Annotated Bibliography: The Austronesian Gastronomic Landscape

This document provides summaries for the sources cited in the “Austronesian Gastronomic Landscape” text. The sources are categorized by their primary contribution to the research: Archaeological/Genetic Foundations, Botanical/Agricultural Studies, Zooarchaeology, and Ethnographic/Cultural Records.

I. Archaeological, Genetic, and Theoretical Foundations

1. Domesticated plants and animals of Austronesia (Wikipedia)

Link to Source: Wikipedia Article
Type: General Reference
Summary: An overview of the “Neolithic package” carried by Austronesian voyagers. It details the specific suite of translocated species—including pigs, chickens, dogs, paper mulberry, rice, and taro—that allowed settlers to reproduce their agricultural lifestyle in new island environments. It serves as a baseline for understanding what was “brought” versus what was “found.”

2. The genomic diversity of Taiwanese Austronesian groups (PNAS Nexus)

Link to Source: PNAS Nexus Article
Type: Academic Journal Article (Genetics)
Summary: This study analyzes genome-wide data from indigenous Taiwanese groups. It supports the “Out-of-Taiwan” hypothesis by showing that Taiwan served as a genetic incubator for the ancestors of Austronesian speakers. However, it also reveals complex internal migration structures within Taiwan, suggesting that the initial expansion was not a single uniform wave but a result of dynamic population movements.

3. Early Austronesians Cultivated Rice and Millet Together (PMC)

Link to Source: PMC Article
Type: Academic Journal Article (Archaeobotany)
Summary: This paper presents phytolith and starch grain evidence confirming that early Austronesian settlers in Taiwan cultivated both rice (Oryza sativa) and foxtail millet (Setaria italica) as a dual-cropping system. This challenges the rice-only narrative and establishes millet as a foundational crop of the early expansion, which is critical for explaining its persistence in the Philippines.

4. Austronesian peoples (Wikipedia)

Link to Source: Wikipedia Article
Type: General Reference
Summary: A broad encyclopedic entry defining the ethno-linguistic group. It covers the geographical expanse of the language family (from Madagascar to Easter Island) and the shared cultural traits, such as outrigger canoe technology, tattooing, and wetland agriculture, that define the population discussed in the main text.

5. The Austronesians, the Nusantao and the Lapita Cultural Complex (ResearchGate)

Link to Source: ResearchGate Paper
Type: Academic Paper (Theoretical Archaeology)
Summary: A critical review of Wilhelm Solheim II’s “Nusantao” hypothesis. Unlike the “Out of Taiwan” model which focuses on migration from the north, this paper explores Solheim’s theory of a maritime trading network functioning in all directions across Island Southeast Asia. It provides the theoretical basis for the text’s argument that pre-colonial diets were shaped by maritime trade and interaction rather than just agricultural expansion.

10. Preceramic riverside hunter-gatherers and the arrival of Neolithic farmers in northern Luzon (Antiquity)

Link to Source: Antiquity Article
Type: Academic Journal Article (Archaeology)
Summary: This key study focuses on excavations in the Cagayan Valley (e.g., Nagsabaran). It provides radiocarbon dates showing the interaction between indigenous hunter-gatherers and incoming Neolithic farmers around 4,000 years ago. It is the primary source for the evidence of shell middens and the gradual transition—rather than abrupt replacement—of food acquisition strategies in Luzon.

11. Rice Pots or Not? Exploring Ancient Ifugao Foodways (NMJCH)

Link to Source: NMJCH Article
Type: Academic Journal Article (Organic Residue Analysis)
Summary: A landmark study analyzing lipid and starch residues on pottery from the Old Kiyyangan Village in Ifugao. The findings challenge the age of the famous rice terraces, suggesting they are a post-Spanish phenomenon (post-1600s) rather than 2,000 years old. It confirms that while rice was present, root crops (taro/yams) were likely the daily staple for much of pre-colonial history.

