On the black lava flats of the Southern Kona coast, Pu'uhonua o Honaunau preserves aspects of traditional Hawaiian life. Honaunau bay, with its sheltered canoe…
Royal grounds: This was the home of the ali'i of the Kona District on the island of Hawai‘i. The royal grounds were within the ahupua‘a of Honaunau, a political…
Royal grounds.
Temple model (scale: 1:2).
Tree mold. Over 1000 years ago lava from Mauna Loa surrounded everything in its path and knocked down a tree.
Keone'ele. This cove, the royal canoe landing, was forbidden to commoners.
A wall up to 3m high and 5m thick separated the royal compound from the pu'uhonua. Workers stacked stones so tightly that the walls needed no mortar. Built…
Hale o keawe: ki'i (wooden images) stand watch over the rebuilt temple and mausoleum that once held the bones of 23 ali'i (noble chiefs). Ho'okupu (offerings)…
Ki'i.
Ki'i.
Place of Refuge:
A massive stone wall, built in about 1550 and still standing, separates the royal grounds from the pu'uhonua. It was not the stone wall that…
A massive stone wall, built in about 1550 and still standing, separates the royal grounds from the pu'uhonua. It was not the stone wall that…
'Ale'ale'a: when it was the principal heiau (temple) of the pu'uhonua this platform likely had ki'i (wooden statues) and thatched huts. It was built in 7…
According to kapu (sacred law), commoners could not look at or approach the chief, let their shadow fall on the palace grounds, walk in the chief's footsteps,…
