Mapping Pre-Contact Keahuamanono Heiau in Haleakalā National Park, Maui, Hawai'i.

Native and Indigenous peoples' critiques of archaeological research address both methodological approaches to data recovery and the way data is interpreted. This paper addresses two such critiques concerning invasive excavation methods and static interpretations of the past. The authors argue that non-invasive archaeological techniques such as mapping are beneficial when investigating sacred sites. In addition, this paper argues that interpretations of data should not only rely on standardized categories for identification but also consider the specific environmental, historical, and cultural context of sites. This paper takes as a case study the investigation of pre-Contact Keahuamanono heiau (place of worship, shrine) in Haleakalā National Park, using plane table mapping paired with ethnohistorical data to interpret the structure within its local context. The resulting evidence supports the interpretation that Keahumanono heiau does not neatly fit into any existing Hawaiian heiau categories and was most likely used for celestial and political observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]