One of the less explored tourist spots in the historic city of Butuan, the Bequibel Shell Museum houses a mound of domestic refuse containing shells and animal bones, marking the site of a prehistoric settlement. This spot may not be as important to the excursionists compared to the anthropologists who studies prehistoric people and their culture.
A midden is the trash of prehistoric people. It is the repository of unwritten events and activities of past human actions. There are two shell middens in Brgy. Bonbon. One is the Bequibel Shell Midden which is a freshwater midden and the Bitor Shell Midden, a brackish shell midden.
The two are divided by the barangay road and the rice fields which were actually remains of an abandoned riverbed.
Bequibel Shell Museum
In 2001, a team of specialists identified Brgy. Bonbon in Butuan, Philippines as already present as early as 7,000 years ago. Artifacts recovered from the shell midden include stone tools like cobble and flake tools, pig and deer bones and teeth as well as human skeleton.
The artifacts recovered at Bequibel Shell Midden showed human presence and their culture when they used Brgy. Bonbon thousands of years ago.
Excavated Shells
Excavating the Shells
Location of Bequibel Shell Museum
Road to Bequibel Shell Museum
This page is last updated on
About the author
Mark Anthony Maranga is an Educator-Parent to his 3 Homeschooling Kids. He sells Ice Cream and Balloons in Mandaue City, Cebu. Exploring the Philippines tourist attractions together with his family is his passion; they are learning without borders.
