ʻIke Kapoho Project

Aloha kākou! We have been quiet for a while after this summer's fieldwork, but we are working hard in the lab!

Some news: We are planning two public Data Shareout Events on Zoom for May-June of 2025. Updates, dates, and links will be posted here!

Meanwhile, here are the squeaky clean 'opihi from the marine deposit below Kapoho fishpond. How old do you think these are? We will find out in a few months.

Coming this week on June 12 from 6-8 pm! Please join the Hawaii Land Trust for our second 2024 community workshop.

This hands-on workshop will focus on artifacts recovered from the recent excavations of Kapoho Loko l'a at Waihe'e. Participants will receive training in artifact identification and learn about how archaeologists use artifacts to understand human activities in the past.

The workshop will be held in the cafeteria at Waihe'e Elementary School, and an evening meal will be provided.

Sign language interpretation will be available for the deaf community.

See event posted on our page to rsvp.

Some of our first signs of the loko l'a kalo deposits at Waihe'e- a thick deposit of pūpū (snails) embedded in silty clay. We have tentatively identified these as Melanoides tuberculata, which is a water snail that prefers slow moving water like lo'i or loko. Other species of this genus are found throughout the Pacific Islands, often in association with kalo cultivation. We are excited to see them! Third photo credit: USGS.

Our first Community Archaeology Workday at Kapoho Fishpond was a great success!
Everyone had a chance to excavate and identify artifacts embedded in the wall, which included historic metal and the molar of a pig!

If you would like to attend our next Workday on June 15th, please see our events here on the ‘Ike Kapoho’s Project.

Sign language interpretation will be available for the deaf community.

Worked on excavating the topmost layer today and found a change in the sediment that probably indicates the boundary between the pohaku wall and the fill of the fishpond.
We also found a few pieces of bottle glass, corroded metal, and one lonely pipipi shell. On to layer 2!

Today's task: site recording and establishing the location for our first excavation unit. We set a 4 x 4 meter square unit to allow us to examine the stone wall and the location of stones that have tumbled off it. It took a while, but we cleared off the akulikuli and 'ahu'awa, revealing loose silt! Tomorrow we will excavate the first level. It was an exciting day! We were joined by students McKinley Roza, Libby Farris, and Keone Rabara.

Watch this space! Starting tomorrow, the 'Ike Kapoho archaeology team will focus on the deposits and architecture of the northwest corner of Kapoho Loko l'a. Over the next few weeks we will post photos of our progress here!
Our first archaeology work day is Saturday, June 1st. Participants will excavate and learn about archaeology and artifacts. 9 am - 12 pm. See our event post to rsvp.