Pre-historic Ivatans lived in small communities near water sources. When the Europeans arrived in the 1600s, they found the people of Batanes living in organized communities called idjangs. They buried their dead in large earthen jars, a practice that continued until well into the 18th century. It wasn’t until 1782 that Batanes was brought under Spanish rule. In 1909, Batanes was finally established as a separate province under American administration. Because of its location, Batanes was the first area attacked by the Japanese during World War II. In the 1950s and 60s, the Philippine government encouraged Ivatans to relocate, thus there are now Ivatan communities in Mindanao.