Show CAROLINE ISLANDS AN OCEANIC MUSEUM whatever the political future of the caroline islands alch japan seized from germany they are bound to be objects of scientific interest tor for generations erat crat ions to come who built the massive stone structures which give evidence of a high degree of civilization at some prehistoric time what was the origin of the stone currency some coins of which weigh five tons these are but two of the anany questions quest lons which these pacific islands of mystery present the stone ruins extend from froin an island toward the east of the group to yap tap on the west yap will be recalled as the island which floured 0 so o conspicuously in the peace treaty discussion because of tile the proposal to cede it to the united states on yap are arl great at stone terraces embankments bank ments and roads composed of neatly laid stone blocks sto stone le graves stone platforms and enormous chambers resembling council lodges 10 with games gables pillars frequently carved caned Is the pacific venice there the ruins are partly submerged apparently ly they once stood on an island city unless their site was mas connected with other islands before a 11 terrific upheaval inundated them what remains today is more than halt balf a hundred rectangular walled projecting above the waters of at a lagoon there la Is an outer lagoon separated by a breakwater three miles long in all this construction huge basalt blocks were used apparently they were untouched by iron tools recent study has confirmed the belief that these mighty megalithic monuments antedate the present native dative population of the Caroll carolines nes origin of the unique stone coinage Is not known shell money seems seeing to have supplanted the unwieldy stone disks for small change long before the man arrived the stone money Is made from limestone or calcite it probably was employed for or primitive tive banking rather than for general circulation its security from theft wits was assured by its weight specimens are found piled about the homes of native chieftains including reefs not inhabited the caroline islands number more lhnn GOO of the total land area of square miles SOT square miles Is com coin NT P 0 14 4 X king of amual district and one of his wives in yap hosale and ro ho golu or tank in 1911 1011 the total population was about and of these fewer fener than were europeans the islands extend tor for about one thousand miles east and west they lie more than fifteen hundred miles to the east of the philippines and about a thousand miles north of new guinea |