Excavated in a burial cave on the island of Masbate in the central Philippines, this small hammered gold foil disc was likely part of an earring. The Philippine archipelago has the second largest gold deposit in the world. Elaborate gold ornaments were produced in southern Philippine polities using a variety of techniques from at least the tenth century AD. Unfortunately, during the period of Spanish colonialism, many of these objects were taken from local inhabitants and melted down for bullion or to make new objects for the church. Nonetheless, ancient gold objects that have been recovered in archaeological sites attest to the technological and artistic sophistication of ancient Philippine gold working. Although few bones were preserved in this site, excavators did recover three human teeth (canines and incisors) inlaid with ornamental gold discs—like today, a “fashion statement” that expressed their wearer’s wealth and prestige.
