• This is an example of corded pottery ware, in which a rope or fiber was rubbed across the wet clay. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • A clamshell scraper (bottom center) would have been sharpened on a grinding stone like the limestone abrader on the right. Cone shells were made into scoops. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Spondylus bead, strung by size, were a prestigious ornament during the Ancient Guam Era. Judy Flores
  • Slingstones were used as a weapon by ancient Chamorro warriors, as the illustration depicts in the center. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Clay slingstones were used by boys in play, as they practised their sling throwing skills. They were made of unbaked clay, as shown in the two brown pieces. The white clay piece in the middle (2" long) was carved of soft clay-like rock found the mountains. Alejo Flores/Judy Flores
  • Unknown shapes in Chugai cave, Rota. Judy Flores
  • Samples of lime-filled pattern based designs from early pottery called Lapita. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Lime-impressed pottery (1500 bc to 800 ad) designs combined circles, ovals and lines. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • A logo promoting Chamorro culture – “maintain our culture”. The stylized sun is found in cave drawings. Again the latte is present, along with the coconut tree and a brown Chamorro warrior blowing a kulu, 1998. Judy Flores
  • This artist depiction is of Chief Aguarin who led a Chamorro resistance against Spanish domination in the late 17th century. Jose "Mala’et" Garrido/Judy Flores
  • Ancient CHamorus / Chamorros fishing for the village illustrated by J.A. Pellion from Freycinet’s Voyage Autour de Monde, Paris, 1824. J.A. Pellion/Guam Public Library System
  • Gold jewelry by Guam platerus. Photo courtesy of the Guam Museum/Judy S. Flores collection.
  • Judy Flores
  • Lime-impressed pottery found on Guam has been dated from about 3500 Before Present to 1200 Before Present and is relatively rare compared to the huge number of pre-latte shards collected. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Judy Flores
  • Hand print in Chugai cave, Rota. Judy Flores
  • Squid drawn with charcoal on white limestone walls of the Chugai cave in Rota. Courtesy of L. Cunningham. L. Cunningham/Judy Flores
  • An ancient Chamorro artifact of a slingstone pendant or sinker. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Lime-impressed pottery (1500 bc to 800 ad) designs with thick lines. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • A batik by Judy Flores Judy Flores
  • Shell adze made from clam shell. Some shells come to a point at the back while others are more rectangular. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • This exhibit from the Guam Museum shows the stone adze attachment. These stone adzes were used for heavy, hard woods and breaking of stones, while shell adzes were used for softer woods. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Lime-impressed pottery (1500 bc to 800 ad) with various designs. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Talagi Pictograph. Judy Flores collection
  • Tools of the ancient Chamorros varied in medium or materials ranging from shell, bone to stone. The Guam Museum/Judy Flores and John Craib
  • An illustration of jewelry pieces, tools, sacks, devices, and beads used by Chamorros in the 1800's and earlier from Freycinet’s Voyage Autour de Monde, Paris, 1824. Guam Public Library System/Judy Flores
  • A detailed sketch of the "Princess of Ypao" burial site. Ypao excavation , 1979. William Hernandez/Judy Flores
  • Latte ware or Marianas Plain refers to pottery not decorated or slipped pottery. These sherds have a woven basket or mat surface texture. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • The Plaza de España was the location of the Governor’s Palace during the Spanish occupation. Presently, it is a tourist attraction. Judy Flores
  • Marianas Redware is the name given to pre-latte pottery painted with a red clay slip. The pottery was low-fired and fragile, with walls less than 1/4 inch thick. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Judy Flores
  • Lime-impressed pottery has been dated from about 4,500 years before present to 800 years before present and is relatively rare compared to the huge number of pre-latte sherds collected. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Latte ware or Marianas Plain refers to pottery not decorated or slipped pottery. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Filamore Alcon sketches from a fragment what the whole piece may have been like. Filamore Alcon/Judy Flores
  • Hurao was a Hagåtña nobleman in the late 1600’s, who with the backing of the village makanas (spiritual leaders) was key in instigating the Spanish-Chamorro War. Jose "Mala'et" Garrido/Judy Flores