II. The Starch Complex: Cereals and Tubers

6. Sweet potatoes and yams (Cambridge World History of Food)

Link to Source: Cambridge World History of Food
Type: Academic Book Chapter
Summary: This text differentiates between Old World yams (Dioscorea spp.) and the New World sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). It explains that while sweet potatoes are now ubiquitous, they are a colonial introduction. The pre-colonial “root crop” diet relied on yams and taro, which were culturally distinct and often held higher prestige or ritual value.

15, 16, 17. Studies on Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) in the Philippines

15. Turjaf Article: Link
16. PMC Study: Link
17. bioRxiv Study: Link
Type: Academic Journal Articles (Agri-Science/Genetics)
Summary: These papers investigate the surviving landraces of foxtail millet (dawa or kabog) in the Philippines. They confirm that these rare crops are genetic relics of the ancient Austronesian agricultural package, now mostly displaced by rice and corn. The studies highlight the crop’s drought tolerance and its persistence in specific regions like the Visayas and Mindanao as a “culinary fossil.”

18, 19, 20. Job’s Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) / Adlay

18. Wikipedia: Link
19. Grokipedia: Link
20. YouTube Feature: Link
Type: Reference & Media
Summary: These sources profile Adlay, a grain native to Southeast Asia. They describe its botanical characteristics (growing well in marginal soil) and its culinary use as a rice substitute. The YouTube source likely provides visual ethnographic evidence of its processing and cooking, supporting its role as a high-protein staple for highlanders and Lumad groups.

21, 22, 23. Mung Bean (Vigna radiata) Studies

21. CABI Compendium: Link
22. PMC Article: Link
23. MedCrave Article: Link
Type: Scientific Databases & Articles
Summary: These sources track the history of the mung bean (mongo). While domesticated in India, the texts explain its very early arrival in Southeast Asia via trade routes. They highlight the agronomic importance of mung beans in crop rotation (fixing nitrogen in rice paddies), showing pre-colonial agricultural sophistication.

III. Zooarchaeology: The Protein Landscape

24, 30. Introduced Domestic Animals… / The Faunal Remains of Nagsabaran

24. Introduced Domestic Animals (ResearchGate): Link
30. The Faunal Remains of Nagsabaran (Thesis): Link
Type: Academic Journal Articles (Zooarchaeology)
Summary: These are detailed reports on the animal bones found at the Nagsabaran site. Key findings include:
- Pigs: Domestic pigs were introduced early but wild warty pigs (Sus philippensis) remained a primary food source.
- Dogs: Evidence of dogs suggests they were present but their role (food vs. companion/hunter) varied.
- Broad Spectrum: The diet was not reliant on farm animals; it heavily utilized deer (Rusa marianna) and shellfish.

31. Carabao (Wikipedia)

Link to Source: Wikipedia Article
Type: General Reference
Summary: Describes the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). In the context of the research, it clarifies the distinction between the swamp buffalo (draft animal) and wild bovids. It supports the discussion on whether these animals were initially food sources or purely labor animals in the Neolithic period.

40. Fermented Fish Products in the Philippines (NCBI)

Link to Source: NCBI Book Chapter
Type: Scientific Book Chapter
Summary: A microbiological and cultural analysis of bagoong (fermented paste) and patis (sauce). It explains the chemistry of autolysis and halophilic bacteria that allows seafood to be preserved in the tropics. This source underpins the section on “Culinary Technology,” framing fermentation as a survival necessity rather than just a flavor preference.

IV. Culinary Culture, Technology, and Ethnography

14. The Art of Pusô: Palm Leaf Art in the Visayas (ResearchGate)

Link to Source: ResearchGate Article
Type: Academic Journal Article (Ethnohistory)
Summary: This paper analyzes the puso (hanging rice). It argues that the complex weaving patterns are not just decorative but functional (for preservation and transport) and ritualistic. It pushes the date of this technology back to at least the 13th century based on linguistic data and early Spanish observation, framing it as a distinct maritime adaptation.

