Ancient Guam Era
Taga
Largest latte house in the Marianas. Found nowhere else in the world, latte first appeared in the Mariana Islands about 800 years ago, during a
Ancient Guam Era
The Matao Iron Trade Part 3: Appropriation and Entanglement
The matao fashioned the iron they acquired from trading with visiting ship crews into traditional tools, including punches, drills, fish hooks and adze blades. The
Ancient Guam Era
The Matao Iron Trade Part 2: Galleon Trading and Repatriation
Between 1565 and 1665, Guam’s southwest coast received sporadic visits from Spanish vessels, including the first wreck of a trade galleon (San Pablo, 1568), as
Ancient Guam Era
The Matao Iron Trade Part 1: Contact and Commerce
Members of the matao, the highest-ranking strata of Mariana Islands society in the 16th and 17th centuries, carried on the first sustained cultural interaction and
Ancient Guam Era
Ancient CHamoru/Chamorro Kinship and Land Tenure
In CHamoru culture today, the notion of family or i-familia is very important. From rosaries to weddings, funerals to barbecues, many CHamoru social events revolve
Ancient Guam Era
Ancient CHamoru/Chamorro Settlement Patterns
White sandy beaches, lush jungles, verdant landscapes and gorgeous sunsets—the Marianas, for many, resemble a tropical paradise. With all this natural beauty, do you ever
Ancient Guam Era
Ancient CHamoru/Chamorro Cultural Aspects of Fishing
Fishing was one of the most important subsistence activities in ancient CHamoru society. Surrounded by the ocean, the CHamorus relied on their fishing skills to
Ancient Guam Era
Ancient CHamoru/Chamorro Use of Human Bones
Archeological studies have revealed that during the Latte Period ancient CHamorus retrieved bones from deceased bodies after tissue had deteriorated, and used the bones for
Ancient Guam Era
Ancient CHamoru/Chamorro Burial Rituals
There is a dearth of written accounts of ancient CHamoru burial practices, but from the few historic descriptions available, the burial customs and rituals were
Ancient Guam Era
Ancient CHamoru/Chamorro Use of Rice
In the Mariana Islands, as well as other islands throughout the Pacific, rice is considered one of the most important food staples. Bags of rice