Latte stones are an example of ancient CHamoru architecture. The monoliths usually consist of two parallel rows of pillars comprising two stones: the haligi, the supporting stone erected vertically from the ground, and the tasa, a hemispherical capstone. These structures, unique to Guam and other neighboring islands in the Marianas, were used by the CHamorus as foundations for raised houses, earning them the name Casa de los Antiguos, or “houses of the ancients,” by Spanish colonizers. Today, latte are seen as a symbol of CHamoru identity.
—Prepared by the World Tribune staff
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