April 26, 2025
Remembering Dr. Eusebio Z. Dizon (January 24, 1955 – April 23, 2025): A Founding Pillar of Philippine Archaeology
With deep respect and gratitude, we remember the life and legacy of Dr. Eusebio Z. Dizon, a pioneering figure whose contributions laid the groundwork for archaeological practice in the Philippines. His passing marks the end of an era, but his impact on heritage, scholarship, and national identity endures.
Dr. Dizon began his distinguished career in 1977 at the National Museum of the Philippines, where he dedicated nearly five decades to the exploration and interpretation of the country’s prehistoric past. He received formal academic training in archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he specialized in archaeometallurgy. This expertise shaped many of his most influential projects, including the landmark publications Faces from Maitum and The Metal Age in the Philippines: An Archaeometallurgical Investigation, works that continue to serve as cornerstones in the study of Philippine archaeology.
Dr. Dizon led numerous landmark excavations that reshaped our understanding of Philippine heritage, including the discovery of the Maitum Anthropomorphic Burial Jars, the limestone tombs of Kamhantik, and early human settlements in Batanes, which offered critical insights into Austronesian migration and Southeast Asian maritime networks. Notably, also he served on the technical working group for the nomination of Tabon Cave as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing its significance as one of the most important early human habitation sites in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Even in the final year of his life, he remained actively engaged in archaeological fieldwork and continued his scholarly engagements that deepened local and regional archaeological heritage discourse and prehistory.
But Dr. Dizon was not only a field archaeologist—he was a builder of institutions. In 1995, he became the founding director of the Archaeological Studies Program (ASP) at the University of the Philippines Diliman. This program has since grown into the country’s premier center for archaeological training and research in the country. Under his leadership, the institution that is now known as the School of Archaeology became a vital space for cultivating the next generation of Filipino archaeologists, many of whom now lead their own significant projects across the country and abroad.
Dr. Dizon actively cultivated partnerships with scholars and institutions around the world. He opened avenues for international collaboration with researchers from Europe, the United States, Japan, and Australia, ensuring that Philippine archaeology was part of the broader global discourse. These partnerships enriched both local and international scholarship, fostering mutual learning, capacity building, and comparative approaches to archaeological research in island and maritime Southeast Asia.
In his role as Scientist III at the National Museum, Dr. Dizon continued to lead multidisciplinary research initiatives across diverse periods from the Paleolithic and Neolithic to protohistoric, underwater, and maritime archaeology. His comprehensive approach and dedication to methodological rigor were hallmarks of his work, and he championed partnerships between local communities, researchers, and institutions to ensure that archaeological knowledge remained both scientifically sound and socially relevant.
He leaves behind not only a body of groundbreaking research but also a generation of archaeologists, students, and cultural workers who carry forward his legacy with gratitude and pride.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Dr. Dizon’s family, friends, colleagues, and students. May his memory continue to inspire a deeper commitment to the study, protection, and celebration of the shared heritage that shapes the Filipino nation.
