Gold in veins and in stream gravel high in the mountains of northern Luzon, worked and smelted by the upland peoples themselves and traded down for salt, iron and Chinese jars.
This is where the gold of Luzon comes from and no lowland power controls it (board). The trade is described in detail only from the sixteenth century, so the picture here is back projection.
Who holds it
- Title
- Headmen of the place (no one named)
- Since
- not pinned
- Born
- not known
- Family
- not known
- Confidence
- low
No source names anyone who holds this place for 1200.
Lord in 1200
No lord is named; the upland peoples work and sell the gold themselves.
What the town holds
- Gold diggings and washings
Allies and rivals
Nothing is recorded; neighbours are the villages and ports along the same coast.
How things stand that morning
Not described for 1200.
Wealth
Gold, smelted by the mountain people; salt, iron and jars come up (board, as a later pattern).
Threats
- A poor monsoon or a failed season
- Raiders from the next coast
Council
No council or court is recorded; headmen and elders decide (inference).
Fairs and markets
Not known; the trade follows the monsoons.
Militia
Not known. No numbers.
Walls and castle
No wall or fort is recorded.
Trade and crafts
Gold, smelted by the mountain people; salt, iron and jars come up (board, as a later pattern).
Places of note
- Itogon: Gold district (a modern name), position approximate.
- Mankayan: Copper and gold district (a modern name), position approximate.
- Baguio: Modern city on the plateau (not a 1200 place).
Where the sources disagree
- The detailed picture of the gold trade is sixteenth century and later, as the campaign board says.
Evidence: Geography, the later pattern and the campaign board; nothing dated for 1200. The campaign board marks it 'likely'.
"The campaign board" is OMNIA's working map. These notes record where its earlier claims were checked against the sources.
On the map: A place marker; the ground round it, if any, is drawn in the lord and province records.
Sources and studies
- The OMNIA board (September 2026) note for this place: a lead only, not a source
- Background knowledge of Southeast Asian history (Wolters; Hall; Bellwood; Scott; Junker; Reid), recalled and not re-read in this pass
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.