  • Small numbers of Marianas Redware exhibit intricate, lime-filled impressions. These designs are similar to those of an early pottery type from Melanesia and Polynesia, called Lapita. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Lusong in rock shelf outside Gadao's cave in Inarajan, Guam. These lusong probably pre-date those found in separate boulders. They may have had the same uses as above, or they could have had ritual uses, as in the preparation of medicine by healing specialists – makahna. Since this rock ledge is located on the reef just above high tide level, the holes might have been used to harvest salt from the sea spray residue left in them. Judy Flores
  • These two spear points found in Saipan, 1980s. Their barbs indicate that it was done with metal tools during the early contact period. The spear point on the left has three round orange Spondylus inlays in its base. CNMI Historic Preservation Office/Judy Flores
  • This huge lusong is more than one meter across and its base is buried into the ground more than a half meter deep. This multi-holed mortar consists of a large inverted cone-shaped centre hole with four shallow holes situated evenly towards the edge (foreground). It may have been used for ritual, perhaps medicine-preparation purposes, or maybe as an ancient game. Its present owners call it the “Five-Fingered Giant” because of its five holes. Francisco Crisostomo/Judy Flores
  • Guinahan famagu'on (Child's wealth) is a Chamorro form of adornment where the size of the shell disks begins at one inch and gradually increases to six inches in diameter. Detail from the rare illustration of the Northern Mariana Islands: Various Objects used by Ancient Inhabitants by Bèvalet from Freycinet's Voyage Autour de Monde (Paris, 1824). Bèvalet/Guam Public Library System
  • Pattern in the Chugai cave, Rota. Judy Flores
  • Judy Flores' batik entitled Minagof (happiness) shows the joy in dancing under the moonlight with a Chamorro band. Judy Flores
  • An aesthetic placement of figures is evident in a panel of figures bordered by colourful mineral stains, found on the low ceiling of northern cave in Guam. Photo by J. Flores, courtesy of R. Olmo, IARII, 1998. R. Olmo, IARII/Judy Flores
  • Princess of Ypao Spondylus. From a burial discovered at excavation of the Amphitheater site in Ypao beach, Guam, showing some of the 35 Spondylus beads situated around the cranium. Photo courtesy of Alejandro Lizama of the Guam Historic Preservation Office, who monitored the excavations. Alejandro Lizama/Judy Flores
  • Conus pendant and ring artifacts from the Guam Museum Judy Flores
  • The traditional posture for playing the belembaotuyan was reclined with the gourd upon the abdomen as seen in this photo taken before World War II. Judy Flores
  • Latte ware or Marianas Plain refers to pottery not decorated or slipped pottery. These sherds have a cross-hatched line etching and finger marks surface texture. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Conus rings made from a cross section of the cone shell ranged in size from tiny beads to large beads. Judy Flores
  • The legend of Sirena, is a story of a young indolent women cursed by her mother to become fish, as she always wanted to swim. Her godmother stopped the curse, claiming that she also had rights to the girl. As a result Sirena became a mermaid. Judy Flores
  • Flores' Spirit of the Nunu Tree batik illustrates the Chamorro belief that ancient spirits exist in the nunu (banyan) trees and must be treated with great respect. Judy Flores
  • The Guam Museum exhibit shows how an adze blade was made from a clam shell and ground on an abrading stone to form a sharp cutting edge. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Turtles drawn with charcoal on white limestone walls of the Chugai cave in Rota. Courtesy of the CNMI Historic Preservation Office. CNMI Historic Preservation Office/Judy Flores
  • Three different basalt adze that would have been attached to a handle to form an ax for such activities as carving a canoe. Judy Flores
  • Bernice Wyttenbach-Santos collection of beach-worn Tridacna pieces which seemed to present a consistency in the shapes of these worked pieces. Fil drew his interpretation of how the whole pieces might have looked. Photos by J. Flores, 1998. Filamore Alcon/Judy Flores
  • The poio was used as a sinker to catch achuman. Graf/Berlin Museum fur Volkerkunde (copyright bpk)/Judy Flores
  • Fishhooks of pearl shell (Isognomon) were made in J-shapes. The L-shaped gorges at the bottom were tied to a cord in the middle. Note the notches at the top of the J-hooks where they were lashed to a line. Judy Flores
  • Jesus M. Crisostomo plays this unique instrument, the belembaotuyan. Judy Flores
  • Stones of various sizes were sharpened at both ends and hurled from a sling with deadly force during battles. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Fort Soledad was the last of four fortifications built to protect Umatac Harbor. Judy Flores
  • Judy Flores' batik Inarajan Fiesta Procession depicts the village's religious celebration in honor of Saint Joseph. Judy Flores
