Pohnpei State – Nan Madol and the Saudeleur era (c. 1100–1628)
Pohnpei is home to Nan Madol, the remarkable stone ruins of a Micronesian civilization. They are linked to the Saudeleur period, which lasted from around 1100 to about 1628. It was followed by the era of the Nahnmwarki, lasting until around 1885, and together these periods form the heart of the island's pre-colonial history.
The Spanish navigator Pedro Fernández de Quirós sighted the island in 1595 without landing, and after that it remained largely unknown to Europeans until the 19th century. In 1828 the Russian navigator Fyodor Litke put Pohnpei on European charts. Today it is the largest state of the Federated States of Micronesia, with its capital at Kolonia. Share your own stories and memories of Pohnpei with the community.