T. S. Dye & Colleagues, Archaeologists, Inc. 735 Bishop St., Suite 315, Honolulu, Hawai i 96813 Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey of Proposed Project Area on Kūki o 1st-Kūki o 2nd Boundary, North Kona, Island of Hawai i (TMK:7 2 04:05) Michael E. Desilets June 7, 2002 Contents 1 Introduction 2 2 Field Methodology 2 3 Background 2 4 Results and Recommendations 3 Illustrations 1 Project area and site location map................... 3 2 Northernmost basalt cairn and Kūki o 1st-Kūki o 2nd boundary stake 4 3 Basalt cairn............................... 5 1
2 3 BACKGROUND 1 Introduction At the request of W/B Manini ōwali, T. S. Dye & Colleagues, Archaeologists, Inc. performed archaeological reconnaissance survey of a small project area on the boundary of Kūki o 1st and Kūki o 2nd ahupua a, North Kona, Island of Hawai i (TMK:7 2 04:05). Property on the Kūki o 2nd side is owned by the State of Hawaii and managed as part of Kekaha Kai State Park. The land of Kūki o 1st is a privately owned residential subdivision and golf course. The project area consists of an approximately 5 x 10 m strip of land on the Kūki o 1st side, adjoining and running along the Kūki o 2nd boundary line. The primary landscape feature in the project area is a steep bank of a ā faced to the east and descending to an asphalt road. 2 Field Methodology Archaeological reconnaissance survey was conducted by Michael Desilets, a qualified archaeologist ( 13 281 3), on May 14, 2002. Due to the small size of the project area, formal transects were not necessary. Instead, all land within an approximately 20 m radius of the project area was intensively inspected for previously recorded or unrecorded archaeological features. 3 Background Background research indicated that one archaeological site complex might be present in the vicinity of the project area. This complex was recorded during reconnaissance survey of Kūki o 1st property (Walker and Rosendahl 1985:2,29,70). The complex was assigned temporary site number T-130. Complex T-130 consists of:... three features situated near the boundary between the Land of Kūki o 1st and 2nd. Feature A, a roughly oval shape walled shelter, measures c. 5.6 by 5.1 m in area, and is situated on the top of a bedrock outcrop/rise. The shelter wall measures c. 0.45 m wide by 0.8 m high, and is constructed of piled basalt boulders which incorporates the bedrock outcrop as part of the east wall. The interior surface of the shelter contains a gravelly aa deposit and portable remains including sparse to moderate amounts of Cypraea spp., N. picea, Echinoidea, Conidae, coral, waterworn basalt cobbles and charcoal. Features B and C, both cairns, measure c. 1.0 m in diameter by 0.8 m high and are constructed of stacked basalt boulders. Approximately three other cairns are visible in this area, but appear situated on the adjacent property (Walker and Rosendahl 1985:29).
3 Figure 1. Project area and site location map. Adapted from Walker and Rosendahl (1985, fig. 1) 4 Results and Recommendations Reconnaissance survey resulted in the identification of no archaeological features in the project area. Within the 20 m radius surrounding the project area, however, three archaeological features were found. These include a walled enclosure and two cairns matching the description of site complex T-130, but are situated well within Kūki o 2nd ahupua a, contrary to the location given by Walker and Rosendahl in their original survey (fig. 1). The walled shelter and one cairn are about 17 m from the project area on the Kūki o 2nd side. The other cairn is 6.5 m due west of the project area, as marked by a surveyor s stake (fig. 2, 3). It is also in Kūki o 2nd ahupua a. The stone cairn located 6.5 m from the Kūki o 1st-Kūki o 2nd boundary could be adversely effected by undertaking activities conducted on the Kūki o 1st side, especially if heavy equipment is used. The danger here is that the steeply banked a ā slope will destabilize and undermine the cairn. In conclusion, the archaeological reconnaissance survey identified no archaeological features within the immediate project area, but did find a stone cairn 6.5 m west of the Kūki o 1st-Kūki o 2nd boundary which forms the western limit of the project area. Due to the topography of the project area, there is potential for adverse impact to the
4 4 RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS stone cairn if earth moving activities are conducted. It is recommended that mechanical earth moving equipment not be used in this area. Careful work with hand tools, taking full account of slope instability and the nearby stone cairn, is recommended for any earth moving work in the project area. Figure 2. Northernmost basalt cairn and Kūki o 1st-Kūki o 2nd boundary stake. Public Access parking area to right and Kākapa Bay to left.
Figure 3. Basalt cairn. Northernmost feature of Site Complex T-130 (scale bar in 10 cm increments). 5
6 BIBLIOGRAPHY Bibliography Walker, A. T. and P. H. Rosendahl (1985, October). Full Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey, Kukio Resort Development Project Area, Land of Kukio 1st, North Kona, Island of Hawaii (TMK:3 7 2 04:5,16). Prepared for Phillips, Brandt, Reddick & Associates, Honolulu and Huehue Ranch, North Kona. Hilo: Paul H. Rosendahl, Ph.D., Inc. Report 167-090385.