Archeological Sites at Kawela
Encyclopedia
Archeological Sites at Kawela are a number of archeological sites at or near the settlement of Kawela on the southern coast of Molokai
, the northernmost of the islands of Maui County, Hawaii
. It was the site of two battles in Hawaiian history.
. It was the name of a traditional land division (ahupuaa) of ancient Hawaii
, but the name is also used on several other islands.
It is located about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) east of the town of Kaunakakai
.
A heiau
is visible at 21°4′39"N 156°56′40"W on a ridge between the forks of Kawela glutch.
This is generally thought to be the place of refuge (Puuhonua) where the soldiers of Kapiioho o kalani fled during a great battle of about 1737.
In about February 1795, women and children escaped to Molokai when Kamehameha I
had just conquered Maui. In pursuit, the vast fleet of war canoes stretched all along the coast from Kawela past Kaunakakai to the area known as Kalamaula. The army met little resistance this time. Queen Kalola was asked if the two kingdoms could be united by marrying off her daughter Keōpūolani
, who was considered to have the best royal family background, and thus would be suitable as a mother of future rulers. Her sons and grandsons would rule the Kingdom of Hawaii
as the House of Kamehameha
.
In the late 19th century it was part of the vast Molokai Ranch owned by King Kamehameha V
and managed by the family of Rudolph Wilhelm Meyer
.
of 120 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) lots that are zoned for agriculture
on the hills. Wadsworth Y. H. Yee, in the Hawaii Senate
from the Republican Party of Hawaii proposed the development in the 1970s. Ground was broken on December 20, 1980.
Wetlands and an ancient fishpond near the shore are preserved in the Kakahaia National Wildlife Refuge
and Kakahaia park administered by Maui County.
There are 21 which are separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The names used in the NRHP all start with the words "Archeological Site" and then an optional list of site numbers from a survey done by the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum when the development was proposed with a letter "T" followed by a dash, and then a state site identifier which four numbers separated with dashes, starting with "50-60" indicating the 50th state of Hawaii
and the county of Maui County, a map quadrant, and site within the state registry.
The sites are scattered through the area, and are located on private property so generally not accessible to the public.
The sites are:
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
, the northernmost of the islands of Maui County, Hawaii
Maui County, Hawaii
-National protected areas:* Haleakala National Park* Kakahaia National Wildlife Refuge* Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge- Demographics :As of the 2000 Census, there were 128,094 people, 43,507 households, and 29,889 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per...
. It was the site of two battles in Hawaiian history.
Early history
Ka Wela means "the heat" in the Hawaiian languageHawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
. It was the name of a traditional land division (ahupuaa) of ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii refers to the period of Hawaiian human history preceding the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great in 1810. After being first settled by Polynesian long-distance navigators sometime between AD 300–800, a unique culture developed. Diversified agroforestry and...
, but the name is also used on several other islands.
It is located about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) east of the town of Kaunakakai
Kaunakakai, Hawaii
Kaunakakai is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. It is the largest town on the island of Molokai. The population was 2,726 at the 2000 census. It is "twinned" with Embo in Scotland...
.
A heiau
Heiau
A heiau is a Hawaiian temple. Many types of heiau existed, including heiau to treat the sick , offer first fruits, offer first catch, start rain, stop rain, increase the population, ensure health of the nation, achieve success in distant voyaging, reach peace, and achieve success in war . Only the...
is visible at 21°4′39"N 156°56′40"W on a ridge between the forks of Kawela glutch.
This is generally thought to be the place of refuge (Puuhonua) where the soldiers of Kapiioho o kalani fled during a great battle of about 1737.
In about February 1795, women and children escaped to Molokai when Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule...
had just conquered Maui. In pursuit, the vast fleet of war canoes stretched all along the coast from Kawela past Kaunakakai to the area known as Kalamaula. The army met little resistance this time. Queen Kalola was asked if the two kingdoms could be united by marrying off her daughter Keōpūolani
Keopuolani
Kalanikauikaalaneo Kai Keōpūolani-Ahu-i-Kekai-Makuahine-a-Kama-Kalani-Kau-i-Kealaneo was a queen consort of Hawaii and the highest ranking wife of King Kamehameha I.-Early life:...
, who was considered to have the best royal family background, and thus would be suitable as a mother of future rulers. Her sons and grandsons would rule the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
as the House of Kamehameha
House of Kamehameha
The House of Kamehameha , or the Kamehameha Dynasty, was the reigning family of the Kingdom of Hawaii between the unification of the islands by Kamehameha I in 1810 and the death of Kamehameha V in 1872...
.
In the late 19th century it was part of the vast Molokai Ranch owned by King Kamehameha V
Kamehameha V
aloghaKamehameha V , born as Lot Kapuāiwa, reigned as monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1863 to 1872. His motto was "Onipa`a": immovable, firm, steadfast or determined; he worked diligently for his people and kingdom and was described as the last great traditional chief...
and managed by the family of Rudolph Wilhelm Meyer
Rudolph Wilhelm Meyer
Rudolph Wilhelm Meyer was a German who managed an early agricultural business in the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Rudolph Wilhelm Meyer was born on April 2, 1826 to Rudolph Heinrich Meyer and Christine Ludewike Sengevald. They lived in the Hanse district of Hamburg, Germany on the estuary of the Elbe...
