Archive · 26 Jun 2025
Ancient Rice Discovery Reveals Early Pacific Island Voyages
Imagine people long ago, around 3,500 years ago, sailed a super long way across the ocean from the Philippines to Guam.
These brave people brought rice with them!
Scientists found tiny bits of rice on old pottery inside a cave in Guam.
This shows that these early travelers planned their trip and brought important things with them.
They may have used the rice in special ceremonies, since caves were sacred places.
This discovery helps us understand how people first settled in the Pacific Islands and the things they valued.
Archaeologists found the earliest evidence of rice in the Pacific Islands.
The rice was transported by voyagers who sailed from the Philippines to Guam 3,500 years ago.
Researchers found rice husks preserved on ancient pottery in a Guam cave.
The discovery confirms that early Chamorro people brought cultivated plants, including rice.
Rice was likely used in ceremonial practices within sacred caves.
- Who
- Early island settlers, ancestors of the Chamorro people.
- What
- Discovery of the earliest evidence of rice in the Pacific Islands.
- When
- 3,500 years ago, with the discovery published recently.
- Where
- Guam, in the Mariana Islands, western Micronesia.
- Why
- To understand the origins and lifestyles of early Pacific peoples, including their voyages and cultural practices.
- Location
- Ritidian Beach Cave, Guam
- Voyage Distance
- 2,300 kilometers from the Philippines
- Time Period
- 3,500 years ago
- Method
- Phytolith analysis
- Source
- Science Advances
- Original Settlers
- Chamorro People