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Mystery of Guam Series at ns.gov.gu Click photos below to enlarge! |
Caves at Talofofo, Guam is one site where petroglyphs may be found. There are two caves with drawings: The main Talofofo cave and the second cave to the left of the "Eye of the Needle" formation (reference Ancient Chamorro Society. Pg. 147 Dr. Lawrence Cunningham 1992). At that intriguing natural formation, there is a very small cave on the Talofofo River side with symbols drawn with white quicklime (calcium hydroxide) known as åfok. Lynda Aguon, Chief Guam Historic Preservation Officer from the Guam Historic Resources Division recounts that the area where the pictograph (photo of stone below as it appears in Bishop Museum 2nd Floor Hawaii Hall) originates is identified as Guam and National Historic Preservation Register Site Number 66-09-0069, "As Quiroga Cave" - an area that covers both sides of highway 4.
"As Quiroga Cave" has been listed on the Guam and National Register of Historic Places since 1975 / 76 respectively. The "Eye of the Needle" shoud not be confused with the moniker for the rock formation designated in these official records as "Window Rock." According to "Caves and Karst of Guam", window rock is a natural arch formed by the partial collapse of the cave ceiling and can be seen from Rt. 4 in Ipan. The area may exist as govt. of Guam property with the Guam Historic Resources Div being responsible for ensuring a properties protection i.e. the cultural properties/resources are protected from vandalism and looting. Reference 21 GCA Sec. 76211 -"Vandalism and unlawful taking of historic properties and sites."
In the 1920s, Hans Hornbostel, employed by the Bishop museum in Honolulu, visited the Marianas archipelago. During these visits he produced maps of latte sites, undertook extensive excavations and collected thousands of artifacts and human burials. One of these was a carved out portion (size of a human head) of the Talofofo 2nd cave wall now on permanent display at the 2nd floor, Hawaiian Hall Bishop Museum in Honolulu. Although possessing no formal training in archaeology, Hornbostel provides a glimpse of the island's prehistoric resources prior to extensive land alterations. (reference Tiempon I Manmofo'na " 1998 Scott Russel"). By documenting these drawings, he and other archeologists provide evidence that Guam's petroglyphs are not of recent origins... that is, not drawn after the 1920's.
