Origins of Hawaiian Culture

Summary

The purpose of this project is to document archaeologically the sequence of cultural changes that followed the early first millennium A.D. settlement of Hawai'i from a Central East Polynesian homeland. The project focuses on the windward coast of Oahu because this well-watered coastal plain, comprising one of the most ecologically favorable environments of the island, was among the first areas to be settled. Cultural developments during the early periods of Hawaiian prehistory reflect adaptation to environmental constraints, as well as to human-induced transformation of the fragile island ecosystems.

The excavations will be conducted during the University of Hawai'i Archaeological Field School, as part of a summer program to train students in archaeological field methods while also offering direct practical experience in the study of prehistoric Hawaiian culture. These excavations will provide data and archaeological materials for laboratory analyses that will be carried out during the 1989-90 academic year by the director, working with University of Hawaii students. Results yielded by the excavations and analyses will provide data to test the hypothesis that island cultures underwent similar patterns of change and that between-island group variation reflect adaptation to different ecological settings.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Department of the Air Force Cultural Resources Archive   •
• National Archeological Database (NADB)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Bellows Air Force Station

Field Director(s): Barry V. Rolett

Repository(s): Hawaii State Historic Preservation Division, HI

Prepared By(s): University of Hawai`i

Record Identifiers

NADB document id number(s): 7703304

NADB citation id number(s): 000000376747

Notes

General Note: The initial citation information for this record was migrated into tDAR from the National Archaeological Database Reports Module (NADB-R) and has since then been updated.

File Information