A re-examination of Kenneth P. Emory's theory of Necker type Marae in the summit region of Mauna Kea, Hawaii: many Marae or shrines later

Author:

McCoy, Patrick C., Nees, Richard

Title:

A re-examination of Kenneth P. Emory's theory of Necker type Marae in the summit region of Mauna Kea, Hawaii: many Marae or shrines later

Periodical:

Hawaiian Archaeology

Year:

2014

Volume:

SHA Special Publication 4

Pages:

27-50

Subject:

Archaeology Mauna Kea Polynesia antiquities

Summary:

Marae is the East Polynesian name for a wide variety of religious or ceremonial structures found in the region. Kenneth P. Emory, a pioneer in Hawaiian archaeology, developed a theory suggesting that the Nihoa and Necker Island marae and the shrines on Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa were an archaic style from an early settlement of the Hawaiian Islands and they had escaped replacement by later, more complex heiau due to their geographical isolation. Based on a preliminary analysis of more than 200 shrines recorded in recent archaeological surveys in the Mauna Kea summit region, the authors re-examine Emory's theory and validate it partially. However, they think geographical isolation alone is not adequate in explaining for all of the "non-monumental" religious structures on Mauna Kea. More focus should be given to identifying the organizational principles and beliefs manifested in Polynesian religious architecture.

Label:

Archaeology

Collection:

Periodicals