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Archeology at Kalaupapa |
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![]() There are few ancient landscapes left in the Hawaiian archipelago that are as untouched as the Kalaupapa Peninsula, and yet, are still accessible for large scale investigations focused on ancient and proto-historic Hawaiian cultural processes. The wealth of information to be gained by studying a cultural landscape in this context is unsurpassable in archeological research. For these reasons, Kalaupapa National Historical Park has one of the best archeological preserves in Hawai`i. |
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![]() Dotting the cultural landscape are numerous heiau or pre-Christian places of worship which include major temples as well as smaller, every day places of worship such as fishing and agricultural shrines. Examples of special-function sites on the peninsula include two petroglyph sites and one holua slide. Extending down the southern slope of Kauhako Crater, Kalaupapas holua sledding course was a place where traditional Hawaiian games of speed and skill were held. |
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Best illustrated by aerial photography, agricultural sites are, by far, the most frequently encountered sites on the peninsula. Mazes of low rock walls extend for miles and miles across the windswept and more arid sections of the peninsula. Many of these walls are thought to have been used as property boundaries or as shelter for the cultivation of crops, such as sweet potato, which was a principal staple of the early Hawaiian traditional diet. Soil retaining terraces were often used as growing platforms. Agricultural and aquacultural sites were also used for the cultivation of both dry or wet-land taro, or kalo. Kalo was another primary staple of the early Hawaiian traditional diet. Terraces and terrace walls used for the cultivation of wet-land taro were constructed near water sources within the lush, more sheltered valleys along the back side of the peninsula. |
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The material remains of these early inhabitants at Kalaupapa have left us with an incredible wealth of information. Archeological theories have addressed and will continue to address important questions such as: When and how many Polynesian voyagers first colonized the peninsula? How and why did the population size change over time? Further research with radiocarbon dating techniques will aid in the better understanding the chronological events on the peninsula and the rest of Moloka`i. Settlement patterns, religious worship, social stratification and behavior, recreation, labor and leisure, and diet are all examples of research issues to be addressed with the study of the such diverse site types at Kalaupapa.![]() |
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