Throughout history, people have ranked themselves and others within their society. This same material culture we have today is not new and existed in prehistoric cultures. The rulers of Nan Madol were identified by their shell armbands made of tridacna and conus shell. The armbands, carved in several styles, have been found in association with the remains of chiefs on the islets Nan Madol within tombs and as surface finds.
Several questions surround the shell armbands.
Before these questions could be answered, the collection of bands under care of the University of Oregon needed to first be classified into a clear set of categories. The first step in classifying the shell armbands was to look at the collection as a whole. Two groups were immediately apparent based on two types of shell that had been used as the medium of work for the armbands. These two categories were helpful, but a more specific organization would be needed to study the armbands. Classification of the armbands did not start from the ground up.