Aimeliik Opens Visitor Center Showcasing Palau’s Monumental Earthwork Landscape

By: L.N. Reklai

AIMELIIK, Palau — The Republic of Palau on Thursday marked the opening of the Aimeliik Visitor Center, a new cultural and educational landmark highlighting Palau’s Monumental Earthwork Landscape and groundbreaking archeological discoveries that are reshaping global understanding of Pacific Island civilizations.

The center, located in Aimeliik State, features interactive exhibits, LiDAR mapping, 3D models and educational videos documenting Palau’s ancient terraces — massive engineered earthworks that archaeologists now recognize as the oldest monumental architecture in the Pacific.

Governor Browny Simer welcomed guests including President Surangel Whipps Jr., U.S. Ambassador Joel Ehrendreich and Taiwan Ambassador Andy Chen, crediting strong partnerships and community support for bringing the project to completion.

Simer noted that a newly completed road, funded by Taiwan, was finished just in time for the center’s opening, significantly improving access for visitors.

“This is a huge success,” Ehrendreich said, describing the project as more than a preservation effort. “It’s more than money — it’s an investment in sustainable economic development, opening ways for more land-based tourism here in Palau and more cultural and community-based ways for people to connect to Palau.”

The Aimeliik Visitor Center was funded through the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, a competitive global program supporting the protection of cultural heritage. The grant supported extensive research, documentation and interpretation of the terraces, including advanced drone-based LiDAR surveys.

Looking ahead, Ehrendreich emphasized the project’s long-term impact on education and identity.

“I am thrilled to see students from Aimeliik Elementary School here because I think the children of Palau will benefit most from this,” he said. “You are the gatekeepers who will uphold Palau’s legacy and honor the past. People will look up to you for preserving Palau’s unique and wonderful culture.”

Archaeologist Jolie Liston, who helped secure the grant and led much of the research, said the terraces tell a powerful story about Palau’s ancestors — one that had long gone unrecognized.

“Decades ago, we began discovering Palau’s terraces and learned that they formed huge districts all over Palau — places where people lived, worked, farmed, buried their dead and held rituals,” Liston said. “But we also discovered something extraordinary: these terraces were built far larger than they ever needed to be.”

According to Liston, the scale of the terraces suggests they were constructed not only for practical use, but as symbols of power, wealth and social organization.

“They were probably built to show off the power and wealth of each group living there,” she said. “That’s why they’re so big. And they are the oldest monumental architecture in the entire Pacific — by about 800 years.”

The discovery places Palau at the forefront of ancient engineering and landscape modification, demonstrating advanced technological knowledge long before similar developments elsewhere in the region.

For years, Liston said, both scientists and local residents struggled to grasp the true scale of the earthworks.

“I would tell people I could start walking from the lagoon at dawn and walk until dark without ever leaving the terraces, and nobody believed me,” she said.

That changed with the use of LiDAR technology, which can penetrate forest cover to reveal ground features beneath. While national LiDAR surveys were conducted by the Palau government and PALARIS, the Ambassador’s Fund enabled detailed drone LiDAR mapping of approximately 3,000 acres in Aimeliik.

The results were striking.

“Just Babeldaob alone is covered by at least 21 square miles of terracing — about 18 percent of the island,” Liston said. “And as we continue research, we expect to find even more.”

Inside the visitor center, visitors can view LiDAR maps, 3D models of the landscape and educational videos explaining how the terraces were built, used and connected across vast distances.

“Everything you’re looking at is a terrace,” Liston said. “The age, size and scale of terracing in Palau is unequaled anywhere in the world.”

President Whipps called the opening a celebration of identity and rediscovery.

“Sometimes we don’t realize the treasures that we have,” Whipps said. “We know the Southern Lagoon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but we didn’t fully realize the treasures we have on land. These terraces should be another UNESCO site.”

He thanked the United States for its continued support of cultural preservation and Taiwan for its infrastructure assistance, including the newly completed road to the center.

As Palau’s tourism industry grows, Whipps said the terraces offer new opportunities beyond the crowded Rock Islands.

“There needs to be other places for tourists to visit and see,” he said. “What we have here is not only cultural, but also natural. When people understand it, they can help protect it and make sure we sustain the beauty and culture we have.”

Students from Aimeliik Elementary School played a central role in the opening, underscoring the center’s educational mission.

“When I see the terraces, I feel proud to be from Aimeliik and to be Palauan,” said student Jordan. “They remind me of the intelligence and skill of our ancestors who built them.”

Another student said the terraces create a personal connection to the past.

“They represent our heritage from long ago and show how our ancestors lived,” the student said. “Thinking about them makes me feel connected to my ancestors, as if I already know them.”

Teacher Herson Soalablai said the visitor center strengthens the school’s emphasis on outdoor and experiential learning.

“Hands-on experiences allow students to better connect with their heritage and culture,” he said. “That connection enriches and strengthens learning in the classroom.”

Liston said the work is far from finished, noting that local students are now being trained in archaeological research through programs such as Dr. Yen’s archaeology class.

“These terraces were once symbols of wealth and power,” she said. “Today, they are symbols of Palau’s intelligence, technological expertise and greatness — and they belong to future generations.”