Airborne LiDAR Reveals a Vast Archaeological Landscape at the Nan Madol World Heritage Site

Airborne LiDAR survey at the Nan Madol World Heritage Site and adjacent Temwen Island revealed a sophisticated, irrigated cultivation system—the first of its kind documented in the Central and Eastern Caroline Islands. This system, characterized by wet, cultivable areas connected by water channels or separated by earthen berms (which may also have been cultivated), demonstrates remarkable complexity in labor investment and organization, comparable to Nan Madol itself. The site, constructed over a millennium as the seat of the Saudeleur Dynasty (1200–1600 CE), is the largest archaeological site in Micronesia. If the cultivation system dates to this period, it could provide critical insights into the economic foundations of Nan Madol's regional dominance and its role in Pacific island trade networks.

Comer, D. C., Comer, J. A., Dumitru, I. A., Ayres, W. S., Levin, M. J., Seikel, K. A., White, D. A., & Harrower, M. J. (2019). Airborne LiDAR Reveals a Vast Archaeological Landscape at the Nan Madol World Heritage Site. Remote Sensing, 11(18), 2152. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11182152