Skeletal biology of Apurguan: A precontact Chamorro site on Guam

A collection of approximately 8,000 fish bones from an archaeological site complex at Mangilao on the island of Guam was analysed. Identifiable bones were found in 127 different assemblages. In total, these bones produced a Minimum Number of Individuals of 267 fishes (NISP=394). There were also a few bones of rats, birds and flying fox in the collections, but details of these are reported elsewhere. The collections were examined for possible changes through time and from one area to another, without showing signs of significant variation. Although 20 different families of fish are represented in these collections, all assemblages are dominated by fish belonging to the Scaridae family (parrotfish). This is similar to most other archaeological collections throughout the Pacific. Second in importance are fish belonging to the Coryphaenidae family (dolphinfish), and fifth in abundance are significant quantities of fish in the Istiophoridae/Xiphiidae families (swordfish and marlins). It is exceptional to find these species in archaeological sites in the Pacific; the bones from Mangilao are matched only in other sites in the Marianas chain of islands. A few bones were found from at least 5 species which are not present in the comparative collection at the Archaeozoology Laboratory at the Museum of New Zealand.

American Journal of Physical Anthropology 104:267-269, 1997

The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2019

Sublime expression of three ectocranial occipital superstructures (OSSs)—occipital torus tubercles (TOTs), retromastoid processes (PRs), and posterior supramastoid tubercles (TSPs)—is virtually restricted to Oceania, with epicenters in the Mariana Islands, Tonga, Mocha Island, and perhaps other Oceanic locales such as the West Sepik Coast of New Guinea. Enigmatic in etiology, OSSs are anatomically related to entheses for the trapezius, superior oblique (suboccipital), and sternocleidomastoid muscles, respectively. Our study focuses on Latte Period (950–250 BP) Chamorro ancestors of the Mariana Islands, contextualized with other skeletal samples from Remote Oceania, Near Oceania, and the Asian and American Pacific Rims. Frequent co-variation and pair-wise patterning of multiple markedly expressed OSSs distinguishes ancestral Chamorros from all other populations, but markedly expressed individual OSSs exhibit a broad network of pan-Pacific morphological affinities. The presence of markedly developed PRs and TSPs in archaic Javanese hominins indicates deep Southeast Asian origins for these morphs, but a Northeast Asian origin for tuberculated TOTs is suggested by their earliest presence in Late Pleistocene Okinawans and Neolithic Taiwanese. The central goal of this paper is to present and evaluate evidence that OSSs are informative of both Pacific population history and the life histories of “bone-forming” Pacific Islander and Pacific Rim individuals.

A collection of approximately 2,000 fish bones from an archaeological site at Ylig on the island of Guam was analysed. Identifiable bones were found in 59 different assemblages. In total, these bones produced a Minimum Number of Individuals of 95 fishes (NISP=170). Although 15 different families of fish are represented in this collection, all assemblages are dominated by fish belonging to the Coryphaenidae family (dolphinfish). This is highly unusual compared to all other archaeological fish collections so far examined from the Pacific region. These collections are usually dominated by Scaridae. At Ylig, fishes of the Scaridae family are second in abundance. Also notable at Ylig is the presence of fish in the Istiophoridae/Xiphiidae families (swordfish and marlins). It is exceptional to find these species in archaeological sites in the Pacific; the bones from Ylig are matched only in other sites in the Marianas chain of islands. The recovery method was not systematic for all parts of the excavation, so there could be some bias in the relative abundance of different species. The collection was examined for possible changes through time, but did not show signs of significant variation.

2013

In the mid-1990s, I tried to build a strong prehistoric cultural context for the findings from an extensive archaeological survey and testing project sited at the northern end of Guam (Olmo 1996). While I had limited success with this, one area that caused me great consternation was my inadequate treatment of the midden remains, and in particular the fish remains. It is from my discontent with my discussion from that time that I have embarked in the direction outlined below.

… journal of physical …, 1997

AbstrAct In 2007 the discovery of pre-Columbian chicken bones from Chile provided the first conclusive evidence for prehistoric Polynesian contact with South America. When looking for further commensal data to address the issue of trans-Pacific contacts, we found a museum collection of human remains recovered from Mocha Island, a small island located ap-proximately 30 km off the Chilean coast. The morphology of the crania suggests they may be of Polynesian ancestry. Here we present craniometric analyses for the six complete crania from Mocha Island, Chile and discuss the implica-tions for further research into prehistoric trans-Pacific interaction.

This study focuses on the gross anatomy, anatomic relations, microanatomy, and the meaning of three enigmatic, geographically patterned, and quasi-continuous superstructures of the posterior cranium. Collectively known as occipital superstructures (OSSs), these traits are the occipital torus tubercle (TOT), retromastoid process (PR), and posterior supramastoid tubercle (TSP). When present, TOT, PR, and TSP develop at posterior cranial attachment sites of the upper trapezius, superior oblique, and sternocleidomastoid muscles, respectively. Marked expression and co-occurrence of these OSSs are virtually circumscribed within Oceania and reach highest recorded frequencies in protohistoric Chamorros (CHamoru) of the Mariana Islands. Prior to undertaking scanning electron microscopy (SEM) work, our working multifactorial model for OSS development was that early-onset, long-term, and chronic activityrelated microtrauma at enthesis sites led to exuberant reactive or reparative responses in a substantial minority of genetically predisposed (and mostly male) individuals. SEM imaging, however, reveals topographic patterning that questions, but does not negate, activity induction of these superstructures. Although OSSs appear macroscopically as relatively large and discrete phenomena, SEM findings reveal a unique, widespread, and seemingly systemic distribution of structures over the occipital surface that have the appearance of OSS microforms. Nevertheless, apparent genetic underpinnings, anatomic relationships with muscle entheses, and positive correlation of OSS development with humeral robusticity continue to suggest that these superstructures have potential to at once bear witness to Chamorro population history and inform osteo-The authors dedicate this paper to the family of their colleague, friend, exceptional scholar, and exceptionally good man, the late Douglas B. Hanson.

The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2014

Previous investigations of health and lifestyle in the Mariana Islands indicated that the prehistoric inhabitants living on the smaller islands of this archipelago experienced more stress than those living on the larger islands. Differences in environment and/or resource availability and the greater impact of natural disasters on smaller islands were cited as possible reasons for these observed differences. This paper expands on previous research by using one of the largest datasets now available for examining the health of prehistoric skeletons from the Mariana Islands. The indicators of health investigated are cribra orbitalia (CO), linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH), stature, trauma, infection, and dental disease. There is considerable inter-island variability for many of the indicators but generally the highest frequencies of stress are often associated with skeletons from the smaller islands. For several indicators (e.g., stature, limb bone fracture, spondylolysis, alveolar defect) there were no significant differences among islands. These results further suggest that the prehistoric inhabitants of Rota, the smallest island, revealed levels of stress similar to Guam, the largest island. Cultural habits such as chewing areca (betel) nut and other environmental and cultural differences are examined to explain these differences.