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Latte Structures
Latte structures are stone archaeological remains unique to the Mariana Islands. A stone pillar supports a hemispherical capstone to form a latte.
Latte
Latte (also latde) is a CHamoru term that refers to stone pillars and cup-shaped capitals or capstones, which represent house supports and are ascribed to the ancient people of the Mariana Islands. In some accounts, they are also referred to as casas de los antiguos (houses of the ancients).
de Silleria
During Spanish colonial rule on Guam, the Spanish authorities constructed the best churches and the best bridges of large rectangular hand-cut stones, or de silleria. In these de silleria structures they did not cover the dressed limestone or coral blocks with plaster.
Changes in Construction Styles
From pole and thatched homes to those made of concrete and reinforced steel, Guam has seen an evolution in building styles since the arrival of Americans in 1898.
Contents of a Latte Village
When European explorers of the 16th and 17th centuries visited the Mariana Islands, they witnessed impressive CHamoru villages built during the Latte Period, between AD 800-1700. Many of these settlements, particularly along the coasts, grew from earlier villages before the advent of latte.
CHamoru Migration to the US
In 1898, at the twilight of the Spanish-American War, the US claimed Guam as a token of war. Though this event would bring an end to more than three centuries of Spanish colonial rule, it would also begin a new era in which the CHamoru people of the Mariana Islands would experience separation from one another.