Petroglyphs

~ WHY are the pictures on this page so SMALL?  Most of the pictures here been reduced to a thumbnail size to take up less space and help speed up the process of your viewing - you can click on most of these pictures to see full size. ~

Petroglyphs date as far back as the first settlers on the Hawaiian Islands, in the 4th century AD.

They were the earliest written forms of communication with the gods, the spirits, and with fellow travelers and viewers.

The figures were most frequently carved on the smooth pahoehoe lava. Other stone sources were large boulders and the walls of lava tubes.

No one knows for sure what all the different symbols and figures mean. No one knows for sure the exact date of each petroglyph, or why there are so many on the Big Island.

One thing we do know: They are never randomly located. Isolated petroglyphs might mark a burial site, or an important trail junction. Groups of petroglyphs often accentuate a powerful place on the land. The Hawaiians believed that mana , the cosmic force, was concentrated and available in specific locations, which became places of prayer and respect.

Here are some pictures we took of the petroglyphs while on a guided walking tour in the Waikoloa resort area.  VERY interesting!

Click on a thumbnail to view a close-up!