Mission Palawan Archaeological Project

Mission Palawan Archaeological Project An archaeological project investigating humans-environment relationships in Southern Palawan.

30/05/2026

A day in a life of archaeologists in a fieldwork

How does an archaeologist spends a day in excavation?

Here’s a basic rundown of a morning excavation for the Mission Palawan team at Tajawan 1

>6:00-7:00am: Wake up “early” (hopefully) and have breakfast

>7:00am-7:15am: Walk from the base camp to Tajawan 1 Cave using the trail

>7:15am to 7:30am: Setup the total station and align it with the establish points for measuring the position of artifacts and other finds during the excavation.

>7:30am to 9:30am: Excavation and Recording of data in the site

>9:30am to 10:00am: Coffee break for the team while observing the environment around the cave area. Monkeys, squirrels, and smell of stink badgers sometimes make a cameo.

>10:00am to 11:30am: Last period of the morning excavation and recording for the Mission Palawan team

>11:30am to 1:30pm: Packing up and marching back to the base camp for lunch and siesta.

>1:30pm to 4:00pm: Resuming of the archaeological excavation of Tajawan 1 for the afternoon

Repeat everyday.

The more you know ;)

29/05/2026

Ever curious how archaeologists start an excavation? ⛏️📉📋🔎

Before excavation even begins, archaeologists establish a precise grid system that divides the site into organized squares. This allows the team to record the exact location of artifacts, features, and soil changes with scientific accuracy. Think of it like a real-world version of “Battleship” or “Minecraft,” where every square has meaning.

The first photo shows a total station being used to set up the grid at Tajawan 1, while the timelapse video shows the team marking the first surface points across the trench. These points will guide the excavation of the first layer.

Mission Palawan is back in the field for the 2026 season! 🇫🇷🇵🇭This French-Filipino archaeological mission returns to Sou...
27/05/2026

Mission Palawan is back in the field for the 2026 season! 🇫🇷🇵🇭

This French-Filipino archaeological mission returns to Southern Palawan to study an important question: How have people lived with, moved through, and shaped these extraordinary landscapes over thousands of years?

This season, the excavation team focuses on Tajawan 1 Cave in Tabud, Bataraza that was identified as an archaeological site during our 2025 survey. In the initial excavation by Mission Palawan team, the cave yielded pottery, stone tools, shell ornaments, plant remains, and animal bones that revealed ancient communities thriving between forest, river, and sea, connected to wider networks across Palawan, Borneo, and Island Southeast Asia.

Mission Palawan is an archaeological project investigating the intertwined stories between humans and the environment in...
26/05/2026

Mission Palawan is an archaeological project investigating the intertwined stories between humans and the environment in Southern Palawan, Philippines. Since 2023, the team excavated 3 caves: Guri Cave and Sarang Cave in the Tabon Caves Complex, on the Lipuun Point (Quezon municipality), and Tajawan 1, at Barangay Tabud, Bataraza. To find Tajawan 1, the team conducted a survey in the South of Palawan and identified several new archaeological sites at Tabud, Bataraza. Mission Palawan also created several exhibitions, trained students, and regularly offers free activities about heritage to the public.

Mission Palawan is a French-Filipino collaboration involving the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, the National Museum of the Philippines, the University of the Philippines Diliman, Ateneo de Manila, the Palawan State University, the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and the University Autònoma of Barcelona. It has been funded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Museum of the Philippines, the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, and JLB Resort and Tours.

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