Tribal Tattoo Forum

Phil · Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 10:59 pm Post subject: Mysterious latte stones

A new member called Dominic just said he had a "latte stone" tattoo...
As I had no clue what that was, I googled "latte stone" and I am posting what Wikipedia says about it.

A latte stone, or simply latte (also latde), is the term for a pillar (haligi) capped by a hemispherical stone capital (tasa) with the flat side facing up. Used as building supports by the ancient Chamorro people (people of the Mariana Islands), they are found throughout most of the Marianas Islands.

While none of the early European visitors to the islands appear to have drawn pictures of latte stones in use, several accounts from the 1500s and 1600s state that houses were erected on the stones, with one eyewitness specifying that the structures on lattes were used to shelter proas (sailing canoe) and served as community meeting places. However, the lack of definitive, consistent evidence means that all theories are disputed. Some archaeologists believe that only high status Chamorros lived in structures built on latte stones, while others have put forward the theory that all Chamorros in the Latte Period lived in latte structures, and that the height and number of the stones in the structure indicated social status.

Latte stone set on Guam
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Phil-admin (tattoos: Te Rangitu Netana, NZ; Marco Wallace, Italia)
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Waltah · Joined: 06 Apr 2008 Posts: 71 Location: WORLD-WIDE

I was born and raised on Guam. Ive actually built one of those in high school Laughing

People use to build hut like homes on them....thats pretty much all i remember about them. And the picture looks like Hagåtña park. Its some what a symbol of power and unity.

Phil · Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 12:43 am Post subject:

Must be pretty cool to have your house set on these pilars!

I wonder what a "latte stone" tattoo look like...
Maybe Dominic will post a picture of his...
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Phil-admin (tattoos: Te Rangitu Netana, NZ; Marco Wallace, Italia)
Tahititatou.com

Waltah · Joined: 06 Apr 2008 Posts: 71 Location: WORLD-WIDE

Here are some ive seen on the net....

http://k53.pbase.com/v3/71/561171/1/45931120.IMG_3433.jpg

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=230596007&albumID=856458&imageID=20780376

Might need a myspace to see the 2nd one...

J.Asia.D · Joined: 06 Jan 2009 Posts: 1

thats the memorial park in Guams capitol.
im actually planning my next tattoo around latte stones because they symbolize Guam. It's going to be kind of difficult because not alot of artist in the states know this figure and you spend half the time trying to explain everything and getting the shape right lol (well atleast thats what happened to my cousin)
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