The Tempo of Change in the Leeward Kohala Field System

Reanalysis of radiocarbon dates that pre-date features of the leeward Kohala field system on Hawaiʻi Island was carried out within a Bayesian statistical framework. Results of the analysis indicate that features of the field system were developed late in traditional Hawaiian times. Many of the features appear to have been constructed subsequent to Cook’s visit in AD 1779. These results do not support the hypothesis that agricultural intensification began in the early seventeenth century, linked to a rise in the authority of chiefs.

Download PDF View HTML