Ancient CHamoru Tool Making

Ancient CHamoru Tool Making

by Christian Bais

​Archeologists learn about societies and cultures of the past by looking at the objects or artifacts that people left behind.

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​Like other Pacific Island cultures, ancient CHamorus used a variety of tools made of stone, shell, bone, wood and other plant materials.

​NOTE: There was not METAL at this time. Metal was brought by the Spanish.

​What is an Archeologist?

• a person who studies human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains.

Multiple Select

Click all that apply. Name materials Ancient CHamoru's used for tool making.

• Bone

• Plastic

• Shell

• Wood

Multiple Choice

True or False: Metal was used for hooks by the Ancient CHamoru?

• True

• False

The Evidence of Tools

​Because of the tropical climate and environmental conditions of the Marianas, plant and wood tools have not been preserved well.  Nevertheless, archeologists have been able to recover numerous shell, bone and stone tools used by the ancient inhabitants of these islands.

Multiple Choice

Archeologists have difficulty finding ancient tools made up of _______ because of Guam's tropical climate.

• Metal

• Bone and Stone

• Wood and Plants

• Plastic

• ​Volcanic Rocks

• ​Basalt

• ​Coral

• ​Limestone

​Stone Tools

​Another volcanic rock called pumice, which is very porous and rough, was also used as grinding stones.  Grinding stones help to sand or polish wood, stone or shell, making them smooth to the touch.  Grinding stones can also sharpen tool edges.

Multiple Select

What were some of the "stone materials" used for crafting tools?

• Basalt

• Iron

• Limestone

• Aluminum

Multiple Choice

Name the special stone specifically used for grinding and sharpening objects.

• Coral

• Basalt

• Limestone

• Pumice

Stone Tools Use

• ​Peeling Fruits

• ​Scaling and gutting fish

• ​Hammer

• ​Sling stones

• ​Sinkers

• ​Grinders

Stone ​Tools were easily broken and had to be replaced often.

Multiple Select

What are two things stone tools can be used for?

• Scaling & gutting fish

• Jumping

• Sleeping

• Sinkers

​Bone Tools

​The ancient CHamorus had a few implements made of bone.  Fish bones were shaped into lures for catching octopus and squid.  Small bones could be used to make needles or awls, which are pointed tools for piercing holes.  These tools were useful for sewing together jewelry or ornaments, or preparing thatch for houses.

​There were no large mammals on Guam!

​As there were no large mammals native to the Marianas, the ancient CHamorus used human bones to make certain kinds of implements.  The human tibia or shinbone was used to make barbed spear points for warfare or fishing.

Multiple Choice

Where did most of the bone Ancient CHamoru's use come from?

• Deer

• Fish

• Birds

• Mammals

Multiple Choice

Where did they get the bones for spears and weapons from?

• Birds

• Fish

• Human Tibia

• Deer

​Shell Tools

​Another useful material for tool-making was shell, usually from mollusks, such as snails, clams or oysters.  Shells are relatively hard and strong enough for certain tasks, but relatively easy to shape using stone tools.  Oyster (Isognomon) and giant clam (Tridacna, or hima in CHamoru) shells made the most durable tools for cutting and scraping.

Multiple Select

Tools made from shell was mostly used for :

• Cutting

• War

• Scraping

• Took look pretty