I almost forgot to update my entries regarding the Boljoon Church (Patrocinio de Maria, Cebu). Here's an update from Mr. Jobers Bersales of the Sociology and Anthropology Department of the University of San Carlos:

Phase 3 March 24-April 1, 2008 Excavation.

Let me digress a bit from the pressing topic at hand about Oslob and invite you to savor with me the finds we got from our third phase of the Boljoon Archaeological Project. This phase of the project is funded by the Spanish Program for Cultural Cooperation and will is currently running from March 24 to April 24 (back-filling of all excavation units will be on April 22).

Everyone is free to visit and make chitchat on site , take photos, doze the afternoon off on our bunkbeds or hammocks or even use brush and trowel and join us for what will probably be the last dig on the grounds of Boljoon Church.

Below are highlights from Week 1 of the 4-week excavation:



The Excavation Site. we dug here because Boy Cairo, the local maintenance man of the church told us he had dug part of a skull the week before we arrived while digging for a post for a volleyball net---see what accidental diggings can do! But we are proud of this heritage awareness: his workers immediately reported the find to him and then they covered the exposed part of the skull with a piece of roof tile and then refilled the hole, knowing that we were coming in a week's time. They then pointed this out to us.



Burial #17, to the right of the burial that was first unearthed by workers (see above). About 60 cm from ground surface. Probably an adult female, this burial had perfect set of filed teeth and was wearing a carnelian bead (orange), most probably imported from China or India, a gold ring (broken) and some parts of a gold decoration on a long decomposed necklace made of fiber. She was also accompanied by a white ware in the form of a covered powder box, with the powder still adhering in parts inside. Below are her "goods":




Carnelian bead worn as part of her long-decomposed necklace.



the covered powder box, glazed white ware, undecorated, with powder adhering inside.



her perfect set of filed teeth


Burial #20, to the west of Burial 17 in the same North-South positioning (head oriented south). About 50 to 60 cm from gound surface. Probably male, owing to position of arms (crossed) and shallow hip hip bones. So far our burial with the "richest" (note quotation marks!) grave goods comprising the following:



Gold earring which can be seen on near the right side of his cranium where the ear would have been.


The gold earring, seen from its rear side.



The gold earring, seen from its front side.

In the book "Ginto: History Wrought in Gold, The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gold Collection", similar versions of this earring can be found on pages 97 and 98.


Earthenware pottery, with soot on the bottom indicating functional value,
this probably contained food for the journey in the afterlife.


Thai jarlet or bottle with inner glazing, found at the foot of
Burial #20.


We also found bronze medallions for house posts in the Spanish and American period as well as a Spanish structure of stones near the convent which contained a bronze crucifix (depth: 80 cm from out datum point).


Members of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church came by to visit Boljoon and look at the excavations last April Fools Day. Among them were Archt. Melva Rodriguez-Java (not in photo), Fr. Brian Brigoli (in green shirt with shades) Mr. and Mrs. Loy Alix, Trizer Mansueto etc. Ricky Jose and Archt. Manalo were with them. They had just come from Oslob to document whatever was left of the tragedy.