SHA Special Publications 2: Na Mea Kahiko o Kauaʻi: Archaeological Studies in Kauaʻi

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10524/84531

Browse

Recent Submissions

Now showing 1 - 20 of 21
  • Item type: Item ,
    Concluding Remarks
    (2005) Carson, Mike T.
    Conclusion
  • Item type: Item ,
    Analysis of the Nu' aJolo Kai 1/4 Inch Fishbone Assemblage, Na Pali Coast, Kaua'i'
    (2005) O'Leary, Owen L.
    Nu'aolo Kai, located along Kaua'i's Na Pali coastline, contains deep stratified archaeologicaJ deposits that span more than 700 years. This paper examines the fish faunal remains from house terrace K3 collected by Emory and Soehren between 1958 and 1964 (Soehren and Kikuchi n.d.). Building upon earlier work by Gordon (1993), I seek to determine what changes in fishing strategy and/or prey populations took place during 500 to 700 years of human occupation These data will demonstrate that the inhabitants of Nu' aJolo Kai practiced a nearshore fishing strategy that focused on reef fish. Analysis of the faunal data utilizing rank orders of abundance and fishhooks recovered from the site also suggest that there may have been an increase towards angling techniques during later periods for fishes that live on the reef margin. Comparisons are drawn between Nu' alolo Kai and other assemblages from Hawai'i and across the Pacific. The results of the analysis of the archaeological materials are discussed with the context of modern biological reef surveys by Bartram and Clark (1988) and the important role that archaeology can play in fisheries management is highlighted.
  • Item type: Item ,
    Archaeological Stratigraphy and Chronology at Nu' alolo Kai, Na Pali District, Kaua'i
    (2005) Hunt, Terry L.
    In the early archaeological search for evidence of Hawaiian origins and chronology, Kenneth Emory and his associates excavated a number of sites with dense artifact deposits. Beginning in the 1950s through Bishop Museum, their mission under the "Hawaiian Archaeological Program" was to locate deeply stratified deposits rich in artifacts and to make comparisons of form across Polynesian assemblages. As Kirch (1985: 16) describes tl1e effort resulted in excavation of 32 sites, mostly rockshelters, which yielded a collection of 4,159 fishhooks. Part of this program led to excavations at Nu' alolo Kai Rockshelter (Site K-3, later designated Site 196) on the rugged Na Pali Coast of Kaua'i (Figures 1 through 3). Largely under Lloyd Soehren's direction, excavations at K-3 ex'tended from 1958 to 1964 over several field seasons. Soehren and his team excavated a large portion of the deposit under tl1e rockshelter overhang and recovered some of the most remarkable and well preserved archaeological materials known in tl1e Hawaiian Islands (Graves et al., this volume).
  • Item type: Item ,
    An Analysis of Coral Basalt, and Sea Urchin Spine Abraiding Tools from Nu'alolo Kai, Kaua' i.
    (2005) Calugay, Cyril; McElroy, Windy
    Abrading tools were one of the more common artifact types found during archaeological investigations at Nu'alolo Kai, Kaua' i. In this paper, we examine the morphology and wear attributes of files made of coral, basalt, and sea urchin spine from Nu' alolo Kai. The Nu'alolo Kai site (Site 50-3-01-196) is an ancient habitation site which was occupied from about AD 1300 to the historic period (Soehren and Kikuchi n.d.:2.1). It is located on the Na Pali coast on the northwestern shore ofKaua'i
  • Item type: Item ,
    Hawaiian Fishhook Classification, Identification, and Analysis, Nu'alolo Kai (Site 50-30-01-195), Kaua' i
    (2005) Graves, Michael W.; McElroy, Windy K.
    For the past decade, researchers at the University of Hawai'i have examined the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum's collection of artifacts excavated from the site of Nu ' alolo Kai on the Na Pali coast of Kaua'i (Figure 1). This site complex, located adjacent to the cliff on the nortlt side of the valley, was first identified by Bennett (1931 : 148-150) during his archaeological survey of Kaua' i. The Bishop Museum organized an expedition to the site in the late 1950s, mapping it in detail (Figure 2) and conducting extensive excavations (Soehren and Kikuchi n.d.). The objective was to sample a series of potentially deep and well preserved archaeological deposits in order to understand the settlement and subsequent development of Hawaiian culture. By all measures, Nu' alolo Kai fits this description, with cultural deposits in some features more than 2 m deep. Chronometric dating (see Kirch 1985: 100) and the presence of Euroamerican artifacts suggest the site was continuously occupied for as many as five or six centuries from ca. AD 1200 to 1300 through the first half of the 19th century. An incredible range of organic and inorganic objects has been preserved at the site. This article describes the assemblage of fishhooks from Nu'alolo Kai, witlt particular attention to: a) developing a classification of head and shank morphology; b) reliably identifying tlte attributes associated with the classification; and c) describing some oftlle patterns of variation in head shank morphology that are evident at the site.
