Nan Madol
| Nan Madol | |
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UNESCO world heritage 
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| Nan Madol ruins |
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| National territory: |
 Micronesia
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| Type: | Culture |
| Criteria : | i, iii, iv, vi |
| Reference No .: | 1503 |
| UNESCO region : | Asia and Pacific |
| History of enrollment | |
| Enrollment: | 2016 ( session 40 ) |
| Red list : | 2016– |
Nan Madol is a ruined city in front of Temwen Island , a side island of Pohnpei in the archipelago of the Carolines (politically federated states of Micronesia ). It was built on 92 artificially created islands, on average the size of a football field, on a coral reef . Nan Madol was not a city in the current sense, but primarily a delimited ritual center and home of a political-religious elite.
History of origin
The settlement of the island of Pohnpei dates back at least 3000 years , as can be seen from finds by Lapita ceramics. In the centuries following the first settlement, several tribal principalities emerged (five have been identified so far), which were subdivided into clans and each arose around a spiritual and political center. On the island of Pohnpei there are hundreds of remnants of status buildings such as chief graves and enclosed residences, which document a spatially and temporally extensive social, ideological and political structure. It is ethnologically significant that the relics are closely linked to the culture and oral tradition of the population to this day.
Nan Madol began its role as the ritual center of the Madolenihmw tribal principality around 500 AD with the rise of the Saudeleurs dynasty , who succeeded in a series of wars to bring the entire population of the island - probably around 25,000 people - under their rule one. Saudeleur is a title that can be equated with “overlord” or “ autocrat ”. Literally translated it is called "Lord von Deleur", after an important tribal principality on Pohnpei, whose territory can no longer be delimited sufficiently today. The names of nine Saudeleurs are known from oral traditions, but there were probably 14 or more , as can be traced back to the genealogy . They established a strictly hierarchical , stratified society with several clearly separated ranks of chiefs and nobility. This gradation can still be seen today in the different size, equipment and construction of the islands. The vertical social structure can also be seen in the burial places. As with many tribal societies, there was also a classification of funeral rites in Nan Madol in relation to social status: large burial platforms ( Luhlung or Lolong ) and ossuaries for the highest nobility ranks, burials within the residential platforms for the middle ranks and for ordinary people burials, the are not associated with buildings.
The megalithic structures of Nan Madol were built around 1180 AD according to the uranium-thorium dating of 230 Th / U of the coral fragments used in the construction. This is also supported by radiocarbon dating of 14 C / 12 C organic materials, which shows that Nan Madol was under construction by 1200 at the latest. The islands may have been settled between 900 and 1100. Traces of the first settlement are no longer traceable, the structures probably consisted of perishable materials.
The centralized empire collapsed around 1650. The reasons are difficult to understand. Nan Madol's strictly religious and ritual orientation suggests that the Saudeleurs' power was based entirely on religious beliefs. The lack of a more flexible basis for the political integration of the island tribes made the system vulnerable to competing ideas that were more rooted in materialistic services of general interest. According to tradition, the end of Nan Madol was the work of the god of thunder. He had an affair with the Saudeleur's wife and had to flee to the neighboring island of Kosrae to avoid the ruler's persecution . There he and a local woman fathered a son, Isokelekel, who grew up aware of the tyranny of the Saudeleurs. He sailed back to Nan Madol with 333 followers and defeated the Saudeleur's warriors. Isokelekel founded a new dynasty, the Nahnmwarki, and established a different political order in which the empire was again divided into tribal principalities.
Nan Madol continued to be used as a religious center, albeit on a modest scale. In 1910 a tribal chief resided on one of the islands.
Construction
All structures are built on a coral reef, in some areas shallow sandbars have also been included. On the "mainland" of Temwen Island only one structure has been built, Peinkitel, the grave of the (legendary) conqueror Isokelekel.
The entire complex that is visible today consists of 92 artificially constructed and fortified islands, which are spread over an area of around 80 hectares . There are two main parts that are separated by a shallow but wide tidal channel:
- Madol Pah ("lower room"): the western section on 34 islands with the Saudeleur's residence and the main cult site Idehd was probably the center of power.
- Madol Powe ("Upper Room"): the eastern part of the city with 58 islands and the priests' living quarters, burial places and especially with Nandauwas, the gigantic tomb of the Saudeleurs, was probably the religious center.
