Prehistoric settlement in the upland portions of the island of Hawaii

Author:

Streck, Charles F., Jr.

Title:

Prehistoric settlement in the upland portions of the island of Hawaii

Periodical:

New Zealand Journal of Archaeology

Year:

1992

Volume:

14

Pages:

99-111

Subject:

Avifauna Birds Adze manufacturing Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) Lava tubes Quarries and quarrying

Summary:

Located between the 4200 and 8200 foot elevation above sea level on the island of Hawaii, is the saddle region that sits between the volcanoes of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai. While it was once predicted that archaeological sites that are located in this area were very sparse and likely only occurred in narrow corridors that paralleled prehistoric trail systems, recent archaeological research that was done in the upper elevations of the island suggests that this area may have been used intensively by prehistoric Hawaiians for the procuring of natural resources that are scarce at lower elevations. It was also believed that Adzes from the Mauna Kea Adze Quarry Complex, birds, and possibly plant products from this region may have been regularly redistributed in lowland areas during prehistory. In addition, radiocarbon annual frequency distribution diagrams suggest that most prehistoric activities peaked around A.D. 1400, although use of the upland region probably continued into the nineteenth century.

Label:

Archaeology - Mauna Kea Adze Quarry

Date:

1992

Collection:

Periodicals