  • Item type: Item ,
    An Overview of Site 50-30-01-195, Nu'alolo Kai, Kaua' i: Features, Excavations, Stratigraphy, and Xhronology, of Historic and Prehistoric Occupation
    (2005) Graves, Michael W.; Field Julie S.; McElroy, Windy K.
    In the late 1950s, Bishop Musewn archaeologists undertook a series of excavations at a site complex in Nu'alolo Kai, along the remote Na Pali coast of Kaua' i. Their work followed on the discovery by archaeologists (Emory and Sinoto 1961) that sites in Hawai' i could contain stratified deposits of cultural materials. Archaeologists associated with the Museum began a systematic program of field investigations on O'ahu and Hawai'i Island, documenting a longer and possibly more complex history of colonization and settlement throughout the islands than had been expected. Earlier, Bennett (1931: 149) identified a site complex beneath the cliff line at Nu' alolo Kai. This site surpassed ex'pectations with cultural deposits nearly 2 m deep and a well preserved array of cultural materials uncommon in Hawaiian archaeological sites. A report of these excavations was prepared by Lloyd Soehren (n.d.) and later revised by William Kikuchi (Soehren and Kikuchi n.d.), but neither was published, prior to a project begun by University of Hawai'i archaeologists in the early 1990s to develop a comprehensive computerized inventory of cultural materials from the site, including previously undocumented artifacts. We have commenced a program of publishing contemporary archaeological research focused on this site so that its significance can be more widely appreciated by archaeologists and the general public.
  • Item type: Item ,
    Seeing the Lama: Charcoal, Evolution, anf Hawaiian Settlement
    (2005) Major, Maurice
    Identification of plant taxa from charcoal has been applied for over a decade in Hawaiian archaeology, primarily as a means to select short-lived species for radiocarbon dating, or to screen for historical introductions. To a lesser degree, identification has been paired with ethnobotanical knowledge to develop cultural and functional interpretations, but often in an uncritical and invalid way. Charcoal may also help reconstruct the woody plant portion of envirorunents surrounding archaeological sites, but charcoal identification will live up to its full potential only when larger sets of data are available and synthesized. Recent analysis from northwest Kaua 'i sites (Figure 1), however, demonstrates that in stratified sites, even a small data set may be useful to discovering trajectories of human impact. In areas with stable occupation for many decades or centuries, a species or group of species present throughout a sequence perhaps enjoys a stable evolutionary state, while appearance or disappearance of species in a firewood catchment may suggest a human selective pressure. For north Kaua' i, a "settlement fringe flora" community is proposed.
  • Item type: Item ,
    Agricultural Systems Reconsidered
    (2005) Carson, Mike T.
    A critical review aims to clarify what is known and what is not known of the chronology of agricultural systems in Halele'a. Tb.is review considers oral traditions, comparative ethnography and linguistic terms, and archaeological stratigraphy and radiocarbon dates pertinent to the chronology of Halele'a agricuJtural systems. Albeit tentatively, this review suggests: 1) substantial but non-agricultural use of inland vaUeys as early as the AD 1200s; 2) agricultural terracing beginning approximately AD 1400; and 3) increasing intensity and more widespread agricultural terracing after AD 1600. The proposed sequence bears significant implications for studies of the dynamic relationship between population growth, subsistence production, and sociopolitical complexity.
  • Item type: Item ,
    Na Pali District
    (2005) Carson, Mike T.
    Na Pali is on the northwest side of Kaua' i (Figure I), and it is considered the most remote part of the island by modem standards of motorized vehicle traffic. For those accustomed to travel by canoe in rough conditions, the Na Pali District certainly is accessible, yet overland hiking routes are extremely rugged and in some cases impassable. Today, the area is visited by helicopter and boat tours. One of the attractions of these tours is the well publicized historical and archaeological evidence of past settlement in this extreme environment, isolated by spectacularly steep cliffs and rugged terrain rising from the sea
  • Item type: Item ,
    Halele'a District
    (2005) Carson, Mike T.
    Halele ' a, the "house of delight," covers the north side of Kaua' i, and it includes a number of large stream-cut valleys (Figure 1). This district was the setting for Earle 's ( 1978, 1980) now classic study of Hawaiian irrigation systems and their role in the evolution of complex chiefdoms. The case study area could not have been more ideal, as lo 'i (terraced pondfields for growing taro) at one time covered almost all of the valley floors (Figure 2). Handy and Handy (1972:419) describe this region as among the most productive ofKaua' i. Figure 1. Overview of the Halele'a District in Kaua' i.
  • Item type: Item ,
    A Late Pre-Contact Domestic Habitaiton Area and Garden in Ahahola Ahupua 'a, Ko'olau District, Kaua' i.
