Big Mysteries, Small Islands

Jane R. Atalig

Case Western Reserve University The ROCKS Experiential Learning Fellowship

December 10, 2008 – January 10, 2009

Big Mysteries, Small Islands

Jane R. Atalig

ABSTRACT: On the Pacific islands of Guam, Rota, Saipan and Tinian, all of which make up what is known as the Northern Mariana Islands, there lies a mystery that has sparked my curiosity since childhood. This mystery involves the history of ancient megalithic stone structures called Latte (or Taga Stones for the larger scaled versions), which is a standing structure that consists of two parts—a pillar that supports a hemispherical capstone. Similar to the mystery of Stonehenge in England (i.e. how were these massive stones transported from their quarry to their final location(s)), the Latte cannot be directly comprehended. Although these structures have been documented in the 16th century by various Spanish explorers such as Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Ferdinand Magellan who once visited the islands, all that had been recorded is the knowledge of the Latte as an architectural building support for high-caste homes of the native Chamorro people. The Spanish did not document the reasoning behind the Latte’s peculiar shape nor did they record the construction process. Interestingly, these megalithic structures existed even before the Spanish arrival and yet there is still no evidence of the construction process. (These structures were already known in the 9th century, which is evident by the images from the walls of Borobudur in Central Java.) This paper will discuss my research investigation in the Northern Mariana Islands of Guam, Rota, Saipan and Tinian regarding the history of these structures. However, the focus of my research resides with the architectural history of the Latte. Project Mentor: Professor Michael Cunningham, Department of Art History and Art Sponsored by: The Rocks Fellowship

Note to the Reader:

Before I begin to discuss the findings from my research conducted in the Northern

Mariana Islands of Guam, Rota, Saipan and Tinian in December 2008, let me first explain the

research approach that I took to obtain the information you will read in this report. On each

island, I first met up with a local historian who knew how to travel to the major Latte sites.

Together, we then traveled to the sites where we engaged in long discussions (and debates)

regarding the history of the Latte. For my notes, I video-recorded most of the discussions while

at the sites. I also took many pictures at each location we visited. In addition to the field trips

and on-site interviews, I also visited the local libraries as well as the historical museums where I

was able to obtain more information for my research.

Big Mysteries Small Islands I. The Latte

Throughout the islands of Guam, Rota, Saipan and Tinian, large stone structures known as Latte (pronounced lat-de) can be found. Latte is a term used to describe a standing structure that consists of two parts—a pillar (haligi) and a hemispherical capstone (tasa). On each island, the height and size of the haligi and the tasa differ. The height of the haligi ranges from two to over ten feet high and the height of the tasa ranges similarly. On average, the haligi stands about five feet high and the tasa stands about two and a half feet high. The tallest set of latte (accurately termed Taga stone because of its large scale) measures a little over twenty-five feet high and weighs over thirty-five tons. Together, the weight of a single latte set can range from a few thousand pounds to over thirty-five tons.

II. Functions

In groups ranging from four to fourteen latte sets, these structures once supported the houses of the ancient Chamorro people—specifically the high-caste residences. We know this from the writings of Spanish explorers who visited the Northern Mariana Islands in the 16th century. We also know that latte architecture existed well before the 16th century because images of it have been discovered on the walls of the 9th century Mahayana Buddhist monument Borobudur in Magelang, Central Java.

Photo: Latte houses pictured here on the walls of Borobudur in Central Java.

Because majority of latte residences have been found along the coastal areas rather than in inland areas, historians theorize that latte homes were only meant for the high-caste members of society. This theory also stems from the fact that coastline property directly correlates to abundance of food (fish), water and salt. Additionally, the high level of difficulty in quarrying

the latte which definitely required a large workforce indicates that only the upper-caste members of the ancient Chamorro society could afford such projects.

The latte house did not only serve a residential purpose however, it also housed the

infamous Chamorro voyaging canoes called proa. The Chamorro proa, as the Spanish documented during their expeditions in the 16th century, was the fastest water transportation they had ever seen and it moved “so swiftly they [the proa] appeared to be flying.” Found also in Spanish historical records of the Mariana Islands, the shelters of these proas are described as structures containing four wings in the shape of a cross that is lifted off the ground with the support of latte stones. Other functions of latte structures included providing storage space as well as community meeting halls.

