Odalmelech Stone Faces

At Melekeok on Babeldaob a group of carved basalt faces stands in a traditional village meeting ground, stones worked into human features and set upright, held by Palauan tradition to be gods turned to stone. They are among the oldest carved monuments in the archipelago and their date is not settled. The site is on village land and behaviour there is governed by local custom. Melekeok is the seat of Palau's national capitol, built on the hill above the village in the 2000s.

Highlights

• The carved faces - basalt worked into human features and set upright.
• The meeting ground - the traditional village space the stones stand in.
• The tradition - the account of gods turned to stone.
• The uncertain date - monuments whose age has not been established.

When to go

November to April is the drier season. The site is open ground. Village custom governs behaviour at any time.

Good to know

The site is on village land and permission and respect for custom matter. There is no interpretation on the ground. The visit takes minutes.

Nearby

Melekeok is around it, and Lake Ngardok is west.