Palau appears to have been originally colonized only about 4,500 years ago by a group of oceanic colonists known as the Lapita people.  The Lapita are easily recognized in the archaeological record by the presence of the permanent dwellings, Lapita pottery, introduced botanical assemblages, and domesticated animals like chickens and pigs.  In fact the first evidence of human occupation in Palau is the presence of betel nut pollen over 4,000 years ago.

The Lapita migrated from Asia to Taiwan approximately 6000 years ago.  They show up next in the Philippine islands by 5500 years before present.  Using their sophisticated outrigger canoes they didn’t wait long before venturing onto a previously undiscovered Palau. Along their migratory route they certainly would’ve encountered the previous Pacific Island inhabitants, today’s Austro-Papuans.  As a result of commingling, the first Palauan Islanders were almost certainly a mix of these two diverse cultures.

After discovering an untouched Pacific Island paradise, the founding Palauans would’ve enjoyed all of nature’s bounty and after only a few generations they lost their oceanic navigation skills.  As a result, the population was almost completely isolated for 4,000 years and thus evolved a unique language and culture found nowhere else on earth.

Palau has since adapted to incursions from Spanish missionaries, German Colonists, Japanese Imperialists, American military and most recently a flood of foreign investors.  Despite the intrusions, the language, culture, and customs of modern Palauans is still a proud reflection of their distant heritage.  Fishing and farming continue to provide a way of life for much of the community while tourism and government jobs supplement family incomes.  Tight knit family clans continue to be an important part of Palauan daily life.  A multi-millenia old First Birth Ceremony celebrates the arrival of each woman’s first child.

The relics of Palau’s heritage can still be found throughout the islands in the form of Ancient Stone Pathways, Symbolic Monoliths, and the Terraced Landscape of Babeldaob.

Palauans continue to build and maintain their traditional war canoes and men’s meeting houses “Bai” which can be seen throughout the islands.  The Bai is the architectural marvel of Micronesia and is ingeniously constructed from local wood, Nypa thatch roof, coconut fiber ropes, and decorated with colorful pictographs of each of the villages’ legends.  Palau’s famous storyboards represent an artistic recreation of these ancient legends.