Towards a historical archaeology of heiau: Hawaiian traditions, colonialism, and religious transformation in the recent past

Summary

Hawai‘i occupies a somewhat unique position as one of two Polynesian archipelagos thought to have been the location of "primary" or "archaic" states in the time before European contact (the other possible example being Tonga). Hawaiian people created an elaborate ritual hierarchy that accompanied the emergence of state religion, which was associated with the construction of monumental stone temple complexes known as heiau. Heiau have long been a staple of archaeological investigation in the islands, combining physical evidence, local informants, and oral traditions written down in the 19th century to identify and interpret these sites. It is generally assumed that after the abolition of kapu (the traditional religious system) in 1819, and the arrival of missionaries in 1820, indigenous Hawaiian religion declined and eventually disappeared. Archaeological and ethnohistoric evidence suggests that this was simply not the case, and we argue for a re-evaluation of Hawaiian religious practices, specifically surrounding heiau, through the 19th century and into the present.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• Ceremonial architecture in Eastern Polynesia: Development & Variability

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