Kukaniloko Birth Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Kukaniloko Birth Site
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View from park entrance toward Kolekole Pass
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 Location in Hawaii
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| Nearest city | Wahiawa, Hawaii |
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| Area | 5 acres (2.0 hectares) |
| Built | prior to the 13th century |
| Architectural style | Ancient Hawaiian |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000674 and 94001640 |
| Added to NRHP | April 11, 1973 (original) and February 09, 1995 (increase) |
The Kūkaniloko Birth Site, also known as the Kūkaniloko Birthstones State Monument, is a very important ancient cultural place on the island of Oʻahu. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This means it is a special place recognized for its history. In 1992, the land around it became a state park. This helped protect the site even more.
Where is Kūkaniloko?
Kūkaniloko is located in the Wahiawā Plateau. A plateau is a large, flat area of land that is higher than the land around it. This plateau sits between Oʻahu's two main mountain ranges. These are the Waiʻanae mountains and the Koʻolau mountains.
The site is also found where two old travel paths met. One path was the Waialua Trail, which connected the North Shore to ʻEwa Beach. The other was the Kolekole Trail, which went through the Waiʻanae Range.
Kūkaniloko is considered the piko (or navel) of the island. This means it is seen as the very center or heart of Oʻahu. People also think the site was used like a calendar. By watching the sun from Kūkaniloko, people could track time using special markers on the stones.
Today, you can find Kūkaniloko near the intersection of Kamehameha Highway and Whitmore Avenue. It is just north of Wahiawā, Hawaiʻi.
History of the Birth Site
The name Kūkaniloko means "to anchor the cry from within." This name tells us about its main purpose. It was the most important place for high chiefs of Oʻahu to be born. These chiefs were called aliʻi, which means royal leaders.
Famous chiefs like Kakuhihewa and Maʻilikākahi were likely born here. When a royal child was born, many other aliʻi would be present as witnesses. This made the birth very special and important.
There was once a temple, called the Hoʻolonopahu Heiau, connected to the site. However, this temple was later destroyed. Many other ancient sites in the area were also removed. This happened to make space for large fields of sugarcane and pineapple. Before that, the rich soil grew lots of sweet potato and yam.
Long ago, royal families lived on the slopes of the Waiʻanae mountains. They also lived along the shores of Waialua to the north. Many important battles between rival chiefs were fought on the plains around Kūkaniloko. These battles were about who would control Oʻahu.
The wide-open sky view from Kūkaniloko may have made it like a Hawaiian Stonehenge. In 2000, scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi studied the stones. They found designs and shapes that might have been used to track stars and planets. This would have helped them create a calendar.
Gallery
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View from the entrance stones towards the central stones.
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Ki plants growing on a raised earth platform.
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The shape of the northern Waiʻanae Range.
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The central stones with coconut palms nearby.
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Plant offerings left at the central stones.
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A corrugated central stone.
- Barron, Kamira. Kukaniloko: A Living Legend
