POLLEN AND STARCH ANALYSIS OF GROUNDSTONE WASHES, MAUNAWILA HEIAU, O’AHU, HAWAI’I

Site SIHP #50-80-05-287 is a traditional Hawaiian ceremonial and agricultural complex on the Maunawila Heiau Parcel (SIHP #50-80-05-287). The site is located downslope from Maunawila Heiau, which is associated with the gods Kane and Kaneloa and is thought to be a medicinal site; a myth of Kane and Kaneloa includes making kava at the temple (Rosanna Thurman, personal communication, July 31, 2025). Two ground stones were documented near an active ceremonial area that includes several stone mounds, alignments, terraces, stone-paved surfaces, and a dog petroglyph. Immediately west of the ceremonial area with the grinding stones is another temple-like feature that contained many large conus shells; because conus shell venom has medicinal uses, the shells may have been present for medicinal purposes. Adjacent to and west of the ceremonial area, a hillside contains agricultural terraces that included poi pounders. The two large grinding stones, recorded as Feature I, exhibited small ground areas suggesting plant processing; depressions on these stones were sampled for pollen and starch analysis.