Decoding the Rock Art of Old Hawai’i: A Brief Report on Petroglyphs in Manukā, Ka’ū District, Hawai’i Island

Abstract

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.