By the end of the 17th century, majority of latte sites were destroyed or abandoned due to

Spanish colonization of the Mariana Islands. The Spaniards also taught the ancient Chamorro people how to construct houses on wooden posts rather than above stones. In the 19th century, Japanese incomers bulldozed most of what remains of the ancient Chamorro people latte architecture. Thankfully, the ancient Chamorro culture still remained buried under and to the sides of the latte. Pottery, stone, bone, and shell artifacts, and the strong memory of the ancestral spirits are among the few reminders of ancient Chamorro life that can be found in past latte sites.

III. Myths and Legends

In every site that has original latte, archaeologists have uncovered ancestral remains

buried directly beneath (or closely nearby) the latte. Spanish documents regarding ancient Chamorro burial practices dictate that the Mariana island natives buried their deceased either directly below the latte structure or closely nearby. Nevertheless, stories, myths and legends of ghosts (taotaomo’na, or “people of the past”), ill luck and simply the unnatural have developed around the history of the latte and it is possibly because of such findings. Sometimes, however, personal experiences have also made their way into this part of latte history.

The following is either a story that I was told, read or personally experienced during my

research of the latte in the Mariana Islands. Mo’chong: A personal experience

Photo 1: My visit to Mo’chong. On the island of Rota, there is an ancient Chamorro village site called Mo’chong. The site is closed to the public and cannot be accessed unless authorized by the owners of the property. With the help of my father (who knew the owners), I was able to obtain permission. Only a few days before my excursion to Mo’chong, an aunt of mine warned me to be very careful when I go to this site. She told me that she has noticed a large number of people get sick after having been there. At first, I had a skeptical feeling, but the look on her face changed my reaction. On December 24, 2008, I decided to go to Mo’chong. My father and my two sisters wanted to come along as well. For precaution, I told my sisters of my aunt’s warning and sure enough they did not believe me. When I told my father, he actually raised his voice at me saying “I hate people who think like that!” Despite their skepticism, I did not want to feel responsible for anything that might go wrong in the event that the taotoamona feel offended by their presence. Thus, when we got to the site, I acknowledged the taotoamona’s presence by whispering “Forgive me for being here. I am just doing research. Please punish me if my family offends you in any way” many times. Every year, my family attends the mid-night mass on Christmas Eve. I was unable to attend that year because, surely enough, on December 25, 2008, I suddenly fell ill. By the time my family returned home from Christmas mass, I was seriously dehydrated and was rushed to the hospital for care. After six hours of treatment for dehydration at the hospital, the nurses and the doctor told me that my symptoms were most likely caused by something that I ate, but I definitely felt otherwise. Sa’ina Ma’ase: An experience shared

Photo II: William Hernandez (back, left) and Joe Garrido (front, right) To conduct a thorough onsite field research on Guam, I had to seek help from the local Historic Preservation office in order to gain access into the private latte sites that were closed to the public. My guides were Mr. William Hernandez and Joe Garrido, both experts on the history of the latte as well as on-going researchers in this field. My aunt (the same one who warned me about the Mo’chong site) also came along to accompany me during my excursion with Mr. Garrido and Mr. Hernandez. As we entered each site, I noticed that my guides would whisper something to themselves. When I asked what they whispered, I was told “Sa’ina Ma’ase.” This phrase means something along the lines of “mother, forgive me.” They told me that if one did not acknowledge the presence of the taotaomo’na when entering the jungle—especially sites with latte—then the taotaomo’na will be angry with you. I told them about my story and, jokingly, that I wished I had known of “Sa’ina Ma’ase” before going to Mo’chong on Rota. Mr. Hernandez, originally from the Philippines, then went on to tell me of his experiences with the taotaomo’na when he first moved to the island. He told me that he and some of his colleagues were hiking to a site they needed to get to for research purposes that is located on the southern part of Guam. During the hike, he said that his colleagues told him stories about the taotaomo’na. But he, like most people, did not take the stories seriously. After the group split up to conduct their research, Mr. Hernandez came across a latte site. He said that for some reason he felt spooked and so he headed in the direction of another colleague. On the way, he felt an icy cold hand grab him on his shoulder. After that experience, he told me,

he has changed the way he approaches research in the Mariana Islands. He said he never enters a latte site without first saying “Sa’ina Ma’ase.” Haunted hotel: A story told