Large parts of the city are surrounded by a wall on the lake side , but with several passages. The individual islands are separated by narrow waterways (hence the name " Venice of the South Seas"), which are filled with water at high tide, but sometimes dry out at low tide . Several of these roads have silted up, swamped or overgrown with mangroves in the past centuries . The islands are rectangular settlement mounds in the manner of tall terps that i. d. Usually made of carefully layered basalt stones . The rectangles formed from the basalt walls were filled with coral stones and rubble several meters high, so that high, walled platforms were created. On these platforms were buildings - houses, huts or temples - made of wood and other perishable building materials, but these have no longer been preserved. The principle of building houses and ceremonial complexes on massive platforms can also be found on other islands in the South Seas , e.g. B. the Marquesas .
It can be assumed that the city was planned systematically and as a whole, because individual construction periods cannot be distinguished.
Only the artificial islands remain from the original complex. They are built from two types of material: basalt and coral stones or rubble. The stone for the buildings comes exclusively from Pohnpei, the amorphous basalt blocks and the coralline material mainly from the island of Temwen itself. The hexagonal basalt columns of up to 8 m in length and several tons in weight (the ceiling stones from Nandauwas weigh an estimated 5 tons) were made by several Quarries in the north and northwest of the main island were transported, probably on rafts.
There are two types of masonry that is listed without mortar:
- Walls made of large, amorphous basalt blocks with a wedge of smaller stones in between
- Walls made of basalt prisms that are layered on top of each other in a truss bond as block masonry.
In many publications one can read that Nan Madol is a "fortress". However, this contradicts the open construction with several wide passages in the surrounding wall - u. a. one 15 m and one 11 m wide - and the unpaved access to the islands. In fact, the purpose of the huge structure was purely representative, to underline the power of the Saudeleurs.
Nan Madol is not unique, there are several comparable facilities on Pohnpei and the neighboring island of Kosrae. However, they do not come close to Nan Madol in terms of size, volume and craftsmanship of execution.
Buildings
Nandauwas (Nan Dauwas, Nan Dowas, Nan Tauaj)
The mightiest structure is Nandauwas, the gigantic grave platform of the Saudeleurs in the eastern part of the city. It is flanked by two smaller islands - Pondauwas and Pandauwas, also grave complexes. The building covers 3100 m² and is enclosed by a three-part wall up to 10 m thick, which leaves the west side free. A further belt wall up to 7 m thick was planned at some distance, but this was no longer implemented. Parts of the foundations are still preserved. The third - inner - wall ring completely encloses the island of Nandauwas over a total length of 155 meters. The 10.5 m thick and now 4.5 m high wall is in excellent condition. The building is, as the only one in Nan Madol, oriented towards the cardinal points . It consists of several layers of selected and particularly long basalt columns that are layered on top of each other as runners and binders. The corners are slightly raised, in the manner of Chinese pagoda roofs , which gives the massive construction an elegant appearance. The interior is filled with coral debris up to a height of approx. 2 m. The 5 m wide entrance is located in the west wall.
Inside there is another, smaller wall wreath that encloses the actual grave of the Saudeleurs. The burial chamber, destroyed by robbery excavations , measures 7 × 6 m, protrudes 1.3 m above ground level and was covered with 12 basalt columns 8 m long. The original entrance to the tomb is on the west. The middle burial chamber is flanked in the north and south by a further, smaller grave, probably for the family members of the Saudeleurs or the highest ranks of the nobility.
The finds recovered in 1907 by the then German Lieutenant Governor Berg (the Carolines were a German colony ) are modest: 17 smaller remains of bones, a conical ring from a shell (probably a bracelet) and a fragment of one.
Pahn Kadira (Pan Katera, Pan Katara, Nangutra)
Pahn Kadira is a large (the west side is 97 m long), trapezoidal construction in the western part of the city, which rises 4 to 5 m above sea level. The platform also consists of several layers of basalt columns that are stacked in a truss bond. In all four enclosing walls, entrances up to 4 m wide have been cut out. Pahn Kadira is the residence of the Saudeleurs. In the interior of the island are the courtyards for the ruler and his family, in which the houses, still recognizable by the earth ovens , were originally built from perishable building material. The condominium also includes a swimming pond, private altar and a bodyguard complex. The center is occupied by the large temple complex for the crocodile spirit Nahn Keiel Mwahu, a three-tier platform made of basalt stones in the manner of a low step pyramid. In front of it are several flat stones for ritual pounding of the kava . On the left side of the temple, two sacred trumpets made from triton snails have been excavated.
