“Ginikanan/Gigikanan,” are Visayan words meaning parent/origin in English and magulang/pinagmulan in Filipino. “Ginikanan” refers to the Butwanon, the people, and Butwan, the place. In contrast, “Gigikanan” refers to the origin of the Butwanon and Butwan.

This gallery showcases the unusual and unique finds accidentally excavated by treasure hunters in the 1970s. These artifacts strongly prove the pre-colonial maritime tradition and early trading with China and other Southeast Asian countries. These established Butuan as an advanced transit port and trading center in Mindanao and the Southern Philippines during the proto-historic period.