Ceremonial architecture and the spatial proscription of community: location versus form and function in Kaupō, Maui, Hawaiian Islands

Abstract

Recent work in the district of Kaupö, Maui, has demonstrated the presence of a highly intensified dryland agricultural system, extensive residential sites and a range of ceremonial structures that include some of the largest temples (heiau) in the Hawaiian Islands. In this paper I discuss the ritual sites of Kaupö and how their placement on the landscape demonstrates a unique expression of elite power. Using formal architectural features to define two basic classes of ritual sites, I show that the nutrient-rich core of the district is bounded on either side by a network of monumental temples, effectively proscribing the highly productive interior. In contrast to these major heiau around the exterior, the interior of the district is dominated almost exclusively by small, relatively simple ceremonial spaces. Understanding the differential distribution of the ritual structures in Kaupö offers insights into how pre-contact Hawaiian rulers sought to centralise and control highly productive regions.

Sacred offerings and secular foods on Reao Atoll, Tuamotu Archipelago, East Polynesia

“…Religious sites, such as marae (heiau in the Hawaiian Islands), were the central node for most sacred rituals and recurring ceremonies and were prominent symbols where chiefs reaffirmed their power, status and control (Valeri, 1985). The prime exemplars for East Polynesia are the huge statue (moai) complexes on Rapa Nui (Van Tilburg, 1995), the sprawling stone temple of Taputapu‘ātea (Eddowes, 2001; Salvat et al., 2019) and the monumental Hawaiian heiau that were often cited on promontories with commanding views (Baer, 2016) – all clear symbols of authority. As these three examples demonstrate, monumental temples were specific to island groups, but also to function (e.g., Henry, 1928, pp.…”