There are only three declared National Treasures in Bicol Region, all of which are in Albay: The Daraga Church, the Tabaco Church and the Mataas Shell Scoop found in Mataas Cave, Cagraray Island, Bacacay, Albay. Only the Late Neolithic-period Mataas Shell Scoop is an artifact.
Object type: Shell
Object title: Mataas Shell Scoop
Materials and measurement: Shell; Length 24.5 cm; Body Width 11 com...
Function: Implement
Creator name: Neolithic man
Creator date: Late Neolithic Period
Creation date: ca. 1000 BC
Creation place: Cagraray Island, Albay
Acquisition history: Systematically excavated in Albay, 1957
Owner's name: National Museum
Object history:
Shell scoops made from the body whorl of Turbo marmoratus first appeared in the Late Neolithic Period
At the early phase of Philippine Prehistory, early inhabitants did not only use mollusks as source of food. The protective shells of mollusks were also utilized as raw materials in the manufacture of utensils or implements. This was made possible by the development of human skills such as sawing, drilling and polishing the shells about 3,000 years ago.
The Mataas shell spoon is a concave utensil with a sharp point at one end and a figure at the other end. The latter has a right extremity that forms to what appears like an arm with five digits. The left extremity and the head are missing. The outer surface of the body whorl near the figure has an angular shoulder. This shell spoon is not bilaterally symmetrical.
