Archeological Sites at Kawela explained

Archeological Sites at Kawela are a number of archeological sites at or near the settlement of Kawela on the southern coast of Molokaʻi, the northernmost of the islands of Maui County, Hawaii. It was the site of two battles in Hawaiian history.

Early history

Ka Wela means "the heat" in the Hawaiian language. It was the name of a traditional land division (ahupuaʻa) of ancient Hawaii, but the name is also used on several other islands.^[1]

It is located about east of the town of Kaunakakai.A heiau is visible at 21.0775°N -156.9444°W on a ridge between the forks of Kawela Gulch.

This is generally thought to be the place of refuge (Puʻuhonua) where the soldiers of Kapiʻioho o kalani fled during a great battle of about 1737.^{[2] [3]}

In about February 1795, women and children escaped to Molokaʻi 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 Kalamaʻula.^{[2] [4]} 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.^[5] In the late 19th century it was part of the vast Molokaʻi Ranch owned by King Kamehameha V and managed by the family of Rudolph Wilhelm Meyer.^[6]

Recent history

The area now has a few vacation homes along the shore, and one subdivision of 120 2acres 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.^[7]

Wetlands and an ancient fishpond near the shore are preserved in the Kakahaiʻa National Wildlife Refuge and Kakahaiʻa park administered by Maui County.^[8]

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^[9] 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.^[10] The sites are scattered through the area, and are located on private property so generally not accessible to the public.^[11]

The sites are:

width = 74em	Reference number	width = 100em	Survey sites	width = 110em	Date listed	width = 82em	State site	width = 125em	Area	Summary
	82000152	T-10		50-60-04-702	0.2acres	3 dwellings
	82000163	T-108		50-60-03-713		Agricultural fields
	82000164	T-111-116; T-182		50-60-04-710		7 burials
	82000153	T-12		50-60-04-704	0.2acres	Rock carving
	82000165	T-125-6; T-181		50-60-03-714		25 buildings and agricultural sites
	82000166	T-134		50-60-03-718		Dwellings and burials
	82000167	T-135-6		50-60-03-719		Building
	82000168	T-155, -158		50-60-03-721		11 religious structures
	82000169	T-165-6		50-60-03-727		2 buildings
	82000154	T-19		50-60-04-705	0.1acres	1 dwelling
	82000150	T-5, T-122, T-178		50-60-04-142		6 religious structures
	82000157	T-57		50-60-03-720		24 grave sites
	82000151	T-6 complex		50-60-04-700		12 structures
	82000158	T-76		50-60-03-724		6 domestic structures
	82000170	T-78		50-60-03-723	0.2acres	Religious structure
	82000159	T-79		50-60-03-726		7 domestic structures
	82000160	T-81, -100, -101, -105, -142		50-60-03-717		27 burials
	82000161	T-88		50-60-04-707		Religious structure
	82000162	T-92		50-60-04-708		7 domestic structures
	82000155			50-60-04-140		Place of refuge, Puʻuhonua
	82000156			50-60-04-144	0.3acres	Burial Mound and fishing site
	82000174	T-20 and T-42-3		50-60-04-706		Kamehameha V Wall

Notes and References

1. Web site: lookup of Kawela . on Hawaiian place names . Lloyd J. Soehren . 2004 . Ulukau, the Hawaiian Electronic Library . May 19, 2010 .
2. Book: Kamakau, Samuel. Samuel Kamakau. Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii. Revised. 1992. 1961. Kamehameha Schools Press. Honolulu. 0-87336-014-1.
3. Book: Abraham Fornander. An Account of the Polynesian Race: Its Origin and Migrations, and the ancient history of the Hawaiian people to the times of Kamehameha I. Trubner & company, republished by Mutual Publishing. 1996. 978-1-56647-147-3. II. Abraham Fornander. 1880. pp 136–138, 284, 288-289
4. Web site: Kawela Battle Field . Hawaii web . May 18, 2010 .
5. News: 10524/569 . Keopuolani: Sacred Wife, Queen Mother, 1778-1823 . Hawaiian Journal of History . Hawaii Historical Society . 32 . Esther Mookini . 1998 . 1–24 .
6. Web site: East Molokai Watershed Partnership Strategic Plan . May 19, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100528101949/http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/wpp/EMoWP%20management%20plan.pdf. 28 May 2010 . live.
7. Web site: Kawela Plantation Homeowners' Association . official web site . May 19, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100512163255/http://kawelapha.com/. 12 May 2010 . live.
8. Web site: Kakahaiʻa National Wildlife Refuge . . May 19, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100514155547/http://www.fws.gov/kakahaia. 14 May 2010 . live.
9. Book: Molokai: a site survey . Catherine C. Summers . . 1971 . 9780598151100 .
10. Web site: National and State Register of Historic Places on Moloka'i . January 2003 . Hawaii State Historic Preservation Division . May 18, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100528025822/http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/hpd/register/regmolo.pdf. 28 May 2010 . live.
11. Web site: Tax map for Zone 5, section 4, plat 03 . . May 20, 2010 .