Hidden for Centuries: Ancient Hawaiian Petroglyphs Emerge from Shifting Sands, Unlocking Mysteries of the Past
Centuries-Old Hawaiian Petroglyphs Are Revealed On A Beach In Oahu
According to a press release from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources at the time of the 2016 appearance, it’s likely that the petroglyphs had been visible before. However, 2016 marked the first time that experts from the State Historic Preservation Division and the U.S. Army, which controls the area, were able to take a close look.
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural ResourcesA closer look at one of the petroglyphs, which are periodically exposed by the tides in Oahu.
Officials ultimately counted 26 petroglyphs carved into the sandstone, extending 115 feet along the shoreline. These petroglyphs are a mix of both geometric shapes and various humanoid figures. Some have fingers, which is rare among Hawaiian petroglyphs. The largest of the anthropomorphic figures is more than eight feet tall.
“The ones with the fingers, for me, are pretty unique,” U.S. Army archaeologist and Waianae native Alton Exzabe noted in the 2016 press release. “I believe there are some elsewhere with fingers, but fingers and hands are pretty distinct, as well as the size of them.”
Experts estimate that the petroglyphs are at least 500 or 600 years old, but it’s possible that they’re much older and may have been carved by the initial settlers who first arrived in Waianae around 1,000 years ago.
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural ResourcesThe petroglyphs include 26 figures, most of them humanoid in nature.
Ultimately, however, researchers didn’t have long to study these petroglyphs nine years ago. Shortly after they first appeared, the carved figures disappeared beneath the sand and surf once again.
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