  • This pottery bowl is about 6 inches high and 6 inches in diameter. the exterior is fire-blackened, indicating that it was used for cooking. Judy Flores
  • Cone shells and shell objects. A shell kamyu sits in the back second left. Judy Flores
  • Stones of various sizes were hurled from a sling with deadly force in combative times, but these slingstones, made of exotic materials, may have had ceremonial use. Judy Flores
  • Judy Flores
  • Spondylus and cone shell beads, strung by size, were a prestigious ornament during the Ancient Guam Era. Judy Flores
  • Coconut fiber is commonly used to suspend objects such as shells, pendants, and beads. The shells are often used as bra cups for cultural dancing. Judy Flores
  • Replicas of ancient Chamorro tools and implements were made by Leonard Iriarte. First Hawaiian Bank/Judy Flores
  • A sinahi is a crescent moon shaped pendant worn by the high class members of society as a sign of status. Judy Flores
  • These latte were transported from Mepo, located in Guam's interior, to the museum in Hagåtña, for display after World War II. Later, these large latte were moved to the Angel L. G. Santos Latte Park, also in Hagåtña. Judy Flores
  • Conus rings made from a cross section of the cone shell ranged in size from tiny beads, as shown in the small conus rings photo, to large bracelet-size circles. They have been found in various stages of finish – some with the shell designs still evident, like in the conus rings photo, while others were ground down and polished to a smooth, shiny ring. Judy Flores
  • Pictographs of Gadao’s cave. Judy Flores
  • Chugai Cave, in Rota or Luta, has headless figures on a lower portion of the cave. R. Olmo, IARII/Judy Flores
  • The University of Guam encourages the discipline of printmaking through Associate Professor Ric Castro, a painter who also produces woodcuts and prints. Ric Castro/Judy Flores
  • Lugat (place) shows some of Guam's cultural icons such as a latte stone, lusong, the nunu tree, and a person blowing the kulu. Judy Flores
  • This detail of a burial shows a row of spondylus beads running from below the jawbone and down across the collar bone. Also evident here are the blackened teeth caused by chewing of betelnut. Ypao excavation, 1979. Judy Flores
  • Knife blade chipped from chert, 5” long. A. Flores/Judy Flores
  • A variety of shell beads and pendants. The three-pronged pendant (bottom left) may be of pearl shell, and the oval ring (2nd row, 4th) is of cowry. The round, convex or domed disks are Spondylus which have faded with age. Judy Flores
  • Judy Flores
  • Puntan Påtgon or "Child's Point" is the story of the boy who jumped to Luta, Rota. Judy S. Flores
  • The three cylindrical stones have an inverted cone-shaped hole in one end. Theories state they were used to sharpen spear points, or that they had a ritual purpose. A piece of flaked chert (bottom) was used as a scraper or cutter. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • The design suggests a Spanish shield with a cross on it, indicating that these drawings may have been done in historic times, perhaps by warriors of Chamorro resistance forces who hid in caves. Photo by J. Flores courtesy of R. Olmo, IARII, 1998 R. Olmo, IARII/Judy Flores
  • The Tridacna senahi is carved from the dense, thick hinge portion of the giant hima clam. Each end has a slanted hole drilled through the tip from which a cord was probably tied to hang around the neck or to link several pieces together as a show of wealth. These pieces were found in Saipan by the German Governor George Fritz in 1904. Official photo by Graf courtesy of the Berlin Museum fur Volkerkunde in Germany. Copyright bpk, 1998. Berlin Museum fur Volkerkunde in Germany/Judy Flores
  • Conus rings. Rings made from a cross section of the cone shell ranged in size from tiny beads to large bracelet-size circles. CNMI Historic Preservation Office/Judy Flores
  • Modern weavers produce many decorative items such as latte shaped baskets, roses and hats. Judy Flores
  • Extremely thin fragments which may have been the bottoms of vessels. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • In this batik by Judy Flores, the idea of showing wealth or capability to the bride's family is emphasized through a show of labor and materials. Judy Flores
  • The lusong and mano were used for pounding rice to remove the hull. They were used until the early 20th century when rice cultivation ceased on Guam. Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Pugua is a fruit chewed to stimulate individuals. It is often chewed with the pupulu leaf and afog (lime). Guam Museum/Judy Flores
  • Judy Flores has been apart of the Chamorro community for more than fifty years as a scholar and artist. Judy Flores

Note: Collection provided by Dr. Flores to accompany relevant entries. If you wish to use content from this collection for commercial use, publication, or any purpose other than fair use as defined by law, you must request and receive written permission from Dr. Judy Selk Flores.