Photo III: My visit to Okura and Nikko Hotel’s memorial site for the ancient Chamorro people. The memorial was erected after the mysterious incidents during the construction of the hotels. According to Mr. Hernandez and Mr. Garrido, there are many stories regarding the punishment of taotaomo’na skeptics. I cannot deny this because I too have heard many in the short time that I was in the Mariana Islands. However, one story will probably never leave my memory. This story, unlike most stories, involves more than one person. It began with a hotel owner who hired five archaeologists to excavate a site where she wanted her hotel to be built. The archaeologists soon figured out that the site once served as a burial ground for the ancient Chamorro people because of the high number of skeletal remains and latte that they uncovered. To appease their client, the archaeologists disposed of the skeletal remains like trash. Three of the five archaeologists suddenly passed away within a short period of each other. Because of what happened, those people involved in the hotel project began to suspect the taotaomo’na but they did not know what to do about it. When the Guam Historic Preservation society heard about the illegal disposal of the ancient Chamorro remains and then later of the three deaths, they advised those involved in the project—especially the remaining two archaeologists—to make amends by collecting all the disposed

remains and giving them proper burial. During this process, they also advised the hotel owner not to continue with the building project for her sake but she ignored them. On opening day of the hotel, the owner suddenly passed away. To this day, people claim that the hotel is haunted. Purple handprint: A story told

Photo IV: Professor Lawrence Cunningham signing the photo of Latte stones at Borobudur in Central Java as he tells me the story of the purple handprint. On Guam, I was lucky to be able to meet and interview Lawrence J. Cunningham who is the author of a well-circulated Chamorro history textbook entitled “Ancient Chamorro Society.” In his book, Cunningham mentions that “according to legend, superhuman ghosts called taotaomo’na …hefted the stones (latte) and carried them to the building sites.” When I met Mr. Cunningham, I questioned him about his beliefs regarding the existence of taotaomo’na. To my surprise, he did not hesitate to acknowledge the existence and began sharing a couple of his eye-witness experiences with the taotaomo’na. A number of years ago, Mr. Cunningham used to hold annual class trips for research purposes in the Northern Mariana Islands of Rota, Saipan and Tinian. He hosted these trips for his students for about fifteen consecutive years but stopped when funding became difficult. During one of his trips to Rota, he and his students decided to camp at Mo’chong for a night. The next morning, one of his students woke up with a well-defined, purple (bruise-colored) handprint on his arm. He said that the way the handprint was situated on his arm definitely did not look self inflicted. Moreover, the handprint was unusually large and unlike any of his classmates’ hand size. House of Taga: A legend read

Photo V: My visit to the House of Taga in Tinian. On Rota and Tinian, you can find the largest lattes. People usually call the lattes on these two islands Taga stones after the legend of an ancient Chamorro chief named Taga. The legend says that Chief Taga was so strong that he was capable of pulling coconut trees straight out of the ground. He was also so unnaturally large that he was able to jump from Guam to Rota. (Although this is only a legend, it is a curious thing that a set of giant footprints have been found on both Guam and Rota.) According to legend, Taga did not permanently reside on Rota. Rather, he moved to Tinian where he lived until his death. Taga had twelve children and his house, the House of Taga, had twelve large Taga stones which are believed to represent each of his children. Of all his children, only the youngest boy grew to be as strong as Taga. However, because this son had already developed his strength at such an early age, Taga found him a threat. Thus, in fear of losing his title as the greatest Chief, Taga kills his only son. Not long after Taga’s son’s death, Taga too dies after his youngest daughter murders him in his sleep. People say that at night, you can hear his daughter’s cries for her brother and father when you are in the vicinity of the House of Taga. Some also say that you can see her if you really want to see her.

