The history of the Philippines is believed to have begun with the arrival of the first humans using rafts or boats[1][2][3] at least 709,000 years ago as suggested by the discovery of Pleistocene stone tools and butchered animal remains associated with hominin activity.[4] Homo luzonensis, a species of archaic human, was present in the island of Luzon at least 67,000 years ago.[5][6] The earliest known modern human was from Tabon Cave in Palawan dating about 47,000 years.[7] Negrito groups were the first inhabitants to settle in prehistoric Philippines. After that, groups of Austronesians later migrated to the islands.
Scholars generally believe that these social groups eventually developed into various settlements or polities with varying degrees of economic specialization, social stratification, and political organization.[8] Some of these settlements (mostly those located on major river deltas) achieved such a scale of social complexity that some scholars believe they should be considered early states.[9] This includes the predecessors of modern-day population centers such as Maynila, Tondo, Pangasinan, Cebu, Panay, Bohol, Butuan, Cotabato, Lanao, and Sulu[2] as well as some polities, such as Ma-i, whose possible location are still the subject of debate among scholars.[10]
These polities were either influenced by the Hindu-Buddhist[11] Indian religion, language, culture, literature and philosophy from India through many campaigns from India including the South-East Asia campaign of Rajendra Chola I,[12] Islam from Arabia or were Sinified tributary states allied to China. These small maritime states flourished from the 1st millennium.[13][14] These kingdoms traded with what are now called China, India, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.[15] The remainder of the settlements were independent barangays allied with one of the larger states. These small states alternated from between being part of or being influenced by larger Asian empires like the Ming Dynasty, Majapahit and Brunei or rebelling and waging war against them.