Artifacts such as pottery shards, shells and flaked tools unearthed from excavation sites give us a glimpse of how the people in the past lived, but the soil also has its own stories to tell.
Lon E. Bulgrin, a cultural resources specialist at the Naval Facilities Command Marianas, published a 2013 study titled “Fina’okso’ Antigu Prehistoric Soil Mounds in the Interior of Rota,” which focused on the charcoal-stained soil mounds discovered on Rota.
In 1992, an archaeological survey was conducted on a proposed 650-hectare agricultural homestead subdivision for the traditional land units of Dugi, I Chencon, Gampapa, As Nieves, Taksunok and I Chugai on Rota. The CNMI law requires an archaeological survey for projects that involve earth-moving and land clearing.
The survey led to the discovery of charcoal-stained soil mounds from the late Latte Period (1000 AD-1521 AD). Bulgrin noted that charcoal-stained mounds were rarely documented in the Marianas.
The soil mounds varied in size and height, from 30 to 70 centimeters above the ground surface, and the surface area ranged from 6 sqm. to 1,674 sqm.
Bulgrin noted that 43 earth mounds were associated with latte sets, the stone pillars and cup-shaped capstones used by the ancient CHamorus to support their house structures. Fifteen mounds had nothing to do with the latte sets.
Archeological testing showed considerable quantities of charcoal in all the mounds, suggesting signs of human activities in the past. Citing information obtained from CNMI Historic Preservation Officer Joe Guerrero, Bulgrin said some mounds yielded artifacts like pottery.
Bulgrin noted that the soil mounds not associated with latte villages, such as Chugai Village, were smaller than those associated with latte sets in Gampapa Village.
The charcoal remains on the mounds also suggest that the early inhabitants used the sites for cooking, shaping latte stones, open-fire pottery making, and preparing bamboo fish traps and fish nets.
Further archeological testing on the artifacts recovered from the mounds suggested economic activities among ancient people, such as the production of coconut oil, paint, whitewash, bamboo baskets, fish traps, furniture and armor, among other things.
Bulgrin pointed out that the different sizes of mounds between the two villages also suggested social competition among regions on the island and social ranking among the people.
Rota was essential in studying the Latte Period because of its numerous latte sites, which had been well-preserved for centuries.
How did Rota manage to preserve ancient traditional sites? Unlike Saipan and Tinian, Rota was not invaded and did not experience devastation from World War II. The island also did not have any of the construction of U.S. airfields, hospitals, barracks, and other structures after the war.
Also, the population of the Marianas decreased under Spanish colonialism in the 18th and 19th centuries due to outbreaks of diseases that killed several CHamoru people and forced relocation to Guam. It is easy to imagine Rota being abandoned at the time. There were no environmental or cultural disturbances until the 1930s when the Japanese started sugar cane production.
To date, the latte architecture, such as the Rota Latte Stone Quarry, also known as “As Nieves Quarry,” remains the most vital evidence in studying the social structure of the ancient CHamoru people. The Latte Stone Quarry was among the 19 new National Historic Landmarks recently designated by the Department of the Interior.
However, the latte structures themselves are just one portals through which we can look into the past. More stories about the lives of the ancient CHamoru people are still locked and untold in the fragments of pottery shards, stone tools, and other artifacts. And don’t forget about stories from the soil.
Raquel Bagnol is a longtime journalist. She worked as a reporter for Marianas Variety on Saipan and Island Times in Palau. Send feedback to gukdako@yahoo.com
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