IV. Architecture

Myths and legends take only a small part of the interesting facts that make up the history of the latte. (Undeniably, though, they are the most entertaining.) Much more interesting facts can be found in the latte’s architectural history, which also tells a lot about the ancient Chamorro people themselves. In other words, the materials, quarrying methods and the construction of the latte make up interesting facts of the latte’s architectural history and also play a key role in providing clues to understanding the ancient Chamorro people and their lifestyle.

While on the islands, it is easy to not notice the difference in materials of the latte both

throughout the island and between the islands. However, if you are interested in understanding the ancient Chamorro people themselves, latte historians have pointed out the importance of understanding latte architecture. On Guam, the tasa of the lattes by the beach area are found to be made up of coral heads that have been directly pulled out of the waters nearby.

Photo VI: Detail of latte capstone on Guam. The village it resides is close to the beach. In Saipan, you can find that latte have been quarried either from the cliff-side rocks that meet the ocean or from a cliff. In both cases, the actual latte structures themselves were constructed very close-by to these quarry sites.

Photo VII: Me with Mr. Quitugua at Agingan Village in Saipan. He is explaining to me how the ancient Chamorro people quarried from the rocks along the break to the ocean. In Tinian, where you can also find the largest and tallest standing Taga stone structure in the NMI, it appears that the material had been directly quarried from the ground—limestone.

Photo VIII: Side view of the House of Taga in Tinian. In Rota the largest and tallest Taga stones can be found but many of which remain in the ground for they have never been erected.

Photo IX: My visit to Taga Stone Quarry on Rota. From what has been observed, it can be concluded that ancient Chamorro people were resourceful—that is, they made use of the materials closely around them.

Quarrying

The quarrying methods on each island differ and much controversy surrounds this topic. For instance, at a site in Saipan called the Agingan Village, my guide, Noel Quitugua explained the following method: The material is actually solidified lime stone…Regarding natural materials, tools and other means used to quarry the stones, first [was] man-power—mostly abled-men; burning of wood and other combustible materials such as wood [followed]; then water (salt water from ocean) is poured onto the burned area which then resulted in cracking of stone; then it is repeated until desired size is acquired; then the use of basalt hammer stones is used to pound on sections where fire cannot be produced....repeat process,....then afterwards...large wood logs are placed in both sides of carved section and then applied as leverage like the Egyptian pyramid construction.... then carved column is placed on a sledge like device utilizing canoe outriggers...then pulled to designated area....erected columns...caps are also carved using the same methods and procedures....but erected id differently by means of making an earth mound then when caps are placed on top, mound is then removed.

On Guam, Lawrence Cunningham, the author of many well-known books regarding ancient Chamorro history wrote:

In the earliest stages of latte building, Chamorros found rocks that needed little shaping for the pillar. They frequently used beach rock slabs for the shaft. The cap was an inverted brain coral head taken from the reef as well as limestone and basalt that required only minimal shaping. As they needed larger and larger rocks, they quarried them from the sides of limestone outcroppings or cleared the vegetation and soil in an effort to find an area of faultless or desired type of limestone.

Photo X: At a latte village site on Guam where the shaft of the latte have been constructed out of beach rock slabs.

Next they laid out rectangular or trapezoid shapes for the haligi and circles for the tasa. Then with basalt tools they began to chip the stone. As the quarrymen chipped the stone with basalt adzes and axes, they removed the rubble by hand or wooden shovels. Successive poundings and scrapings formed a trench around the outlines of the latte elements. After the quarrymen dug to the desired depth, they began undercutting the stone from all sides. After many hours of hard work, they were left with only a narrow “keel” supporting the latte element.

Photo XI: Photo taken at the CNMI Museum in Saipan. Pictured here are stone and shell tools used by the ancient Chamorro people.

As they chipped away at the “keel” they had to shore up the latte, with rocks, so it would not fall on the quarrymen when they chipped the last of the “keel” away. At this stage, the shaft or cap rested in its pit on supporting rocks and was ready to be removed. Next, many workers pushed down on wooden pole levers placed under the latte element raising it a few inches at a time. In the space under the latte element quarrymen placed more supporting rubble.

