William S. Ayres and Associates
Department of Anthropology
University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 USA


With the cooperation of
Victoria N. Kanai
Division of Cultural Affairs
Koror, Republic of Palau, 96940


And
Emensio Eperiam
Historic Preservation Office
Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia 96941

Overview
Projects conducted in the Pacific Islands to help develop field archaeology skills critical for historic preservation and cultural resource management are at the same time useful in providing new archaeological data on the islands' past. The cooperative projects provide assistance for training employees in Micronesian governments whose responsibilities include developing and maintaining archaeological and historic site inventories, databases and records, conserving historic and traditional cultural sites, and approving permits for activities that would potentially affect the archaeological, historic and cultural values of such sites. These activities are being carried out jointly by the Historic Preservation offices in the islands and the Pacific Islands Archaeology Program, University of Oregon. The project is coordinated with a Bishop Museum project that has included other field training efforts in Tahiti and in Vanuatu. Archaeological results include new site mapping and data on stone money carved in Palau for use in Yap and architectural sites on Pohnpei at Nan Madol and Imwinsapw.

Participants
This training project has been supported by the Island HPO offices.  Outside funding is primarily from the Sasakawa Foundation, Japan, and the University of Oregon and coordinated with Dr. Yosihiko Sinoto, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Hawaii. Ms. Victoria N. Kanai, the Chief of the Historic Preservation Office in the Division of Cultural Affairs, is the key administrator of the project on Palau. 
The Pohnpei key administrator is Mr. Emensio Eperiam, Head, Historic Preservation Office, Department of Lands and Natural Resources. Dr. Rufino Mauricio, Chief Archaeologist of the Historic Preservation Office, Federated States of Micronesia, has encouraged these projects as well.

The projects include on-island activities in archaeology, including archaeological field survey, site recognition and definition, various levels of mapping, and site description formats. As well, efforts at developing oral history references, reviewing historical documentary evidence, and working with databases are included. A site records management project is being developed. The overall Micronesian project is managed by William S. Ayres, Professor of Anthropology, University of Oregon, who has had extensive experience in Pacific archaeology and historic preservation. Projects have been led in the field by Ayres, Scott Fitzpatrick, MA, a Ph.D. student specializing in Pacific Islands archaeology at the University of Oregon, and Dr. Christophe Descantes, who has a PhD in Pacific archaeology. These co-instructors participate as part of the Department of Anthropology's Cultural Resources Management Program, which has a long history of working with Native American tribal groups as well as Pacific Islanders in helping manage cultural resources. Specifics for the training come in part from the guidelines developed by Ayres and Mauricio from the Salapwuk, Pohnpei, project done in 1989-90 as part of the Micronesian Resources Survey program and found in the report: Salapwuk Archaeology: A Survey of Historic and Cultural Resources on Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. It also continues the training and research outlined in the report entitled: Historic Preservation Field Archaeology Training/Mapping Project.

Sources
Ayres, William S., and Rufino Mauricio (1999) "Definition, Ownership and Conservation of Indigenous Landscapes at Salapwuk, Pohnpei, Micronesia." In The Archaeology and Anthropology of the Landscape: Shaping your landscape, P. Ucko and R. Layton, eds., pp. 298-321. Proceedings, World Archaeological Congress-3. London: Routledge.

Ayres, William S., and Rufino Mauricio. 1997 Pohnpei Archaeology Component: Salapwuk Archaeology: Survey of Historic and Cultural Resources of Pohnpei State. San Francisco: Micronesian Endowment for Historic Preservation and U.S. National Park Service.

Fitzpatrick, S. M. and V. N. Kanai. 1997. Palau Five Year Historical and Cultural Preservation Plan: 1998-2003. Report Submitted to the U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs. San Francisco: U.S. National Park Service.

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