Report on Consecrated Stone Images and other Stone Works in Palau, Micronesia

Abstract

This is a part of the results of field research in Palau covering two and half years from Spring 1929 to Fall 1931. The present writer tries here simply to describe the features of stone works found in various sites surveyed rarely by anthropologists or archaeologists. There would be recognized in Palau multitudinous aspects of stone works including megaliths which are rather widespread also in many islands of Micronesia, thus not restricted to Palau. However, stone image represented almost exclusively by human face such as found in Palau have their parallels nowhere in other parts of Micronesia and seem to belong to a particular culture presumably derived from Celebes etc., but not diffused into Micronesia beyond Palau. This is also the case with a special type of bow with a more or less flat section, blowgun, and dual system of social organization conspicuous in Palau. On the other hand, we may be able to point out some other aspects of culture fairly widespread in Micronesia but not found in Palau. Weaving loom is such an instance and in Palau tapa does exist instead. After his work in Palau for two and half years, the writer stayed in the isolated island Satewal from October 1931 to December 1938, and visited subsequently various parts of Micronesia, including Palau for the second time, till the year of 1942.