The history of the Philippines dates from the earliest hominin activity in the archipelago at least
by 709,000 years ago.[1] Homo luzonensis, a species of archaic humans, was present on the
island of Luzon[2][3] at least by 134,000 years ago.[4]
The earliest known anatomically modern human was from Tabon Caves in Palawan dating
about 47,000 years.[5] Negrito groups were the first inhabitants to settle in the prehistoric
Philippines.[6] These were followed by Austroasiatics, Papuans, and South Asians.[7] By
around 3000 BCE, seafaring Austronesians, who form the majority of the current population,
migrated southward from Taiwan.[8] By 2000 BCE the archipelago was the crux of a
trans-oceanic Philippine jade culture.[9]
Scholars generally believe that these ethnic and social groups eventually developed into various
settlements or polities with varying degrees of economic specialization, social stratification, and
political organization.[10] Some of these settlements (mostly those located on major river deltas)
achieved such a scale of social complexity that some scholars believe they should be
considered early states.[11] This includes the predecessors of modern-day population centers
such as Manila, Tondo, Pangasinan, Cebu, Panay, Bohol, Butuan, Cotabato, Lanao,
Zamboanga and Sulu[12] as well as some polities, such as Ma-i, whose possible location is
either Mindoro or Laguna.[13]
