cagayan de Oro City
Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...
". It is considered by many people, to be a sacred
Sacred
Holiness, or sanctity, is in general the state of being holy or sacred...
site which lacks protection and guidance by the government. Inside, they have found native tools such as glass beads, spoons, pendants, bracelets, stone tools, axe tip and pieces of iron.
In 1977, Burton sent bone samples taken from the caves for acid racemization to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California in San Diego, California, and the sample was traced to 1600 BP or 377 A.D. Experts at the National Museum earlier said they were convinced that these caves were used by early Cagayanons from the late Neolithic Age to the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
. At present, archeological artifacts can still be retrieved at the damaged portion of the open site.
Antonio Montalvan II, a former commissioner at the City Hall's Historical Commission, said no pits were ever dug by scientists at the open site but only surface scans. "It is therefore possible that the site will still yield unearthed artifacts and evidences of prehistoric Cagayan culture. This was in fact one of the recommendations of the National Museum team," he said.
Aside from its continuing archeological yields, the Huluga Site is believed to have been the site of prehistoric Cagayan de Oro known in written historical documents as "Himologan".
When the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
soldiers and Augustinian friars arrived in Cagayan in the year 1622, there was no town in the area that existed. They founded only a large cave fortress called Himologan. It was only in 1626 that Himologan's chief, Datu Salangsang and his people were persuaded by Fray Agustin de San Pedro to move the town site to the present-day Gaston Park and the San Agustin Cathedral.