Idehd (Itet, Itel)
Idehd is a comparatively small structure of 43 × 31 meters, immediately east of Pahn Kadira. It has an only partially preserved border of 2.5 m high basalt columns into which a large mound made of coral blocks is integrated. In the eastern corner there is a 24 × 20 meter courtyard where the sacred moray eel was kept in a paved basin. At certain times, turtles were sacrificed to her . In the course of the centuries, a pile of rubble with the remains of the sacrificed animals piled up in the building. The radiocarbon dates obtained from this show the years 1260, 1295 and 1380.
The turtle sacrifice
The ritual of the turtle sacrifice - probably an atonement ritual that was necessary at regular intervals - has been handed down in detail. The island of Paset (Paseit) is located roughly in the middle of the eastern district of Madol Powe. Here the turtles destined for sacrifice were kept in a pool surrounded by low walls. On the day of the sacrifice, the priests picked up the turtle and brought it to the beach to ritually wash it and anoint it with consecrated coconut oil . Placed upright in a canoe, decked out and escorted by adepts , they were transported to the western part of the city to the Sau Iso farm, a little off the tide line. There the victim was picked up and thrown onto a sacred basalt stone. Then the turtle was brought to Idehd Island and its head was smashed with a consecrated club on the hill made of coral blocks . The chief priest cut the belly armor with a sharp conch shell and eviscerated the victim. The meat was then cooked in an earth oven. While reciting incantations, the priests lured the sacred moray eel out of its hole and fed it with the boiled offal. The rest of the meat was distributed to the priests and the Saudeleur. Only the highest priests and the ruler were allowed to attend the sacrifice. All related places, ceremonies and implements were taboo to the common people .
Peinkitel (Pan Kitel, Pei en Kitel)
The basalt stone enclosure, measuring 130 × 48 m, is partly built on the reef, partly on solid ground on the island of Temwen. It contains several tombs. The largest of these is a 7 × 5 m chamber grave on the western wall made of exquisite basalt columns. Allegedly this is said to be the grave of the conqueror Isokelekel. However, it is controversial whether Isokelekel was an actually existing person or just a mythical figure.
Discovery story
Nan Madol was probably already known to the Spaniards in the 17th or 18th century, as some Spanish silver coins and a small cross were found in the complex in the 19th century. The discovery of a Spanish cannon (presumably from a wrecked ship) in 1839 by the crew of the sloop HMS Larne promoted the legend that Nan Madol was a fortress owned by Spanish pirates, in which a huge treasure was hidden. This rumor brought several adventurers and treasure hunters to Pohnpei, who ransacked the platforms and tombs and thus destroyed archaeological traces.
The first European to mention Nan Madol in a travelogue in 1843 was the Spanish traveler Francisco Michelena y Royas.
The American-Hawaiian Reverend Ephraim W. Clark in 1852, who proselytized in Micronesia from 1852 to 1864, presented a more extensive and detailed report on Nan Madol .
The circumnavigation of the world by the Austrian frigate SMS Novara took experts to Nan Madol for the first time in 1858.
The researcher and adventurer Johann Stanislaus Kubary stayed in the Pacific from 1869. On Pohnpei he managed a plantation and from 1870 on he collected relics from Nan Madol for the Godeffroy Museum . His essay, which he enclosed with the finds, contains a relatively detailed site plan as well as some detailed sketches of individual islands and characteristic structural features based on very precise observations.
The then German Lieutenant Governor Victor Berg carried out the first excavation in April 1907 at the request of the Leipzig Ethnographic Museum. However, it was carried out so improperly that the finds can only be inadequately assigned to the sites today. He died just one day after having opened Isokelekel's grave, according to the medical findings of a sunstroke and "total exhaustion". However, the locals believed in retribution from the gods for desecrating the sacred royal tomb. His notes were sent to Europe as part of the estate, but were lost.
The first investigation from a scientific point of view was undertaken by the ethnologist Paul Hambruch , who carefully measured Nan Madol as part of the Hamburg South Sea expedition from 1908 to 1910 and provided a precise description of all the islands. He drew an exact map that is still used today as the basis for archaeological work. The finds recovered by Berg, Kubary and Hambruch - pieces of jewelry, ax blades made from Tridacna shells , net weights and fishhooks - are now in the depot of the Ethnographic Museum in Leipzig .
Shortly before the Second World War , the Japanese archaeologist Ichiro Yawata conducted research in Nan Madol, but the results received little international attention due to the outbreak of war.
In recent years, the two American anthropologists J. Stephen Athens from the private International Archaeological Research Institute in Honolulu and William S. Ayres from Oregon State University have been particularly concerned with Nan Madol.
reception
Because of its picturesque location, Nan Madol is the setting in several novels:
- the fantasy novel Der Mondteich (original title: The Moon Pool ) by Abraham Merritt .
