Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Comparative Chronologies -- Introduction -- Foreign Trade and Sociopolitical Evolution -- Sources for the Study of Prehispanic Philippine Chiefdoms -- Chiefly Authority and Political Structure -- Political Cycling in Philippine Chiefdoms -- Social Stratification in Contact Period Societies -- The Dynamics of Social Ranking: Changing Patterns of Household Wealth and Mortuary Differentiation -- The Long-Distance Porcelain Trade -- Mobilizing Resources: Regional Production, Tribute, and Lowland-Upland Exchange Systems -- The Evolution of Craft Specialization -- Alliance and Prestige Goods Exchange -- Competitive Feasting -- Raiding and Militarism as a Competitive Strategy -- Trade Competition and Political Transformations in Philippine Chiefdoms -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index -- About the Author.