NAN-MADOL CONTESTED LANDSCAPE - TOPOGRAPHY AND TRADITION IN THE EASTERN CAROLINE ISLANDS

Nan Madol, a large, ancient complex of monumental stone architecture o n Pohnpei, serves to make a series of political points. It is conteste d landscape symbolizing a host of tensions essential to the cultural l ife of Pohnpei. Embodied in Nan Madol's mythohistory are important les sons concerning both internal and external political relations. Curren t disputes over control of the site verify the existence of precisely the threats Nan Madol warns against: the dangers of big government.