New aerial laser scanning of the megalithic city of Nan Madol in Pohnpei has revealed a previously hidden network of narrow canals specifically designed for the movement of sacred eels during ancient marine-spirit festivals. This discovery provides the first physical evidence for the scale of the Nahnmwarki-era rituals, where specific currents were manipulated to guide spiritual guardians through the city's stone precincts.
Archaeologists found evidence of ritual feeding platforms at the intersections of these newly mapped canals, where sea-shell offerings and basalt-carved totems were clustered. This infrastructure highlights the sophisticated engineering employed by ancient Pacific islanders to integrate religious performance with the natural ebbs and flows of the ocean tides.