These uninhabited limestone islands standing in a volcanic zone collectively exhibits their Palauan historic background that tells the story of their little known glorious past.

Though Unesco’s findings that , ‘Oral histories and ongoing cultural traditions in the main island of Palau keep alive the memories of the migration away from the Rock Islands and the histories associated with them’, the historic properties identify their ancient homes through names of archaeological and rock art sites : ‘Koror’, ‘Babeldaob’,  ‘Ulong,’ ‘Negmelis’, and through names of the three islands – Ngeruktabel, Ngeanges, and Chomedokl. Palau itself marks the migrants from the ancient Palibothra same as Pulathipur of Pali literature; this city was at the centre of ancient world, and was home of the ancient Greek civilization. Term ‘Pali’ is used in various ways by ancient writers; it was name of a small shepherdic unit; it identifies the origin of the ancient spoken language Pali; it is also identified with ‘pura’, ‘vasti’i, ‘vasta’ and ‘vati of ancient literature. Palibothra is exactly the same as Purushapur of pilgrims’ accounts; Palai Samudra or Palai Simmoundou of Ptolemy like the Periplus(Palaesimundu) mention this place as similar to Taprobane which means ‘the Garden for Tapah or Meditation’; by the same meaning this place identifies itself with Arhats or the followers of the Dhamma. Palai also refers to Pasu-palaks, a group of ancient followers in Magadha. St Pauls’ home in Berenice region marks this island like the Pal Dynasty of history which is associated with the history of ancient Rome.

On Taprobane, Ptolemy writes, ‘The most northern part of the Island are possessed by the Galiboi and the Moudouttoi, and below these the Anourogrammoi and the Nagadiboi, and below the  Anourogrammoi the Soanoi, and below the Nagadiboi the Sennoi, and below these the Sandokandai, towards the west, and below these towards the feeding grounds of the elephants the Boumasanoi, and the Tarakhoi, who are towards the east, below whom are the Bokanoi and Diordouloi, and furthest south the Rhogandanoi, and the Nageiroi’.

It is completely wrong to identify this island with the present Ceylon because Ceylon itself identifies ancient Kolhana.

Name in the Rock Island                  Its Ancient Identity

Koror                                               Kuru

Babeldaob                                        Babel/Byblos or the ancient Babylon

Ulong                                               Kling or Kleon/Kolhana/Kalinga

Negmelis                                          Nagamali

Ngeruktabel                                     Nagara-bhukti

Ngeanges                                         Nagasena/Gangadwar

Chomedokl                                          Komodoi/Kama-dvipa/ Kumuda country

As ‘main islands of Palau identify with their ancestral islands through oral traditions that record in legends, myths, dances, and proverbs, and traditional place names the land- and seascape of their former homes’, history of these people scans thousands of years of history of human civilization.