The use of large stones or megaliths by ancient societies is often linked to construction or sculptures and associated cultural beliefs. But for one Micronesian society, stones were a form of currency. Known as stone money, or rai, Yapese society retrieved the limestone disks stones from Palau some 400 km away across open ocean waters, a process believed to have begun some 600 years ago. The stones varied considerably in size, with those moved in prehistoric times no larger than 2 m in diameter as determined by canoes of the time. A stone of this size would weigh over 2 t, but not all of the thousands moved were this big. Many men were involved in the retrieval of these symbols of power, wealth, and status. In this role, the disks were used in transactions, including marriage gifts and debt repayment. Years could pass between quarrying on Palau and the eventual return to Yap. This extended time also involved fulfilling obligations associated with acquiring the stone from the Palauans...
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Hazell, L.C. (2013). Transporting Stone Money in Micronesia. In: Selin, H. (eds) Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3934-5_10106-1
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