Editing History of Guam (section)

==Guam prior to European contact==

===Migrations===
{{See also|Austronesian peoples|Mariana Islands#History|History of the Federated States of Micronesia}}
[[File:Chronological dispersal of Austronesian people across the Pacific.svg|upright=1.5|thumb|Map showing the [[Neolithic]] [[Austronesian peoples|Austronesian migrations]] into the islands of the [[Indo-Pacific]]]]
The Mariana Islands were the first islands settled by humans in [[Remote Oceania]]. Incidentally it is also the first and the longest of the ocean-crossing voyages of the [[Austronesian peoples]] into Remote Oceania, and is separate from the later [[Polynesian people|Polynesian]] settlement of the rest of Remote Oceania. They were first settled around 1500 to 1400 BC by migrants departing from the Philippines.<ref name="Hung"/><ref name="Zotomayor">{{cite journal |last1=Zotomayor |first1=Alexie Villegas |title=Archaeologists say migration to Marianas longest ocean-crossing in human history |journal=Marianas Variety News and Views |date=12 March 2013 |page=2 |url=https://issuu.com/aleksea/docs/mv_3-12-13/2 |access-date=25 October 2020}}</ref>

Archeological studies of human activity on the islands has revealed potteries with red-slipped, circle-stamped and punctate-stamped designs found in the Mariana Islands dating between 1500 and 1400 BC. These artifacts show similar aesthetics to pottery found in Northern and Central Philippines, the Nagsabaran ([[Cagayan Valley]]) pottery, which flourished during the period between 2000 and 1300 BC.<ref name="Hung">{{cite journal |last1=Hung |first1=Hsiao-chun |last2=Carson |first2=Mike T. |last3=Bellwood |first3=Peter |last4=Campos |first4=Fredeliza Z. |last5=Piper |first5=Philip J. |last6=Dizon |first6=Eusebio |last7=Bolunia |first7=Mary Jane Louise A. |last8=Oxenham |first8=Marc |last9=Chi |first9=Zhang |title=The first settlement of Remote Oceania: the Indonesian Islands of Bahasa to the Marianas or Taiwan to the Marianas|journal=Antiquity |date=2015 |volume=85 |issue=329 |pages=909–926 |doi=10.1017/S0003598X00068393|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Comparative and historical linguistics also indicate that the [[Chamorro language|Chamoru language]] is most closely related to the Indonesian Malayan subfamily of the [[Austronesian languages]], instead of the [[Oceanic languages|Oceanic]] subfamily of the languages of the rest of Remote Oceania.<ref name="Hung"/><ref name="carson2012">{{cite journal |last1=Carson |first1=Mike T. |title=History of Archaeological Study in the Mariana Islands |journal=Micronesica |date=2012 |volume=42 |issue=1/2 |pages=312–371 |url=https://micronesica.org/sites/default/files/10_carson_pp312-371.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820002358/http://micronesica.org/sites/default/files/10_carson_pp312-371.pdf |archive-date=2017-08-20 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Gadao Guam.jpg|thumb|left|Chief [[Gadao]] is featured in many legends about Guam before European colonization.]]
[[Human mitochondrial genetics|Mitchondrial DNA]] and [[whole genome sequencing]] of the Chamoru people strongly support Philippine ancestry. Genetic analysis of pre-[[Latte stone|''Latte'' period]] skeletons in Guam also show that they do not have [[Melanesians|Melanesian]] ancestry which rules out origins from the [[Bismarck Archipelago]], [[New Guinea]], or eastern [[Indonesia]]. The [[Lapita culture]] itself (the ancestral branch of the Polynesian migrations) is younger than the first settlement of the Marianas (the earliest Lapita artifacts are dated to around 1350 to 1300 BCE), indicating that they originated from separate migration voyages.<ref name="Pugach">{{cite journal |last1=Pugach |first1=Irina |last2=Hübner |first2=Alexander |last3=Hung |first3=Hsiao-chun |last4=Meyer |first4=Matthias |last5=Carson |first5=Mike T. |last6=Stoneking |first6=Mark |title=Ancient DNA from Guam and the Peopling of the Pacific |journal=bioRxiv |date=14 October 2020 |volume=118 |issue=1 |pages=2020.10.14.339135 |doi=10.1101/2020.10.14.339135|pmid=33443177 |pmc=7817125 |hdl=21.11116/0000-0007-9BA4-1 |s2cid=224817625 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Vilar">{{cite journal |last1=Vilar |first1=Miguel G. |last2=Chan |first2=Chim W |last3=Santos |first3=Dana R |last4=Lynch |first4=Daniel |last5=Spathis |first5=Rita |last6=Garruto |first6=Ralph M |last7=Lum |first7=J Koji |title=The origins and genetic distinctiveness of the chamorros of the Marianas Islands: An mtDNA perspective |journal=American Journal of Human Biology |date=January 2013 |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=116–122 |doi=10.1002/ajhb.22349|pmid=23180676 |pmc=4335639 }}</ref>

Nevertheless, DNA analysis also shows a close genetic relationship between ancient settlers of the Marianas and early Lapita settlers in the [[Bismarck Archipelago]]. This may indicate that both the Lapita culture and the Marianas were settled by direct migrations from the Philippines, or that early settlers from the Marianas voyaged further southwards into the Bismarcks and reconnected with the Lapita people.<ref name="Pugach"/>

