Historic Island of Tinian continued...
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Little Boy Atomic Bomb (2008© Erik Lash) |
North Field on Tinian, 1945 |
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Bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, August 6, 1945 |
Interview with Erik Lash
ESI: Where exactly is Tinian?
Tinian is one of 14 Northern Mariana Islands located on the edge of the Philippine Plate and the Pacific Ocean. The islands are mainly populated by Caroline Islanders (a Polynesian group with origins in Kiribati), while the southern islands are populated by Chamorros.
ESI: Can you give us a little history about the Tinian project and your involvement?
The work on Tinian was part of Section 106 compliance for the Department of Defenses’ buildup of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) as they prepare to move 8000 Marines and associated infrastructure from Okinawa and the Asian Pacific rim to these islands. As a member of an on-site international team, I handled the terrestrial archaeology and traditional cultural property studies for the project. I was also responsible for GIS/GPS data and for assisting with analysis and deliverables to the client.
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Shipwreck in Tinian Harbor (2008© Erik Lash) |
Latte Lusong Mortar (2008© Erik Lash) |
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Japanese Air Administration (2008© Erik Lash) |
Tinian fieldwork was scheduled for approximately three months and ended mid June, with continued analysis and report preparation to last throughout the fall of this year. While the Tinian component was the one that I was involved with on the ground, I was also involved in logistical planning and support on Guam and Pagan and spent July 2008 living and working from the Pagan base camp.
ESI: What was the actual purpose of the project and how did your contribution dovetail that purpose? How would you describe your job?
There were several goals set for the Tinian project
1. Ensure compliance with federal law
2. Provide planners with the most detailed level of information about the cultural landscape possible so that they can make informed decisions about mitigation concerns.
We accomplished these goals in several different ways simultaneously including
- Archival research
- Synthesis of all previous archaeological studies completed on Tinian into a comprehensive island wide Geo Database of known sites
- Geo-rectification of historic pre- and post-war photos and maps for creation of historically accurate GIS layers, on the ground verification of site location and existing site integrity
- Survey to locate un-documented cultural resources, and
- Excavation and testing to confirm subsurface deposits and extents.
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Japanese Defensive Fortification
(Jungle - 2008© Erik Lash) |
Shinto Shrine from Early 20th Century
Sugar Plantation (2008© Erik Lash) |
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House of Taga |
Our tertiary goals included
3. Doing the best job we could to represent the cultural resources present on Tinian for the people to whom they matter most including US GIs from WWII, the decedents of the Japanese colonists and Military members who were here before the war, and the Chamorro people
( http://ns.gov.gu/people.html) who first settled in the CNMI.
4. Providing the local community with learning experiences through guided field trips to sites and guest speakers in the schools.
5. We also assisted the Historic Preservation Office by clearing and performing maintenance on existing historic sites that are part of the local eco-trail system.
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Crematorium on Tinian. In June 1944 the Japanese had 5,000 Koreans and native Chamarroans as slaves on Tinian. Before the US Marines invaded Tinian in June 1944 the Japanese killed the Koreans and Chamarroans. It is believed this oven was used to disposed of the bodies.
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My role in this project was three fold.
- Keeper of data first and foremost. I was responsible for the handling and maintenance of all data recording equipment and all electronic records for activities occurring as part of the Tinian fieldwork.
- Secondly, I was the resident GIS Specialist and managed all GIS related activities concerned with this project.
- Thirdly, I was a field supervisor and spent a good portion of my time during the day leading a crew on survey in the jungle.
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Inside a Japanese Commander Cave
(2008© Erik Lash) |
ESI: Do you have previous experience with this type of project and if so, what insight did that experience bring to this project?
I have previous experience with DoD contracts on the mainland and in the Pacific. I’ve worked in several areas of the Pacific including Samoa, Palau, and Easter Island. Primarily, my work on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam in 2006 was the reason I was selected for this position.
ESI: What type of equipment was used to find and record your data (i.e., remote sensing; video documentation, computers, GIS/GPS, good ole shovel?)
We had a full assortment of equipment on the island, including a functional office with scanners, printers, high speed Internet, GIS workstations, and drafting tables. We also had a wet and dry lab set up for artifact processing. For the field we could choose from several models of GPS, a Total Station, digital multi-media recording devices, radios, cell phones, shovels, screens, and the lot. But with all the gadgets and gizmos, the trustiest tool of an archaeologist, a good compass, was still the most important thing we had.