- the thriller Ice Cold Surf (original title: Medusa ) by Clive Cussler
- the science fiction adventure novel In the Triangle of the Dragon by James Rollins .
In the computer game Civilization VI, there is Nan Madol as a so-called city-state, which grants the player a culture bonus if he allies with him.
literature
- Paul Hambruch: Ponape. Friederichsen / de Gruyter & Co., Hamburg 1936. (= Otto Reche : Results of the South Sea Expedition (1908–1910). Volume 3).
- J. Stephen Athens: Pottery from Nan Madol, Ponape, Eastern Caroline Islands. In: The Journal of the Polynesian Society , Vol. 89, 1980, pp. 95-99, ( online ).
- J. Stephen Athens: The Megalithic Ruins of Nan Madol. In: Natural History 92, 12, 1992, pp. 50-61 full text.
- William S. Ayres: Nan Madol, Micronesia. In: Society for American Archeology Bulletin 10, 1992.
- Katherine Seikel: Mortuary Contexts and Social Structure at Nan Madol, Pohnpei. In: Journal of Island & Coastal Archeology 6, 2011, pp. 442-460.
- Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage: Survey Report on the Present State of Nan Madol, Federated States of Micronesia. Tokyo 2012 full text (PDF; 4.55 MB).
Web links
- Metropolitan Museum of Art website via Nan Madol
- Mysterious Nan Madol, Pohnpei (With many pictures and cards)
Individual evidence
- ^ William S. Ayres: Nan Madol, Micronesia. In: Society for American Archeology Bulletin 10, 1992, p. 4.
- ↑ a b c d e J. Stephen Athens: The Megalithic Ruins of Nan Madol. In: Natural History 92, 12, 1992.
- ^ A b William S. Ayres: Mystery Islets of Micronesia. In: Archeology Jan / Feb 1990.
- ↑ a b c Katherine Seikel: Mortuary Contexts and Social Structure at Nan Madol, Pohnpei. In: Journal of Island & Coastal Archeology 6, 2011.
- ↑ Mark D. McCoya, Helen A. Aldersonb, Richard Hemic, Hai Chengd, R. Lawrence Edwardse: Earliest direct evidence of monument building at the archaeological site of Nan Madol (Pohnpei, Micronesia) identified using 230Th / U coral dating and geochemical sourcing of megalithic architectural stone. In: ScienceDirect. Elsevier, October 5, 2016, accessed October 20, 2016 .
- ^ Patrick V. Kirch: On the Road of the Winds - an Archaeological History of the Pacific Islands before European Contact. Berkeley 2000, p. 197.
- ^ A b Paul Hambruch: Ponape. Volume 7, Part 3 by Georg Thilenius (Ed.): Results of the South Sea Expedition 1908–1910. Friederichsen / de Gruyter & Co., Hamburg 1936.
- ^ Mark Dennis McCoy, J. Steven Athens: Sourcing the Megalithic Stones of Nan Madol. An XRF Study of Architectural Basalt Stone from Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. In: Journal of Pacific Archeology 3, 2012, p. 114.
- ↑ Ernst Sarfert : excavation finds from Nan Matol on Ponape. In: Yearbook of the Städtisches Museum für Völkerkunde zu Leipzig 5, 1911, p. 3.
- ^ Francisco Michelena y Royas: Viajes cientificos en todo el mundo, desde 1822 hasta 1842. I. Boix, Madrid 1843
- ↑ Ephraim W. Clark: Remarkable ruins on Ascension. Extract in: The Friend , No. 12 of December 17, 1852, pp. 89–90 full text ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .
- ^ Birgit Scheps: The sold museum. The South Sea companies of the trading house Joh. Ces. Godeffroy & Sohn, Hamburg, and the “Museum Godeffroy” collections. Goecke and Evers, Keltern-Weiler 2005, ISBN 3-937783-11-3 , p. 170.
- ↑ Johann Stanislaus Kubary: The ruins of Nan Matal on the island of Ponape. In: Journal des Museum Godeffroy 3, 1874, pp. 123-132. ( online )
- ↑ Bernd G. Längin : The German colonies. Mittler, Hamburg / Berlin / Bonn 2004, ISBN 3-8132-0821-4 , pp. 248–249.
Coordinates: 6 ° 50 ′ 41 ″ N , 158 ° 20 ′ 6 ″ E