Huge terraces, crowned by “Green Pyramids”: Archaeological finds put the astonishingly old monumental buildings on the Pacific island of Babeldaob in the limelight. Studies of the soil structures and skeletal finds now show that the buildings were built by hand over generations and were used for agriculture. The crowns of some of the structures, which are more than ten meters high, were also burial sites. The landscape-defining structures probably go back to a time of more than 2000 years ago and are thus the earliest evidence of monumentality in the island communities of Oceania.
“Once upon a time, a huge snake wound itself around the hills of the island and created the striking structures in the landscape with its body”: the inhabitants of Babeldaob tell themselves this mythical story of the origins of the striking features of their homeland. The island, which is only 45.8 kilometers long and 15.4 kilometers wide, forms the center of the Republic of Palau. This state, which consists of many islands, is located about 800 kilometers east of the Philippines and north of West Papua in the Pacific. As was already known, the “tracks of the giant serpent” are actually the work of early inhabitants of Babeldaob: they are the remains of impressive systems of extensive earthworks.
At first glance this does not seem very unusual, as the early cultures of Oceania often redesigned the landscapes of the islands and monumental buildings are also known – above all the stone figures and ceremonial platforms on Easter Island. But the traces on Babeldaob are much older: According to the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), according to the current state of knowledge, they go back to the period between 400 BC and 400 BC. and 750 AD. In terms of time, the first earthworks in Palau are far ahead of the large-scale constructions in other island communities in Oceania. It is therefore possible that the early developments on the island played a role in the origin of the supra-regional concept of monumentality.
Amazing construction achievements
In order to find out more about the origin, function and significance of the structures on Babeldaob, a team of researchers from the Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel and the DAI carried out investigations into the structures. With the help of geo-archaeological methods, the interdisciplinary team first tracked down the structure of the terraces. This showed that the designers used weathered volcanic rock interspersed with numerous ceramics as a basis. The upper layers, on the other hand, consist of carefully applied humus-rich soil. Evidence of plant pits in the applied humus layers indicate extensive horticulture on the terraces.
“Millions of tons of soil material must have been moved by workers over many generations with an almost unimaginable amount of work,” says team member Andreas Mieth from the University of Kiel. His colleague Annette Kühlem adds: “The builders probably had hardly any tools at their disposal. And if so, then it was made of rock or organic material. These are achievements that could only be possible in a politically well-organized society,” says the scientist. Project manager Hans-Rudolf Bork from the University of Kiel also emphasizes another aspect of the systems: the researchers found no evidence of erosion. “Here the work was also technically very sustainable,” says Bork.
Distinctive resting places for the elites
The research project also focused on the crowns of some of the terraces, which can be seen from afar and are up to ten meters high. These earthworks were burial sites, as the current findings clearly show: In one of the hilltops in the south of Babeldaob, the scientists were able to uncover six skeletons with the support of local helpers. “This is a unique, sensational finding for the Palau earthworks. Such well-preserved burials have never been found there before, because bones normally decompose very quickly in the acidic soil,” says Kühlem.
Those involved in the project suspect that only members of the elite were buried on the elaborately applied and shaped tops of the earthworks. Apparently, their social status was literally emphasized in this way even after death. According to the team, there is now further research potential in samples of the skeletal finds: “Due to the fairly well-preserved skulls, there is hope to be able to carry out DNA analyzes and thus family relationships, perhaps even in comparison with the population living in the area today. A gap in the traceability of the settlement of Oceania can also be closed in this way,” explains Kühlem.
As the University of Kiel finally reports, the results of the research project generated a strong echo in society and the press of the island state of Palau. They expanded the islanders’ view of their own culture. Ultimately, political and traditional officials and dignitaries as well as school classes also visited the excavation site. This also led to a special conclusion of the project in December 2021: the six skeletons from the crown of Ngerbuns el Bad were ceremonially reburied using traditional rites – the dead were once again treated with respect after hundreds of years.
Source: Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, German Archaeological Institute