Latte Period Occupation on Pagan and Sarigan, Northern Mariana Islands
2011; Routledge; Volume: 6; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/15564894.2011.555806
ISSN1556-1828
Autores Tópico(s)Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
ResumoABSTRACT ABSTRACT Archaeological survey documented traditional Latte Period occupations on Pagan and Sarigan in the northern Mariana Islands. Despite the environmental challenges of these locations, including seasonal water scarcity, active volcanism, and extremely rugged terrain, Latte Period remains were abundant. On Pagan and Sarigan 127 and 59 Latte Period features, respectively, were identified, suggesting fairly dense settlement and confirming early Spanish accounts of significant native populations on these islands. Limited excavations on Pagan indicate that human occupation may have begun only during the AD 1300s, perhaps reflecting the challenging conditions for human habitation in the northern islands. The broader implication of such late settlement is that it may relate to population sizes in the southern islands reaching density thresholds such that colonization of the less desirable northern islands became a viable option. It appears that populations remained relatively high in the northern islands until abandonment in AD 1697–1698 due to the Spanish reducción. Keywords: archaeologyGaniLatte PeriodchronologyMicronesia ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The archaeological investigations on Pagan and Sarigan were prompted by the need to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for relocation of elements of the U.S. Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa to Guam. This move, often called the Joint Guam Build-Up (JGBU), may involve the creation of new training areas and related infrastructure in portions of the northern Mariana Islands. In completing this work, I want to acknowledge and thank my dedicated field crew: Erik Lash, GPS/GIS specialist; Rick Schaefer, photographer; John Castro, Field Technician from the Division of Historic Preservation, CNMI; and Santiago Castro, Pagan resident and informant. Lufo Babauta, a Field Technician from the Division of Historic Preservation, CNMI, was also with us during the initial reconnaissance. Special thanks are also due to Curt Kessler of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Ronnie H. Rogers, Division of Historic Preservation, CNMI; and the pilots at Americopters. The project was funded by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, at Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i. Notes 1. Stratovolcano is a geological term defined as "a volcanic cone, generally of large dimension, built of alternating layers of lava and pyroclastic materials" (American Geological Institute 1976 American Geological Institute. 1976. Dictionary of Geological Terms, rev, Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday. [Google Scholar]). 2. The reduccion (or reduction) in the Mariana Islands was initiated with the arrival in 1668 of the Jesuit priest, Diego Luis de Sanvitores. It involved the forced movement of the native Chamorro population from their traditional dispersed settlements into designated mission villages on Guam to aid the missionization process, which meant "changing the Chamorro life-style from what the Spaniards considered a disorganized, uncivilized, pagan community to one that had structured villages within an orderly community and churches that taught Catholicism" (Farrell 1991 Farrell, D. A. 1991. History of the Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan: Public School System, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. [Google Scholar]:151). This also had the effect of securing the physical control of the native population, a process that was eagerly embraced and enforced by the Spanish authorities with the arrival of the new governor in 1680, Joseph de Quiroga y Losada. By 1730, all but a small number of Chamorros on Rota had been resettled to mission villages on Guam (Russell 1998 Russell, S. 1998. Tiempon I Manmofo'na: Ancient Chamorro Culture and History of the Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan: Micronesian Archaeological Survey Report No. 32. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Division of Historic Preservation. [Google Scholar]:315). 3. Seven of nine canoes of people from Pagan, including "15 recently-baptized children," were lost at sea in a typhoon during the relocation (Lévesque 1997 Lévesque, R. 1997. History of Micronesia: A Collection of Source Documents: Volume 10, Exploration of the Caroline Islands, 1696–1709. Québec, Canada: Lévesque Publications. [Google Scholar]:196), also suggesting that Pagan must have had a sizeable population. 4. Interestingly, the growth and survival of a large herd of feral cattle must be due in part to their ability to obtain freshwater from seeps percolating through the fringing reef exposed at low tide (personal observation). 5. For cultural resources management purposes, all features were subsequently grouped into sites. Location maps and detailed descriptions of these sites are presented in Athens (2009a Athens, J. S. 2009a. Archaeological Surveys and Cultural Resources Studies on Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Support of the Joint Guam Build-Up Environmental Impact Statement, Volume II-1: Saipan, Sarigan, and Pagan Narrative Report, Charlottesville, Virginia: Prepared by International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc., Honolulu, Hawai'i, with TEC Inc. Joint Venture. (supporting chapters by Rlene Steffy and Wakako Higuchi) [Google Scholar], 2009b Athens, J. S. 2009b. Archaeological Surveys and Cultural Resources Studies on Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Support of the Joint Guam Build-Up Environmental Impact Statement: Vol. II-2: Pagan Site Descriptions, Charlottesville, Virginia: Prepared for Dept. of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i. Prepared by International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc., Honolulu, Hawai'i, with TEC Inc. Joint Venture. [Google Scholar], and 2009c Athens, J. S. 2009c. Archaeological Surveys and Cultural Resources Studies on Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Support of the Joint Guam Build-Up Environmental Impact Statement: Vol. II-3: Sarigan Site Descriptions, Charlottesville, Virginia: Prepared for Dept. of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i. Prepared by International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc., Honolulu, Hawai'i, with TEC Inc. Joint Venture. [Google Scholar]). 6. Aa is a geological term of Hawaiian origin defined as "basaltic lava flows typified by a rough, jagged, spinose, clinkery surface" (American Geological Institute 1976 American Geological Institute. 1976. Dictionary of Geological Terms, rev, Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday. [Google Scholar]). 7. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi's ship, the San Pedro, with Andres de Urdaneta as pilot, made the first galleon crossing of the Pacific in 1565, carrying a cargo of porcelain and silks from Asia to Mexico. This was made possible by taking a far northern route to catch the northwest trade winds. Beginning in 1568, galleons built in the Philippines started making annual trading trips between Cebu (then Manila starting in 1571) and Acapulco, exchanging New World silver for silks, porcelain, spices, jewels, and works of art (Farrell 1991 Farrell, D. A. 1991. History of the Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan: Public School System, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. [Google Scholar]:134–135).
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