The Marianas also later established contact and received migrations from the [[Caroline Islands]] at around the first millennium CE. This brought new pottery styles, language, genes, and the hybrid Polynesian [[breadfruit]].<ref name="Peterson">{{cite journal |last1=Peterson |first1=John A. |title=Latte villages in Guam and the Marianas: Monumentality or monumenterity? |journal=Micronesica |date=2012 |volume=42 |issue=1/2 |pages=183–208 |url=https://micronesica.org/sites/default/files/5_smpeterson_pp183-208.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820002325/http://micronesica.org/sites/default/files/5_smpeterson_pp183-208.pdf |archive-date=2017-08-20 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The period 900 to 1700 CE of the Marianas, immediately before and during the Spanish colonization, is known as the [[Latte stone|''Latte'' period]]. It is characterized by rapid cultural change, most notably by the massive [[megalithic]] ''latte'' stones (also spelled ''latde'' or ''latti''). These were composed of the ''haligi'' pillars capped with another stone called ''tasa'' (which prevented rodents from climbing the posts). These served as supports for the rest of the structure which was made of wood. Remains of structures made with similar wooden posts have also been found. Human graves have also been found in front of ''latte'' structures. The ''Latte'' period was also characterized by the introduction of [[rice]] agriculture, which is unique in the pre-contact [[Pacific Islands]].<ref name="Laguana"/>

The reasons for these changes are still unclear, but it is believed that it may have resulted from a third wave of migrants from [[maritime Southeast Asia]]. Comparisons with other architectural traditions makes it likely that this third migration wave were again from the Philippines, or from eastern [[Indonesia]] (either [[Sulawesi]] or [[Sumba]]), all of which have a tradition of raised buildings with capstones. Interestingly, the word ''haligi'' ("pillar") is also used in various languages throughout the Philippines; while the Chamoru word ''guma'' ("house") closely resembles the Sumba word ''uma''.<ref name="Laguana">{{cite journal |last1=Laguana |first1=Andrew |last2=Kurashina |first2=Hiro |last3=Carson |first3=Mike T. |last4=Peterson |first4=John A. |last5=Bayman |first5=James M. |last6=Ames |first6=Todd |last7=Stephenson |first7=Rebecca A. |last8=Aguon |first8=John |last9=Harya Putra |first9=Ir. D.K. |title=Estorian i latte: A story of latte |journal=Micronesica |date=2012 |volume=42 |issue=1/2 |pages=80–120 |url=https://micronesica.org/sites/default/files/2_smlaguana_pp80-120.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820002306/http://micronesica.org/sites/default/files/2_smlaguana_pp80-120.pdf |archive-date=2017-08-20 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Ancient Chamoru society===
[[File:Ancient Chamorro Society - Pellion - .jpg|thumb|1819 illustration depicting the three Chamoru castes]]
Most of what is known about Pre-Contact ("Ancient") Chamorus comes from legends and myths, archaeological evidence, [[Jesuit]] [[missionary]] accounts, and observations from visiting scientists like [[Otto von Kotzebue]] and [[Louis de Freycinet]].

When Europeans first arrived on Guam, Chamoru society roughly fell into three classes: ''matao'' (upper class), ''achaot'' (middle class), and ''mana'chang'' (lower class). The matao lived in the coastal villages, which meant they had the best access to fishing grounds while the mana'chang lived in the interior of the island. Matao and mana'chang rarely communicated with each other, and matao often used achaot as a go-between.

There were also "makhanas" (shamans) and "suruhanus" (herb doctors), skilled in healing and medicine.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9r0a2ww8KLcC&pg=PA101|title=Ancient Chamorro Society|last=Cunningham|first=Lawrence J.|date=1992-01-01|publisher=Bess Press|isbn=9781880188057|language=en}}</ref> Belief in spirits of ancient Chamorros called ''[[Taotao Mona]]'' still persists as remnant of pre-European society. Early European explorers noted the [[sakman]], the Chamoru fast sailing vessel used for trading with other islands of Micronesia.

===Latte===
[[File:HaputoBeachSite.jpg|thumb|[[Latte stone]] from a northern beach]]
The [[latte stones]] were not a recent development in Contact Chamoru society. The latte stone consists of a head and a base shaped out of limestone. Like the [[Easter Island]] [[Moai]] statues, there is plenty of speculation over how this was done by a society without machines or metal, but the generally accepted view is that the head and base were etched out of the ground by sharp adzes and picks (possibly with the use of fire), and carried to the assembly area by an elaborate system of ropes and logs. The latte stone was used as a part of the raised foundation for a magalahi (matao chief) house, although they may have also been used for canoe sheds.

Archaeologists using carbon-dating have broken Pre-Contact Guam (i.e. Chamoru) history into three periods: "Pre-Latte" (BC 2000? to AD 1) "Transitional Pre-Latte" (AD 1 to AD 1000), and "Latte" (AD 1000 to AD 1521). Archaeological evidence also suggests that Chamoru society was on the verge of another transition phase by 1521, as latte stones became bigger.

Assuming the stones were used for chiefly houses, it can be argued that Chamoru society was becoming more stratified, either from population growth or the arrival of new people. The theory remains tenuous, however, due to lack of evidence, but if proven correct, will further support the idea that Pre-Contact Chamorus lived in a vibrant and dynamic environment. <!-- Society becoming more stratified does not mean that it is dynamic or vibrant. Besides, this part is in dire need of inline citations. -->