Two tourists from Texas made a significant archaeological discovery during a July trip to Hawaii. While strolling along the Waianae coast, they noticed a figure carved into the exposed sandstone. Closer examination revealed there were, at minimum, 10 of them.
Alton Exzabe, an army archaeologist called to inspect what turned out to be roughly 400-year-old aboriginal carvings, said, “… the Army in Hawaii manages several thousand archaeological sites, but this is the first one with petroglyphs directly on the shoreline…Some people have said they’ve seen them before, but this is quite a significant find.”
Only days after the discovery, sand washed up on the beach, again concealing the carved images. Dr. Alan Downer, a State Historic Preservation Division administrator, commented, “…in time they will reappear and we want to make sure people know that they are fragile and culturally sensitive...”
