Scale, Nature, and Timing of Agricultural Adaptations in Upland Kaʻū

Substantial changes in political and land organization occurred in Hawaiʻi in the last 200 years before European arrival. These changes are thought to have affected land access and management, with areas nearer centers of power being more heavily influenced. Less is known about the effects of these changes on outlying areas and those areas with substantial environmental diversity. We investigate this scenario here by examining remnants of the Kaʻū Field System located in the Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. We find evidence for local-scale agricultural management and the persistent use of houses through time. We also identify evidence of continued access to forest resources, even after formal agricultural infrastructure replaced a low-intensity agroforestry system. Our results speak to a high degree of autonomy in this section of the Kaʻū Field System, which contrasts with some parts of the Kona Field System and the center of the Leeward Kohala Field System.