Photo XII: Drawing by Lawrence Cunningham.

They repeated this over and over again going around the latte element lifting it, and filling in under the shaft or cap. At last the latte element rested above its former pit which was completely filled with backfill materials; rock rubble. The Chamorros probably used chisels and adzes to complete the final sculpting of the latte parts at the building site.

As you might have already noticed, the quarrying methods do differ. Moreover, however, the materials quarried on each island differ as well—basalt, various limestones, stone slabs from reef, and coral heads are among the different materials used to create the latte.

Transporting

As mentioned earlier, the ancient Chamorro people seemed to use materials that were nearby in order to construct their latte. By doing so, they did not need to transport the latte very long distances (unlike in the case of Stonehenge). However, there is still controversy regarding this aspect of the latte construction and many theories exist.

One theory is that the stone was floated on the water by using coconut trunks constructed into some sort of raft to carry the stone. This theory is used to explain moving the stone from one end of the island to another end. Another theory is that the stone is dragged by rope to the final site.

For larger scaled latte, or the Taga stone, however, the dragging method would take too long and so the bipod theory came about. Under the bipod theory, the bipod lever’s legs are positioned away from the latte and the apex is positioned close to the latte. The apex is attached to the latte by rope and as the man power pulled away from the latte, the force lifts the end of the latte off the ground and towards the pullers.

Photo XIII: Drawing by Lawrence Cunningham.

This process is repeated until reaching the final site. It is also believed that coconut skins and leaves were used to help smooth the ground which would speed up the process.

Constructing

After reaching the final site, the stone slabs or caps are retouched to have the shape of the latte. Once that is complete, the shafts are places in parallel rows of three to seven and the caps are put into place via a method similar to that of the ancient Egyptians during the construction of the great pyramids. According to Lawrence Cunningham,

Strong workers lifted most latte shafts in place using physical force, ropes, and perhaps with a pole frame to put the caps in place.

Photo XIV: Drawing by Lawrence Cunningham.

Chamorros placed the largest end of the haligi in a hole dug to the desired depth and supported it by placing rocks on all sides. Finally they filled the hole with backfill materials. Chamorros probably scooted and pulled the largest tasa up an earthen ramp to finally rest on the top of the haligi. Once the cap was in place, they removed the earthen ramp.

Photo XV: Drawing by Lawrence Cunningham.

Once the latte sets have been set in place, a timber frame is attached to the cap by using coconut fiber rope. The timber connects all the latte to each other so that the all the latte

together make up a unit. Then, an A-frame structure that has been reported (by the Spanish) to have several rooms separated with woven mats, is constructed on top of the latte unit.

Photo XVI: Photo taken at the CNMI Museum in Saipan. It is a drawing done by Noel Quituqua and his theory of the ancient Chamorro houses.

Once the latte house is constructed, each latte set is plastered with more lime (wet lime plaster) to give it a clean white appearance.

Photo XVII: Photo of latte inside a church on Rota. These lattes have been well maintained and exhibit the white color that ancient lattes are believed to have had.

V. The Latte Shape

Many have questioned about the shape i.e. goblet or chalice, and the size of the latte. Some say that the shape helps to prevent small animals (especially rodents) from climbing into the latte house. Regarding the size, some have said that since many latte villages reside by the beach, the ancient Chamorro people simply wanted to have their houses set up higher in case of flooding. An argument against the first theory is that the latte stones existed before the Spanish traveled to the islands and small animals—pests like rodents—came with the Spanish visitors. For the second theory, the argument is that not all latte structures are found near the beach and so the height can not simply be that it helps against floods.

Photo XVIII: Latte at Latte Stone Park on Guam.

The actual reasoning behind the size is that, firstly, height depended on the importance of the chief who resided in the village. In other words, a village will construct large latte structures to represent the strength and power (popularity) of their chief as compared to other chiefs. In Tinian, where a 16-foot tall Taga Stone stands, once served as the dwelling place for the legendary chief named Taga (see myths and legends section for story of Taga). On Rota, the largest Taga sets had been abandoned and never erected. The belief is that Taga, originally from Guam, had moved to Rota to start a new village but then traveled to Tinian instead. Another practical reasoning for the size (height) is that higher structures allow for more air circulation. However practical this theory may sound, the hierarchy theory receives more favor because it follows Chamorro cultural history regarding the caste systems.

