European Influences in Ancient Hawaii

Summary

Pacific Cartography establishes three discoveries of the Hawaiian Archipelago during the 16th century. Spanish records note Manila Galleons missing with no trace in the late 16th century and again around 1700. Dutchmen suffered desertion of crewmembers, at islands in the central Pacific at 16 degrees north, in the year 1600 AD. Hawaiian tradition specifically mentions two shipwrecks, with female survivors, and is rife with stories of visitors, many of whom became prominent citizens in an increasingly warlike community. While most historical authors of the 19th century, including every Hawaiian historian, gave a nod to the Spanish discoveries before Cook, the subject fell out of favor by 1920 and remains absent from the latest scholarly publications of Hawaiian history and culture. This paper will review some of the evidence of European contacts with the Hawaiian people prior to 1778 and speculate on the influence these foreigners had on the archipelago. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Shipwreck Archaeology Without a Ship: Archaeological and Historical Investigations of Shipwreck Materials from Terrestrial Sites and the Historic Record   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

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PaperId(s): 274