    (2005) Dixon, Boyd; Conte, Patty J.; Curtis, Valerie; Hodgins, W. Koa
    The following paper presents the results of an archaeological inventory survey undertaken of the 12.38acre Anahola Subdivision G and Gl (1MK 4-8-12:06, 4-8- 13 :15 and 16, and 4-8-18:26) in the ahupua 'a of Anahola, Ko'olau District (presentday Kawaihau District), on the island of Kaua' i. Archaeological investigations of the property were conducted for the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DIIlfL) by the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) between April 7 and 11, 1997. State Site 50-30-04-627 was encountered during the course of backhoe excavations in a DHHL residential property along Hundley Road. The site consisted of seven subsurface features suggesting the presence of a pre-Contact native Hawaiian habitation area and nearby household garden in the dune sands. Radiocarbon dating of wood charcoal encountered within a domestic refuse midden yielded a 2 Sigma calibrated calendrical date of AD 1455 to 1675.
  • Item type: Item ,
    Alekoko Fishpond
    (2005) Carson, Mike T.
    The cultural role and antiquity of fishponds are among the endlessly fascinating subjects in Hawaiian archaeology, first considered most seriously by Kikuchi (1973, 1976). For those fishponds of particularly large size, one may wonder how the necessary labor was assembled and directed for such an undertaking. Moreover, fishponds required vigilant maintenance of weeding and cleaning in order to remain productive (Kikuchi 1976:298). Presumably, chiefs were involved in the construction of the larger fishponds, and at least some of these features may relate to political and ideological developments in pre-Contact Hawaiian society.
  • Item type: Item ,
    Ko'olau District
    (2005) Carson, Mike T.
    Ko'olau is literally the "windward" part of the island (Figure 1), and predictably it ceives abundant and reliable rainfall. However, most of the streams are cut steeply to drainages, creating little or no opportunity for irrigated terracing on the steepsides valley slopes. Outside Papa'a and Anahola, extensive taro terraces are impossible except near the coast where the streams banks are more accommodating. 111e role of arboriculture probably deserves more attention.
  • Item type: Item ,
    Puna District
    (2005) Carson, Mike T.
    Puna is the district on the southeast portion ofKaua'i (Figure 1). It does not receive the full brunt of windward storms, but it also does not witness the aridity of leeward coastal settings. The most extensive settlement area in Puna was at Wailua, known as a home of powerful chiefs and also for its many religious monuments. The Hawai'i Division of State Parks is responsible for the preservation of several sites in the Wailua area, presenting an invaluable long-term resource for education, research, and general appreciation.
  • Item type: Item ,
    Connecting with Kaua'i's Canyonlands
    (2005) Mills, Peter R.
    I have entitled my contribution to this volume in honor of Pila Kikuchi with the idea of connectivity. This is primarily to emphasize some relationships between various sites that are not readily apparent, such as the relationship between a "Russian Fort" and a preContact irrigation ditch (Menehune Ditch, or Kikiaola aqueduct) in the town of W aimea. As I outline below, both of these sites are connected through the development of a complex hierarchical society in Waimea, and there would be no Russian Fort without Menehune Ditch. There are many such connections to Kaua'i's "canyonlands" (here considered specifically the area between Wahiawa and Waimea Valleys in the Kona district, as depicted in Figure 1) that remain under-recognized in Hawaiian archaeology.
  • Item type: Item ,
    Consideration of Site Types
    (2005) Carson, Mike T.
    The following overview considers Kaua'i archaeological sites in terms of form and function. Hommon (1970a, 1970b) began a list of morphological site types in Hawai' i, partly with the intention to separate obsetvable fonn from interpreted function, and a similar approach is advocated here. Some sites are prominent stonework monuments, and others are modest aggregations of discarded tools and food refuse. Some sites were places of important social and political events, and others yield insight into everyday life. Archaeological sites are an essential unit of analysis for archaeology, yet
  • Item type: Item ,
    Kona District
    (2005) Carson, Mike T.
    Kona the leeward side of the island, and it is the largest traditional district in Kaua'i (Figure 1). The western coastal plain (Mana) is arid and mostly hot, but the southern oast receives more rainfall. In contrast, the mountainous interior is wetter and cooler. Altl1ough coastal settlement was always an important factor in village distribution and land use, tl1e productive potential of the uplands (with fertile soils and ample, reliable rainfall) was also an important factor.
  • Item type: Item ,
    A Radiocarbon Dating Synthesis for Kaua'i
    (2005) Carson, Mike T.
    The corpus of radiocaibon dates from archaeological contexis throughout Kaua'i presents exceptional research potential to evaluate the chronology of human settlement. Specifically, the data can reveal overall patterns in the intensity of human activity at different time intervals. Were some areas inhabited earlier than others? When did land use intensify or expand, and do these dates correspond to particular cultural developments? How do the results compare with oral traditions and with archipelago-wide trends and patterns?
  • Item type: Item ,
    William Kenji "Pila" Kikuchi: a Few Words of Appreciation
    (2005) McCoy, Patrick C
    Obituary
  • Item type: Item ,
    Remembering William Kenji "Pila" Kikuchi
    (2005) Hammatt, Hallett H.
    Obituary