Overall, the latte structures have been found to be a great foundation for the Chamorro houses for many reasons. Firstly, the strength of a latte base for a house helped to prevent destruction by strong winds—especially typhoon winds. Secondly, the latte unit as a base worked really well in preventing the Chamorro house from collapsing during earthquakes. This is because the rounded capstone base rotating around the top of the shaft/ pillar as a unit prevents any one capstone from falling over and so the house will sway but never fall. The shape of the capstone of the latte also works well to act as a weight bearer of the house.

VI. Conclusion

Today, most original latte has been tucked away in private property as a way of

preserving them. However, latte can still be seen at public parks such as Latte Park on Guam or House of Taga on Tinian or Taga Stone Quarry on Rota. Latte replicas can be found all

throughout the islands as well. Many modern buildings have used the latte shape in their architecture.

Photo XIX: Entrance into the Saipan House of Justice.

Photo XX: Gazebo in Tinian

Throughout each island too, even the design of bus stops and road signs have been inspired by the latte.

Photo XXI: Bus stop on Saipan.

Photo XXII: Bus stop on Guam.

Photo XXIII: Typical road sign on Saipan. To me, it seems that the continued presence of the latte in modern day architecture shows the Chamorro people’s pride in their ancestors. As we have seen, the latte represents not only the strength of the ancient Chamorro people, it also represents their intelligence for coming up with such a unique architectural base that serves many purposes, and it represents the strong spirits of their ancestors which we have touched a little on in the stories I shared. There is no wonder why the CNMI seal proudly displays the latte.

CNMI official seal

Personally, I am glad to have had the opportunity to experience learning about this part of

my Chamorro ancestral history. It gave me pride in knowing that my ancestors had a culture that remains unique to many and even difficult to understand at times. It gives me even more pride knowing that the ancient Chamorro people continue to exist today through the continuing of their architecture as well as in their spiritual presence. I hope that the history of the latte continues to be studied and taught in the future because it certainly does enlighten the mind.

Bibliography “An Archaeological Survey of Aguiguan (Aguijan) Northern Mariana Islands.” 29. Micronesian Archaeological Survey. 29. Honolulu: Bishop Museum April, Victoriano. Latte Quarries of the Mariana Islands: Occasional Papers in Anthropology and Historic Preservation. Guam: 2004. Graves, Michael W. “Organization and Differentiation within Late Prehistoric Ranked Social Units, Mariana Islands, Western Pacific.” Journal of Field Archaeology. 13(1986): 139-154 *Cunningham, Lawrence. Ancient Chamorro Society. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1992. Flood, Bo. Marianas Islands Legends: Myth and Magic. Honolulu: Bess Press, 2001. Morgan, William N. Prehistoric Architecture in Micronesia. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1988. Interview Sources Noel Quitugua | Email: nq_tugua@yahoo.com Chamorro Lecturer and Historian Retired Exhibition Curator of the NMI Museum of History & Culture Garapan, Saipan Joe Ulloa Garrido | Email: jugarrido@mail.gov.g Historic Preservation Specialist I Guam Historic Resources Division (Guam Historic Preservation Office) Department of Parks and Recreation Agana Heights, Guam 96932 William Hernandez | Email: aguarin2004@yahoo.com Guam Historic Resources Division (Guam Historic Preservation Office) Department of Parks and Recreation Agana Height, Guam 96932 Lawrence J. Cunningham* | Email: lcunning@ite.net Assistant Professor of History and Symposium Coordinator College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences University of Guam Mangilao, Guam 96923

Web Sources Goetzfridt, Nicholas J., 'Proa and Navigation', referenced January 20, 2009, © 2007 Guampedia™, URL: http://guampedia.com/category/53-interpretive-essays/entry/85 Hunter-Anderson, Rosalind., 'Latte', referenced January 19, 2009, © 2007 Guampedia™, URL: http://guampedia.com/category/22-ancient-guam/entry/7