Olowalu was one of the first areas occupied by ancient Polynesians, believed to date back to around AD 1000. In 1790, Olowalu was the site of a tragic massacre. An American ship fired upon the village, killing 100 and wounding 200, believing the villagers had stolen one of their small boats.
Olowalu, meaning “many hills” in Hawaiian, was an ahupua’a, a land division that provided everything ancient Hawaiians needed for living. This area stretched from the shoreline to the West Maui Mountains. Archaeological evidence shows irrigated fields for kalo (taro) along streambeds and fishponds made from small boulders, reflecting a culture deeply connected to and nourished by the land.
Sadly, sugar-cane cultivation destroyed most pre-contact and historic cultural sites. However, Kilea, a basalt hill with petroglyphs, survived. Many ancient sites and petroglyphs remain around Olowalu, but Kilea is the most accessible to visitors. Chad and I had visited the site today, and the petroglyphs we saw offered insights into the lives of these ancient people.
Kilea, a small but prominent hill, is nestled in the sugar cane fields behind the Olowalu General Store. The west side of Kilea features a staggering cliff face with a slight overhang, once used for gathering and shelter. A dirt road runs below the cliff face, parallel to Olowalu Gulch, a shaded stream flowing from Olowalu Canyon, an entry point to the ancient trail through the West Maui Mountains to Iao Valley.
The basalt cliff face is geologically fascinating, and I felt I could stare at it all day. At least 100 petroglyphs, including human figures, animals, and sails, can be seen. Unfortunately, graffiti has damaged some petroglyphs over the years but standing in the presence of this ancient boundary line, you can still feel the mana, or power, flowing within the rock.
Surrounding Kilea are temples called Heiau, places of mana or power, with at least three recorded. While these known sites confirm a thriving community, the upper valley of Olowalu, within the mountain regions, remains unexplored archaeologically. I suspect numerous sites remain undiscovered.
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