.
Recent history
The area now has a few vacation homes along the shore, and one subdivisionSubdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
of 120 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) lots that are zoned for agriculture
Agricultural zoning
Agricultural zoning refers to designations made by local jurisdictions that are intended to protectfarmland and farming activities from incompatible nonfarm uses. Agricultural zoning can...
on the hills. Wadsworth Y. H. Yee, in the Hawaii Senate
Hawaii Senate
The Hawaii State Senate is the upper chamber of the Hawaii State Legislature. The senate consists of twenty-five members elected from an equal number of constituent districts across the islands. The senate is led by the President of the Senate, elected from the membership of the body, currently...
from the Republican Party of Hawaii proposed the development in the 1970s. Ground was broken on December 20, 1980.
Wetlands and an ancient fishpond near the shore are preserved in the Kakahaia National Wildlife Refuge
Kakahaia National Wildlife Refuge
Kakahaia National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1977 to permanently protect wetland habitat for endangered endemic waterbirds and wintering migratory wetland birds and to maintain the structural integrity of an ancient Hawaiian fishpond.-Location:...
and Kakahaia park administered by Maui County.
There are 21 which are separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The names used in the NRHP all start with the words "Archeological Site" and then an optional list of site numbers from a survey done by the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum when the development was proposed with a letter "T" followed by a dash, and then a state site identifier which four numbers separated with dashes, starting with "50-60" indicating the 50th state of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and the county of Maui County, a map quadrant, and site within the state registry.
The sites are scattered through the area, and are located on private property so generally not accessible to the public.
The sites are:
| Reference number | Survey sites | Date listed | State site | Area | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82000152 | T-10 | 50-60-04-702 | 0.2 acres (809.4 m²) | 3 dwellings | |
| 82000163 | T-108 | 50-60-03-713 | 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) | Agricultural fields | |
| 82000164 | T-111-116; T-182 | 50-60-04-710 | 9 acres (3.6 ha) | 7 burials | |
| 82000153 | T-12 | 50-60-04-704 | 0.2 acres (809.4 m²) | Rock carving | |
| 82000165 | T-125-6; T-181 | 50-60-03-714 | 3.9 acres (1.6 ha) | 25 buildings and agricultural sites | |
| 82000166 | T-134 | 50-60-03-718 | 0.5 acre (0.202343 ha) | Dwellings and burials | |
| 82000167 | T-135-6 | 50-60-03-719 | 0.6 acre (0.2428116 ha) | Building | |
| 82000168 | T-155, -158 | 50-60-03-721 | 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) | 11 religious structures | |
| 82000169 | T-165-6 | 50-60-03-727 | 0.7 acre (0.2832802 ha) | 2 buildings | |
| 82000154 | T-19 | 50-60-04-705 | 0.1 acres (404.7 m²) | 1 dwelling | |
| 82000150 | T-5, T-122, T-178 | 50-60-04-142 | 0.9 acre (0.3642174 ha) | 6 religious structures | |
| 82000157 | T-57 | 50-60-03-720 | 5 acres (2 ha) | 24 grave sites | |
| 82000151 | T-6 complex | 50-60-04-700 | 1.6 acre (0.6474976 ha) | 12 structures | |
| 82000158 | T-76 | 50-60-03-724 | 0.5 acre (0.202343 ha) | 6 domestic structures | |
| 82000170 | T-78 | 50-60-03-723 | 0.2 acres (809.4 m²) | Religious structure | |
| 82000159 | T-79 | 50-60-03-726 | 1 acre (0.404686 ha) | 7 domestic structures | |
| 82000160 | T-81, -100, -101, -105, -142 | 50-60-03-717 | 1.4 acre (0.5665604 ha) | 27 burials | |
| 82000161 | T-88 | 50-60-04-707 | 0.5 acre (0.202343 ha) | Religious structure | |
| 82000162 | T-92 | 50-60-04-708 | 1.2 acre (0.4856232 ha) | 7 domestic structures | |
| 82000155 | 50-60-04-140 | 0.9 acre (0.3642174 ha) | Place of refuge, Puuhonua | ||
| 82000156 | 50-60-04-144 | 0.3 acres (1,214.1 m²) | Burial Mound and fishing site | ||
| 82000174 | T-20 and T-42-3 | 50-60-04-706 | 1.1 acre (0.4451546 ha) | Kamehameha V Kamehameha V aloghaKamehameha V , born as Lot Kapuāiwa, reigned as monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1863 to 1872. His motto was "Onipa`a": immovable, firm, steadfast or determined; he worked diligently for his people and kingdom and was described as the last great traditional chief... Wall |
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