Six weeks ago while on a hike up by the University of Guam, Rosina Iping discovered what may be the earliest depictions of astronomical knowledge recorded in this region according to a story by David L. Chandler, Globe Staff, 01/10/99.

Iping, herself an astronomer, described her findings at a recent meeting of the American Astronomical Society. The drawings she said, “Show people grazing at specific constellations of stars and at what maybe a depiction of a unique 16-month calendar used by some early Micronesian navigators.”

The calendar does not resemble the method in which other people in the world navigate. Instead of relying on the position of the sun and moon, the Chamoru people seemed to have relied more on the formations of stars, or constellations, for their navigational success across the oceans to other island destinations. Unlike the Filipino, Chamorus did not write down their stories. Theirs is more an oral retention and in the case of navigation; a well guarded secret handed down from father to son. Many stories continue to be handed down as traditionally but more and more are documented.

I remember how angry I was about that fact when the last of my father’s siblings died, all the family history was buried with her. I remember the family stories that my grandmother used to tell us when we would all gather at her home on weekends. Frankly, I hardly had the time to sit even as an adult and listen to my aunt’s versions. It is a great loss.

Read the entire story written on Page A07 of the Boston Globe on 01/10/99 at http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/010

January 26, 1999

I made a special trip to Ritidan after learning of the dots in the cave at Ritidan. The tour was arranged by Roger DiRosa and it was decided that John Sanchez, Information and Education Officer for the Fish & Wildlife Refuge at Ritidan, was to conduct the tour for me. When I got there I learned there were others also interested in taking the tour. We were five. As we entered the jungle, John Sanchez stopped and explained the importance of asking permission of the ancestors once there, to enter the area. Sanchez said that Ritidan is sacred ground, and anyone entering the area must show respect and request permission from the taotaomonas, or early Chamoru people whose spirits many believe continue to wander the area. According to Sanchez, it is believed that the original settlers arrived on Guam some 4,000 years ago.

Sanchez looked up in the air, made a quick yelp and began to converse with his ancestors in the Chamorro language then Sanchez recited a short chant. He asked permission to enter the area with the rest of us to see the ancient pictographs on the walls of the caves. Sanchez explained to the Chamoru gods that we had good intentions and that although the paintings attracted people to the site, he was not there to translate their meaning, but simply to help the people to see what their ancestors had left them. After he was done with the ritual, we entered the woods. Chamorros believe passage without respect will certainly result in a negative impression on the person's body, usually a bruise as if pinched or grabbed sternly for trespassing. 

The area had the distinct odor of musty, rotting debris, and the scents of wild pig. Sanchez and Roger Di Rosa, the Refuge Manager, identified the pig diggings along the cliff wall. I spent the rest of the hike trying to imagine what would cause wild pigs to dig consistently for several hundred yards. Each of us had our own interpretation. The truth is they are rooting.

The route was lush with tall plant life, many with root systems that resembled three inch pipes running along the forest floor in numerous directions. I was fascinated with all the plant life, natural composting, and recycling systems found in the area. I finally saw a Nonie tree and its fruit, not plentiful here, it's canned elsewhere.

We finally arrived at the caves and noticed immediately the stalactite and stalagmite formations in the caves. Once there we came upon the cave with the paintings Dr. Iping referenced. Di Rosa pointed out three medicine holes which had been carved out of the limestone rocks. These holes were once used to grind medicinal herbs, now left to the elements outside two caves we visited today.

When I climbed into the back chamber of the cave where the paintings were located, I sat on a large limestone formation and counted the dots. Iping believes that the dots represent an ancient navigational calendar. I can't agree or disagree, but I can see the value in making the determination.

Sanchez and Di Rose said many local people have visited the site, but no one can explain the meaning of the dot formation nor can anyone guarantee the authenticity of the paintings. No one is qualified. Somehow, the tradition of passing down the navigational secret hit a very long pause and the sea farers have adopted the use of modern devices to take the difficulty out of the process.

It took an astronomer to come up with the hypothesis that all those little dots were in fact part of a very precise navigational system. Let’s hope that she’s right and that it’s not graffiti.