Pre-Latte Phase Notes

Where did the earliest people live?

All sites for the pre-latte people were found along the coastal regions of the islands of Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and Guam

One of the earliest settlement sites was found at Nomna Bay, Inarajan. Radio carbon dating put that site to be about 3,700 BP.

Marianas Red Ware– From 3500-2500 BP

The oldest pottery made in the Mariana Islands. It was made with a slip to make the pottery smooth. A slip is a liquid kind of potter's paste that is spread around the outside of the pot. Sometimes the people used their fingers or maybe coconut husk to make lines of wavy designs outside the pots. These pottery were usually shallow with wide openings and most likely used for serving. They were formed with a white sand temper. A temper is what is added to the clay to help hold its shape.

Marianas Lime Filled Impressed Ware - From about 2500 to 1500 BP

Although these were also Marianas red ware, the decorations around the pottery became more elaborate,

and some were made with black sandtemper. Some archeologists believe the decorations were ways to identify the clans that made the pots. During the late pre-latte phase, (about 1500 BP) the pottery began to change; the pots became larger and decorations became simpler and more and more pots were made with volcanic sand temper. Pots made with Volcanic sand can be used for cooking or preserving food. While pottery began to change, so did the populations of the Marianas change.

As the pots became larger and their uses became more varied, the individual village groups became larger and there seems to have been an increase in trade among the islands.

All the islands began making pottery with similar designs, temper and size.

As populations increased some clan groups may have moved to other areas of the islands

Other artifacts related to the earliest people of the Marianas included wood, shell and bone tools and ornaments.

Giant Clams were used to make adze blades. These shells were used to make jewelry. There are disks, pendants and a piece of an arm band. Most ancient island cultures consider jewelry as a symbol of

status. Its main use in society was ceremonial, used as offerings at funerals or as payments for special and religious services; from servings as gifts at wedding celebrations to offerings of peace and honor given to the victors in times of conflict and warfare.

Ancient people spent a lot of time preparing their jewelry because the status recognition of its wearer was very important. I am not sure what island would produce Such a simple pendant as this. Alas – The term ålas refers to turtle shell jewelry. Women, most especially, wore turtle shell as body ornamentation. Plain turtle shell plates were called lailai. Maku dudu were lailai polished on both sides that were worn around the waists of particularly wealthy women, and fastened by means of a double cord. Lailai with holes cut into it were pinipu. Each hole signified an increase in value.The terms guini and lukao hugua refer to open ended turtle shell necklaces made of flat, round and perforated disks of turtle shell.

A chief may wear a necklace during special ceremonies, but his wife was the person who made the necklace.

The highly prized guinahan fama’guon (children’s wealth) consisted of shell disks of varying thickness worn draped around the neck on special occasions. This was smaller and of greater value than the chiefs necklace and usually worn by women

Tools included shell food scrapers, bone and shell needles and of course, many shell fishhooks, sinkers and lures and others.. All the archeological evidence points to a highly advance prehistoric people who lived in small settlements throughout the main islands of the Marianas. They were mainly fishermen and farmed some plants like breadfruit and taro.

They fished everyday, and that meant they lived near the coast and produced all kinds of fishing gear like fish nets, hook and lines, fish traps, etc.

They lived either in huts or caves. They made pottery first for serving and later, probably for cooking and storage. Constant trade within the Marianas also occurred. They spent many hours making tiny sea shell disks for jewelry. And they had a system of recognized honor or respect related to the jewelry.