Hawaiian Archaeology Volume 14
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ItemDecoding the Rock Art of Old Hawai’i: A Brief Report on Petroglyphs in Manukā, Ka’ū District, Hawai’i Island( 06/01/15 12:00 AM)We describe petroglyphs documented in a survey of household complexes in a section of Manukā Ahupua‘a, Ka‘ū District, Hawai‘i Island called Kīpuka Malua. The larger number of anthropomorphic figures found in one household is interpreted as reflecting a concern with mana, or spiritual power, by a local chief. We also consider the more specific notion that these images commemorate travel and thus reflect a social strategy of emphasizing long-distance networks.
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ItemExtinct and Extirpated Birds and Other Vertebrates in the Faunal Assemblage of Hālawa Cave, a Rockshelter in North Hālawa Valley, O’ahu, Hawai’i( 06/01/15 12:00 AM)Hālawa Cave (50-Oa-B01-020) is a rockshelter located about 4.8 km inland of Pearl Harbor in the North Hālawa Valley, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. Evidence of Native Hawaiian occupation is found in an approximately 50 cm deep midden, inside of the 6 x 8 m/sq shelter. The site appears to have been intermittently occupied as a base for local resource procurement beginning no later than the fifteenth century and continued to be used into the nineteenth century. Wood cutting was an important activity associated with the site. The vertebrate fauna is represented by a sample of 65 specimens including fish, bird and mammal bones. This assemblage provides evidence of limited vertebrate animal use, resource procurement areas, local paleoenvironment, and butchering. Fish species dominate the assemblage. Two of four avian species are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and globally extinct, or extirpated from O‘ahu. Remains of the extinct O‘ahu moa-nalo (Thambetochen xanion) and the endangered Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) occur in sediments from the occupation of the site, however only the Hawaiian Petrel is firmly associated with human occupation. Introduced species, including Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus), dog (Canis lupus familiaris) and pig (Sus scrofa) were significant food sources consumed at the site. The vertebrate assemblage reflects a broad based procurement strategy with each vertebrate class being a significant contributor to the biomass represented in the assemblage.
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ItemExcavation of the Hālawa Cave Rockshelter, North Hālawa Valley, O’ahu, Hawai’i( 06/01/15 12:00 AM)Hālawa Cave (site 50-Oa-B01-020) is a rockshelter located in the North Hālawa Valley several kilometers east of Pearl Harbor, on O‘ahu Island. The site consists of a midden approximately 50 cm deep located inside the rockshelter, which measures 6 x 8 m. The assemblage includes gourd cups and fire sticks, and a variety of shell, bone and stone artifacts. Also present are ecofacts (shellfish, bone and plant materials). Features found in the site include a stone wall, two or more hearths, concentrations of ash and charcoal, and food waste. The artifacts and ecofacts provide evidence of occasional Native Hawaiian occupation that began by the fifteenth century and extended into the nineteenth century. Radiocarbon dating and the presence of steel cut marks on bone indicate that the site continued to be visited into the early post-contact period. Hālawa Cave was used for intermittent habitation by individuals apparently engaged in woodcutting and local food procurement. The vertebrate remains include extinct and extirpated species
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ItemHematite in Hawai’i: Analyzing the Distribution of an Uncommon Lithic Tool Material( 06/01/15 12:00 AM)The examination of basalt and volcanic glass artifacts in Hawai‘i has played a fundamental role in developing our understanding of distribution and use of lithic materials in pre-Contact Hawai‘i. Yet, little archaeological inquiry has been dedicated to the examination of hematite as a tool-quality lithic raw material. Hematite is typically characterized as rare to the archipelago or unique to the island of Kaua‘i, represented as a geographically isolated material. We present data compiled from 632 hematite artifacts and manuports recovered from various cultural resource management and research-based projects throughout Hawai‘i. We examine the distribution of hematite artifacts (their presence and artifact forms) across the archipelago, and touch upon previous geochemical research outside of Hawai‘i that highlights the potential for using non-destructive energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and other geochemical characterization methods that have been utilized to conduct provenance based studies of hematite artifacts. We document the use of hematite artifacts on five of the main Hawaiian Islands with the highest frequencies located in proximity to a known or possible source location. A wide variety of artifact classes are represented, though they tend to have commonalities in the need for density and lustrousness. Although preliminary, our findings improve our understanding of hematite and its role in exchange and resource management systems in pre-contact Hawai‘i.
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ItemThe Archaeology of Maunawila Heiau, Hau’ula Ahupua’a, Ko’olauloa District, O’ahu( 06/01/15 12:00 AM)Hawaiian heiau were centers for practicing and sustaining social, political, and religious customs in ancient Hawai‘i. Archaeological study of heiau layout and construction helps to develop the history of their use and development as well as provide insight on the ritual role of associated features. This article summarizes the findings of a study conducted on a 9-acre parcel of land containing a traditional Hawaiian place of worship, Maunawila Heiau (SIHP # 50-80-05-287), located within Hau‘ula Ahupua‘a, in the district of Ko‘olauloa, on the island of O‘ahu. The study presents the results of limited excavation within Maunawila Heiau and an overview of surrounding cultural features documented on the property. This study radiocarbon dated an initial construction episode of Maunawila Heiau to the early 16th century AD and documented evidence that the site was built, enlarged, and maintained over the course of more than 150 years. Maunawila Heiau and other traditional Hawaiian stone features built nearby constitute a rich, preserved cultural landscape. Collaboration with community and school groups has provided regular maintenance for the site and perpetuation of Hawaiian culture and history through revitalization and appreciation of the heiau and surrounding land as an important center of community.
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