PRIMITIVE WEAPONS AND ARMOR OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 19 



Methods of iron production, however, and the quality of the output 

 of the furnaces which is in part cast iron and in part a lump of 

 malleable iron, also the tj'pe of furnace construction lead to the con- 

 clusion that China and, later, Japan developed their knowledge of 

 iron production along independent lines. Many clear-cut distinctions 

 in metal lore, in the artistic embellishment of weapons, and in their 

 functions may be drawn between the metallurgical centers of southern 

 Asia, including the Philippines, and northern and eastern Asia, 

 including China and Japan, as will be pointed out later. 



The Philippine Islands have been influenced by Asiatic migrations 

 and culture probably since the beginning of the first centuries of our 

 era. Subjected in turn to culture influence from Indo-China, 

 Sumatra, and Borneo, and to the Javanese Empire of Madjapahit, 

 they were at the same time subjected to the penetrating culture 

 influences of Hinduism, followed in turn by that of the Chinese and 

 the Japanese. Then the subjection of the southern and southeastern 

 sections of the Philippines to Islam through the agency of the 

 Malayan missionaries was effected not more than two hundred years 

 before the conquest of the islands by the Catholic Spanish type of 

 European culture was begun. The rule of Spain in the Philippines 

 was graduallj^ extended, to succumb for a brief period of two years 

 to the control of the British-Indian Army, and later to be entirely 

 overthrown by the force of arms of the western world, the United 

 States. That each of these empires and culture types left traces is 

 clearly evidenced by the racial types at present inhabiting the 

 islands, by prevalent culture distribution, and by the existing ethnic 

 stratification. 



The native population: Ethnic stocks and ethnic stratification. — 

 In most discussions regarding native culture traits of the Filipino 

 people emphasis is placed on the borrowings from the Asiatic main- 

 land. Yet it would be difficult to name a people possessing as much 

 ingenuity and inventiveness within the limits of its geographic pos- 

 sibilities. A land that is devoid of metal ore for the most part and 

 whose people must of necessity import the great bulk of their metal 

 could hardly be expected to develop a greater originality in metal 

 work than the adjoining lands from which their supplies were ob- 

 tained. Nevertheless, the metal work of the pagan and Mohammedan 

 Filipino in brass and iron has come to have a much wider reputation 

 for beauty of design and artistic Avorkmanship than that of any 

 other East Indian people. In so far as loomless handicrafts and 

 basketry enter in the manufacture of shields, scabbards, and armor 

 the excellence of their skill is remarkable. 



Broadly speaking, there are three ethnic stocks represented in the 

 l)opulation of the Philippine Islands — the Negrito, the Indonesian, 



