New Research Reveals the Real Story Behind the Ifugao Rice Terraces

 

The 2,000-Year Myth? Busted.
New Research Reveals the Real Story Behind the Ifugao Rice Terraces

For decades, we believed the majestic Ifugao Rice Terraces were over 2,000 years old. But new scientific findings are now rewriting that narrative.

According to UCLA archaeologist Prof. Stephen Acabado and heritage advocate Marlon Martin, recent studies show the terraces are likely just 200 to 400 years old. Through radiocarbon dating, soil analysis, and a close look at irrigation systems and crop remnants, they discovered no evidence of ancient rice farming in early Ifugao settlements like Old Kiangan Village. Instead, they found signs of taro — a crop that doesn’t require terraces at all.

So where did the 2,000-year claim come from? Early 20th-century American scholars like Roy Barton and H. Otley Beyer guessed based on migration theories and oral traditions — not science. Over time, these guesses became “facts” in textbooks and tourism campaigns.

But here’s the twist: the newer timeline doesn’t make the terraces less valuable — it makes them even more powerful. Built during the Spanish colonial era, they were a bold strategy by the Ifugao people to stay independent, preserve their culture, and resist colonial control.

“These terraces aren’t ancient relics — they’re proof of resilience, resistance, and ingenuity,” says Acabado. “A 200-year-old terrace tells an equally powerful story.”

This research shifts the spotlight from myth to meaning — celebrating not just how long the terraces have existed, but why they were built in the first place.

Originally published by Rappler.

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