35, 38. Kinilaw

35. Wikipedia: Link
38. Kiddle Facts: Link
Type: General Reference
Summary: These entries define Kinilaw as a raw fish dish cured in vinegar. Crucially, they mention the archaeological evidence from Butuan (cut fish bones and Tabon-tabon fruit residues), which proves the technique is pre-colonial and distinct from the citrus-cured ceviche of the Americas.

39. Asín tibuok (Wikipedia)

Link to Source: Wikipedia Article
Type: General Reference
Summary: Describes the artisanal “dinosaur egg” salt of Bohol. It details the labor-intensive process of filtering seawater through ash and burning it in clay pots. This highlights the existence of specialized salt production centers and trade routes (salt moving from coast to interior) prior to Spanish contact.

41. From Vinegar to Paksiw (Kapwa Magazine)

Link to Source: Kapwa Magazine Article
Type: Cultural/Historical Article
Summary: A popular history article exploring the role of acidity in Filipino food preservation. It connects the biological necessity of vinegar (antimicrobial) in a tropical climate to the development of the “sour” Filipino palate, arguing that paksiw and adobo methods are indigenous preservation techniques adapted to local ingredients.

43. Isneg and Kankanay Riddles Explained (Asian Ethnology)

Link to Source: Asian Ethnology Article
Type: Ethnographic Collection
Summary: A collection of traditional riddles from Northern Luzon. By analyzing these riddles, researchers can identify what objects were common enough to be understood by everyone (e.g., specific bamboo types, pests, jars, crops). It serves as “linguistic archaeology,” proving the cultural deep-seatedness of ingredients like taro and ginger.

44, 45, 47. Beverages: Philippine Wine / Tuba

44. Philippine Wine (Wikipedia): Link
45. Culture of Drinking (Philstar): Link
47. Tuba (Wikipedia): Link
Type: General Reference & News
Summary: These sources cover the traditional alcoholic beverages: Basi (sugarcane), Tapuy (rice), and Tuba (coconut sap). They emphasize the ritual context of drinking (communication with spirits) and the communal nature of consumption (tagayan), distinguishing pre-colonial alcohol use from modern recreational drinking.

V. Regional and Modern Connections

7, 8, 9, 36. Regional Food Guides

7. Lever Foundation (Plant-Based): Link
8. Ang Sarap (Regional Cuisines): Link
9. Ilocano Food (Blog): Link
36. Apayao Tourism: Link
Type: Blogs and Tourism Articles
Summary: These are contemporary descriptions of regional cuisines (Ilocano, Bicolano, Isneg). They are used in the text to draw “ethnographic analogies”—showing how modern dishes like pinakbet or sinursur contain the “DNA” of pre-colonial cooking methods (steaming in bamboo, using leafy greens) that have survived colonization.

12, 34. Filipino Cuisine / Gastronomy

12. Filipino Cuisine (Wikipedia): Link
34. Gastronomy Reviewer (Scribd): Link
Type: General Overviews
Summary: Broad overviews of Filipino food history. They are likely used to contrast the pre-colonial diet with the heavy influence of the Columbian Exchange (tomatoes, chili, corn) discussed in the “Green Larder” section.

29, 13. Filipino Shamans / Kalag

29. Filipino Shamans (Wikipedia): Link
13. Kalag (The Pinay Writer): Link
Type: Cultural/Religious Reference
Summary: These sources discuss the spiritual aspect of food. They describe the Cañao and other offering rituals where specific foods (unsalted pork, rice wine, rice cakes) are required, reinforcing the argument that agriculture was driven as much by ritual needs as by caloric ones.

Notes on Usage

This bibliography is organized to support research into the Pre-Colonial Lunchbox. Sources range from peer-reviewed academic journals to ethnographic collections and contemporary cultural documentation. When citing these sources, please verify the most current URLs as some links may change over time.

For academic citations, please consult the original sources directly and follow appropriate citation styles (APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.) as required by your discipline or publication venue.

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Pre-Colonial Lunchbox Annotated Bibliography