ESI: What has been found to date and what is the significance of those finds?
Due to the sensitive nature of this project I can’t discuss our finds until they are released through proper channels.
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Japanese Cannon (Cave 1 2008 © Erick Lash) |
Japanese Cannon (Cave 2 2008 © Erick Lash) |
ESI: What will happen to those artifacts?
All artifacts recovered during the course of this project will be curated by the Saipan Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the efforts of the supervising Naval Archaeologist.
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Latte House Foundation
(Jungle 1 2008 © Erick Lash) |
Pre-War Okinawan Shrine
(Jungle 2 2008 © Erick Lash) |
ESI: When will the study data be released?
The Joint Guam Program Office (JGPO) is tasked with orchestrating all aspects of the operation, including public release of materials pertaining to the EIS/OEIS - I have no information about their schedule.
ESI: What kind of problems/successes did you experience?
All projects have varying levels of problems. This one was no different. Overall we had a very successful field season.
ESI: How was the project and your team viewed by the local people?
We had a great rapport with the people of Tinian. In fact, we hired three locals as fieldworker's and were adopted into their families. The Chamorro people are some of the friendliest and kindest people you can imagine and I can’t say enough good things about them. My wife and I will be hosting some of our Chamorro friends in Raleigh, NC, USA, in October.
ESI: What happens to the study location once the archaeology project ends?
I can’t comment on this question due to the nature of the project.
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Cashe of Unexploded Ordinance found in a Cave
(2008© Erik Lash) |
Japanese fuel bunker 1944 after shelling by US Navy |
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Same bunker in 2005
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ESI: What was the most memorable moment your experienced while on the island?
The jungle experience isn’t that easy to describe to those unfamiliar with island geology, vegetation, and climate but one of the most memorable experiences I had was one that occurred in July. A common grass prevalent on Tinian is aptly and affectionately called “Sword grass”. It thrives on the flat, dry, karst limestone plateaus and grows to about 15 feet tall. Tinian is a natural home for it. We were in the hot/dry season and were surveying up a steep slope. When we reached the top of a cliff line we were afforded a great view west over the Philippine Sea and Aguigan Island just offshore. Sweeping in a vast arc and being pushed westward across the plain by the winds was a fire line that was eating up the sword grass as fast as it could. We cracked a couple coconuts and drank from them while watching this spectacle of nature unfold before us. Tinian and the Pacific in general is fraught with these moments of natural beauty and splendor that remain part of your memory for a lifetime.
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Sunset over the Philippine Sea
(2008© Erik Lash) |
Typical Coastline - Aguijan in the Background
(2008© Erik Lash) |
ESI: Now that you’re back in the USA, has your initial view of the project changed ?
As some who know me may laugh, I knew exactly what I was getting into when I accepted this job, and it has delivered on every promise, good and bad.
ESI: Are you or have you been involved with other archeological projects that you would like to share with the reader?
Actually yes. I worked on the Island of Pagan in July as part of the same scope of work. Pagan is an uninhabited volcanic island located 200 miles north of Saipan. The volcano was active and venting. It is the seventh island north of Saipan and I believe the third island south of the north end of the Marianas chain. Five of us (three archaeologists and two natural resources biologists from Saipan) lived out of a base camp located just upland from a beach on the central west coast. Our only link to the outside world was a satellite phone.
Pagan is uninhabited and contains no infrastructure. The only electricity we had was supplied by a solar array that was used to charge the GPS units and field laptop. We flew in and out on a sea plane and had only one re-supply during our third week so we relied on the DNR folks to do most of the hunting and fishing. We didn’t have running water so we set up a catchment system to trap the rains. I relished living and breathing the wilderness for a month.
Eric Lash is a professional archeologist currently working in our Raleigh, North Carolina office. Mr. Lash has extensive international cultural resource experience and GIS analytical skills which he has used to support anthropological and fieldwork pertaining to artifacts from Samoa, Palau, Pohnapei, and Easter Island. Mr. Lash holds a BA in Anthropology with a Cultural Resource Management Specialty and a Minor in Geography from the University of Oregon. Comments or questions about this article may be directed to Mr. Lash at
elash@esinc.cc.
www.environmentalservicesinc.com
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