Archaeological Investigation of Caves and Rock Shelters on Guam and Tinian: a synthesis of their use through time

Abstract

Archaeological investigations in the Micronesian archipelago of the Mariana Islands have generally focused on habita- tion sites occupied from the Pre-Latte through Latte Period, with more recent attention to palaeoenvironmental studies such as wetland sediment cores, residue analysis of ceramics and tools, agricultural soil analyses, and climate change modeling. One site type recognized as having an early and repeated record of human use over the 3500 year history of the islands is the cave and/or rock shelter. This paper examines their use through time on Guam and Tinian, not as an ancillary feature to habitation sites, but as an independent measure of social and ecological processes in the Western Pacific.