Stephen Acabado | University of California, Los Angeles (original) (raw)

Stephen Acabado

My research focuses on the archaeology of highland agricultural systems in Southeast Asia, specifically on the Ifugao agricultural terraces (northern Philippines). My initial research findings established the recent inception of the Ifugao rice terraces, arguing against the long history model proposed at the beginning of the 20th century by pioneer anthropologists. Rather, the rice terraces are seen as responses to the arrival of the Spanish in the northern Philippine highlands. This work has espoused the idea that the artificial contrasts that we see between highland and lowland populations in the Philippines are products of colonialism and history, rather than differences in ecological adaptation.

The findings of the IAP have redirected my research focus to understanding indigenous responses to European colonialism. My current research investigates how indigenous populations responded to Spanish colonialism, particularly populations that did not have direct and/or intensive interaction with the colonizing power. The research program argues that the Ifugao of the Philippine Cordillera moved to the mountains as a means of political consolidation at c. AD 1600 to counter the threat of the Spanish expansion to the northern Philippines and as a response to the policy of reduccion and encomienda. This research program contributes to anthropological studies on colonialism by looking at how political and economic intensification mitigated the impacts of colonialism on populations in Ifugao, Philippines, who were in the periphery of Spanish reach. The Ifugao are known for their rice terraces, which are UNESCO World Heritage monuments. Once thought to be over 2,000 years old, our recent work has demonstrated that the upland rice field systems in the region were responses to the social and political pressures from intrusive Spanish colonization into the region starting at c. AD 1600. I contend that the Ifugao responded to the imminent infiltration of the Spanish colonizers and their lowland mercenaries by consolidating political control (particularly, control of rice-land holdings and access to trade goods) and intensifying their rice production. Our work provides evidence that indigenous populations in the fringes of the Spanish colonial reach had complex political systems that were meant to deal with community power relationships and other indigenous groups.
Supervisors: Miriam T. Stark, PhD
Phone: 310-825-9359
Address: 341 Haines Hall
Department of Anthropology
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095

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Papers by Stephen Acabado

Filipinas Journal of the Philippine Studies Association, Inc., 2021

The Global Spanish Empire, 2020

International Journal of Asian Studies, 2020

The Routledge Handbook of Global Historical Archaeology, 2020

Indigenous Peoples, Heritage and Landscape in the Asia Pacific, 2021

Recent radiocarbon determinations obtained from Ifugao agricultural terraces suggest later develo... more Recent radiocarbon determinations obtained from Ifugao agricultural terraces suggest later development of rice cultivation in the region. This information is combined with ethnohistoric reconstructions, ethnographic information, and landscape analysis to argue that wettaro cultivation is an earlier adaptive practice and an important component in the development of Ifugao agricultural system. In addition, the landscape context for the shift in agricultural practice is also presented. As part of a larger study, this article summarizes the probable expansion, and intensifi cation of Ifugao agricultural systems.

Indigenous Perspectives on Sacred Natural Sites, 2018

The !fugao Archaeological Project (IAP) is a collaborative research between the Save the lfugao T... more The !fugao Archaeological Project (IAP) is a collaborative research between the Save the lfugao Terraces Movement {SlTMo), the University of Guam, the University of the Philippines, the National Museum of the Philippines, and the Local Government Units of lfugao. The IAP is community-led through SITMo, who has provided inputs toward the project goals. S\TMo is a local grassroots NGO whose primary goal is to develop preservation prograrns for the lfugao Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed In 1991. However, the listing failed to encourage research on the history of this human-made la.ndscape. Both SITMo and the !AP are convi'nced that understanding the archaeology of the lfugao Rice Terraces will result in a well-rounded preservation program as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The IAP 2012 and 2013 field seasons provided the first archaeological documentation of an early lfugao village, as well as information on the antiquity of the lfu9ao Rice Terraces and the pale...

Food production systems, agricultural landscapes, and the distribution and consumption of valued ... more Food production systems, agricultural landscapes, and the distribution and consumption of valued products often reflect social dynamics. They are also a manifestation of the way societies decide on how to respond to environmental pressures. Using Ifugao (Philippines) and Tayal (Taiwan), two Indigenous Communities in highland Philippines and Taiwan as examples, this article aims to reveal the social ecological meanings of maintaining and revitalizing ritual crops in contemporary capitalist world. Adopting the methods of literature review, ethnographic study, and case study, the authors: 1) explain how the ecology, labor investment, social organization, and belief system made agricultural landscape an agro-cultural complex; 2) trace the landscape transition in the process of colonization and modernization; and 3) address recent efforts to revitalize the ritual crops in the landscape of both cases. By comparing these experiences, the authors point out the importance of continuous enactment and representation of traditions. With these efforts, the communal identities are sustained, and the alternative models of economy are made possible. In the end, the authors propose a dynamic view of landscape and make further suggestions for landscape conservation. Luzon Island of the Philippines is approximately three times the size of Taiwan and is located 300 km south of the smaller nation.