Interpreting archaeological mortuary jar traditions in the Philippines: Forms, lids, and regional connections in Island Southeast Asia

The jar burial tradition in the Philippines is commonly perceived as a single entity, but it is clear from recent analysis that similarities are occurring throughout the region based on interment method and associated artefacts. Nevertheless, there is little discussion that includes jar forms and lids as basis for comparison. This study considers this information while also taking unpublished and untranslated reports into account. This research uses excavators' observations, unpublished photos, drawings, and reconstructed jars in museums to identify physical attributes. In doing so, a pattern emerges suggesting that the jars and lids are indicators of differing burial traditions. We distinguish at least four jar burial traditions in the Philippines based on the combined pattern of jar burial body form and their associated lids.