![]() Īround 1628, when Isokelekel overthrew the Saudeleurs and began the Nahnmwarki Era, the Nahnmwarkis lived at Nan Madol, but had to gather their own water and grow their own food. The Saudeleur received food at a particular islet: first Peiniot, and later the closer Usennamw. During Saudeleur rule, Pohnpeians brought essential food and water by boat. On Nan Madol, there is no fresh water or food water must be collected and food grown inland. High walls surrounding tombs are located on Peinkitel, Karian, and Lemenkou, but the most prominent is the royal mortuary islet of Nandauwas, where walls 5.5–7.5 m (18–25 ft) high surround a central tomb enclosure within the main courtyard. ![]() Some islets served a special purpose: food preparation, canoe construction on Dapahu, and coconut oil preparation on Peinering. Most islets were once occupied by the dwellings of priests. Madol Powe, the mortuary sector, contains 58 islets in the northeastern area of Nan Madol. Nan Madol served, in part, as a way for the ruling Saudeleur chiefs to organize and control potential rivals by requiring them to live in the city rather than in their home districts, where their activities were difficult to monitor. Although many of the residents were chiefs, the majority were commoners. ![]() Its population almost certainly did not exceed 1,000, and may have been less than half that. The elite centre was a special place of residence for the nobility and of mortuary activities presided over by priests. ( March 2023) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. This section needs additional citations for verification. Polish ethnographer and oceanographer John Stanislaw Kubary made the first detailed description of Nan Madol in 1874. ![]() Their reign ended with the invasion by Isokelekel, who also resided at Nan Madol, though his successors abandoned the site. The founders of the dynasty ruled kindly, though their successors placed ever increasing demands on their subjects. Olosohpa married a local woman and sired twelve generations, producing sixteen other Saudeleur rulers of the Dipwilap ("Great") clan. When Olisihpa died of old age, Olosohpa became the first Saudeleur. In legend, these brothers levitated the huge stones with the aid of a flying dragon. After several false starts, the two brothers successfully built an altar off Temwen Island, where they performed their rituals. The brothers arrived in a large canoe seeking a place to build an altar so that they could worship Nahnisohn Sahpw, the god of agriculture. Īccording to Pohnpeian legend, Nan Madol was constructed by twin sorcerers Olisihpa and Olosohpa from the mythical Western Katau, or Kanamwayso. Radiocarbon dating indicates that Nan Madol predates Leluh thus, it is more likely that Nan Madol influenced Leluh. Pohnpeian tradition claims that the builders of the Leluh archaeological site on Kosrae (likewise composed of huge stone buildings) migrated to Pohnpei, where they used their skills and experience to build the even more impressive Nan Madol complex. Little can be verified about the megalithic construction. By the 8th or 9th century, islet construction had started, with construction of the distinctive megalithic architecture beginning 1180–1200 AD. Set apart between the main island of Pohnpei and Temwen Island, it was a scene of human activity as early as the first or second century AD. Nan Madol was the ceremonial and political seat of the Saudeleur Dynasty, which united Pohnpei's estimated population of 25,000 people until about 1628. It is often called the "eighth wonder of the world," or the "Venice of the Pacific". The original name was Soun Nan-leng (Reef of Heaven), according to Gene Ashby in his book Pohnpei, An Island Argosy. The name Nan Madol means "within the intervals" and is a reference to the canals that crisscross the ruins. The site core with its stone walls encloses an area approximately 1.5 km long by 0.5 km wide and it contains 92 artificial islets-stone and coral fill platforms-bordered by tidal canals. The city, constructed in a lagoon, consists of a series of small artificial islands linked by a network of canals. Nan Madol was the capital of the Saudeleur dynasty until about 1628. Nan Madol is an archaeological site adjacent to the eastern shore of the island of Pohnpei, now part of the Madolenihmw district of Pohnpei state in the Federated States of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean. Nan Madol (Pacific Ocean) Show map of Pacific Ocean
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