Prehistoric Temples on Maui Reveal Origins of Island’s First Kingdom
The remains of small sea creatures are providing fresh insights into one of the most important periods in the history of pre-contact Hawaii, archaeologists say.
A new study of indigenous temples, or heiau, on the island of Maui has set out to identify when the island’s native population — initially spread out over several small chiefdoms — first came together under a single ruler.
The island’s sacred sites range from small shrines dedicated to deities of fishing and agriculture, to “monumental” temples whose foundations are still identifiable today, said Dr. Patrick Kirch of the University of California at Berkeley.
“[Maui] is one of the few places in the Hawaiian islands where the archaeological landscape of an entire ancient district is still intact, not disturbed either by plantation agriculture or modern tourism or housing developments,” Kirch said.
“Heiau vary tremendously in size and form; there were different kinds of heiau for different gods,” he explained.
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http://westerndigs.org/prehistoric-temples-on-maui-reveal-origins-of-islands-first-kingdom/
