A latte stone, or simply latte, is a pillar capped by a hemispherical stone capital (tasa) with the flat side facing up. Used as building supports by the ancient Chamorro people, they are found throughout most of the Mariana Islands. In modern times, the latte stone is seen as a sign of Chamorro identity and is used in many different contexts.
Dededo is the most populated village in the United States territory of Guam. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Dededo's population was just under 45,000 in 2010. The village is located on the coral plateau of Northern Guam. The greater Dededo-Machanao-Apotgan Urban Cluster had a population of 139,825 as of the 2010 census, making up 87.7% of Guam's population and 29.8% of its area.
Rota Latte Stone Quarry, also known as the As Nieves quarry, is located near the Chamorro village of Sinapalo, on the island of Rota in the Marianas Archipelago. The prehistoric megaliths found there are believed to have been used as foundation pillars for houses, with some of them weighing up to 35 tons. Their exact age, origin, methods of quarrying and means of transportation have not been determined.
The House of Taga is an archeological site located near San Jose Village, on the island of Tinian, United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, in the Marianas Archipelago. The site is the location of a series of prehistoric latte stone pillars which were quarried about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) south of the site, only one of which is left standing erect due to past earthquakes. The name is derived from a mythological chief named Taga, who is said to have erected the pillars as a foundation for his own house.
The Agana Spanish Bridge is a stone arch bridge built in 1800 in Hagåtña, Guam, during the administration of Spanish governor Manuel Muro. It is the only surviving Spanish bridge in Hagåtña, which is the capital of the United States territory of Guam. Also known as Sagon I Tolai Acho, it is located at the southwest corner of Aspenall St. and Rte. 1 and was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
The Dugi Archeological Site is a prehistoric latte stone site on the north side of Rota Island in the Northern Mariana Islands. The site is a rare inland site that survived the intensive sugar cane development introduced by the Japanese during the South Seas Mandate period of the 1920s and 1930s. It consists of sixteen deteriorated latte stone structures on three high terraces. Some of the latte stones have fallen over and others are missing features normally found at these sites.
Tachognya, also known as the Blue Site, is a prehistoric village site on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. It is located near the "Blue Beach" landing site of Allied forces in the Battle of Saipan, from which its name is derived. The site consists of ten latte stone house foundations, the largest of which has twelve latte columns and measures 14 by 58 feet.
The Laulau Kattan Latte Site is a prehistoric archaeological site on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. Located near the shore of Laulau Bay, it is a small village site containing the remains of four latte stone house foundations, and an extensive scattering of pottery artifacts. When first reported by the pioneering archaeologist Alexander Spoehr in the 1940s, the latte stones were described as mostly fallen over and extremely weathered.
The Unai Obyan Latte Site is a prehistoric archaeological site on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. Located near Obyan Beach on the south coast of the island, it is the site of what was once a fairly extensive village, which was significantly disturbed by Japanese defensive preparations during World War II. The site includes the fragmentary remains of a single latte stone house site and a wide scattering of surface-level remains. Excavation of the latte house site in the 1940s by the pioneering archeologist Alexander Spoehr yielded evidence of a length period of occupation. The village at Obyan was documented in early Spanish accounts of the island, and was probably abandoned when the Spanish forcibly relocated the entire island population to Guam in 1698.
Chalan Galaide is a late prehistoric latte stone archaeological site on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. It is unusual as one of the few inland latte sites in the Northern Marianas. It is a single-component site dating to the late prehistoric, or Latte Period, in the island's history. Based in part on the local name for the area and the presence of suitable tree species, it has been suggested the site was important in the production of canoes..
Mochong is a major prehistoric archaeological site on the island of Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands. It is considered the best preserved and second largest latte village in the Marianas. It is an extensive village site on the northern side of the island comprising 50 individual latte sets, scattered mortars (lusongs), scattered subsurface artifacts such as tools, fishing implements and abundance pieces of pottery; the Marianas Red Ware Pottery and the Marianas Plain Ware Pottery. This site also includes an extremely rare latte house structure consisting of 14 columns. It also has a latte stone wall, consisting of six columns and five slabs, that is more than 50 feet (15 m) long. The site has been radiocarbon dated to c. 1000 BCE. The site was first sketched in the early 19th century by the French explorer Louis de Freycinet, and was in remarkably intact condition in the 1980s.
The Fafai Beach Site is a prehistoric archaeological site near the village of Tamuning on the island of Guam. The site is stratified, containing layers representative of both the Latte and Pre-Latte periods of prehistory. The site includes several latte stone house sites, stone mortar sites, and rock overhang areas with cultural deposits. Stone, shell, and charcoal artifacts have been found here, as have several human burials.
The Nomna Bay Site is a prehistoric archaeological site on the east coast of the United States territory of Guam. Located on the southeast coast in the community of Inarajan, the site's primary features are fourteen latte stone house sites, located within 400 feet (120 m) of the waterline of Nomna Bay. One of these house sites has a T-shaped layout, which is extremely unusual for Micronesia latte sites. In the surrounding area are fire pits and stone mortar sites. Radiocarbon dating places use of the site to between about 1360 and 1675.
The Pagat Site is a large archaeological site in northeastern Guam. The site's major visible features are latte stone house sites, but it also contains pre-Latte period artifacts. Other surface features include refuse middens, stone mortar and grinding sites rock shelters. Items found during archaeological excavation include pottery remains, fish hooks, stone tools and weapons, beads, and several human burial sites. The site has been involved in contentious local debates over land use and preservation.
The Orote Historical Complex is a series of prehistoric and historic features at the northern tip of the Orote Peninsula on the island of Guam. This area is on the grounds of Naval Base Guam and requires military permission to see. Major features include Fort Santiago, built by Spanish colonial authorities in the early 18th century to secure Apra Harbor, the so-called "Spanish Steps", which provide access from the fortifications to a well at the base of the cliff, which may actually be of early 20th-century American origin, and a series of rock shelters and caves exhibiting evidence of human occupation to the Pre-Latte Period.
The Haputo Beach Site is a prehistoric village site in northwestern Guam. The site, located on Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Guam land near a sheltered cove, includes standing latte stones, as well as rock shelters and caves with evidence of human occupation. In addition to needing military permission for access to the site, the main trail leads through the Navy's Haputo Ecological Preserve.
The West Bona Site is an archaeological site near Santa Rita on the island of Guam. It encompasses a prehistoric village site consisting of at least seven latte stone house sites. Most of them are not in good condition, although the largest, with twelve stones, is in good condition. Radiocarbon dating places early occupation of the site to between 1285 and 1435, reaching its height around 1500. The site is on the grounds of Naval Station Guam.
The Talofofo River Valley Site is an archaeological site near Inarajan on the island of Guam. The site's major features include latte stone sets and rockshelters, with radiocarbon dating placing human occupation of the area as early as the first century CE. The site is located in the alluvial plain of the Talofofo River, and was excavated by archaeologist Fred Reinman in 1977.
Latte Stone Park, officially Senator Angel Leon Guerrero Santos Latte Stone Memorial Park, is an urban park in Hagåtña, Guam. Established in the 1950s and operated by the Guam Department of Parks and Recreation, it is best known for its set of eight historical latte stones, which were transferred from their original site in Fena. The Park is located along the cliffline below the Governor's residence in Agana Heights and south of the Plaza de España. It is often visited by sightseers visiting central Hagåtña. The park also includes the entrances to two sets of caves that were constructed during the Japanese occupation (1941-1944) by forced laborers and that were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 as the Agana/Hagåtña Cliffline Fortifications.
