Archaeological Survey in Kahuku Training Area
Oahu, Hawaii

The Kahuku Training Area (KTA) provides the U.S. Army for various forms of combat training. This windward side of Oahu was the site of many pre-contact Hawaiian settlements and the setting for some of the island’s earliest and best-known legends. From Aug. 4 to Sept. 1 2016, AERC and archaeologists from the University of Alaska conducted an intensive survey of portions of the training area, documenting 13 new archaeological sites and performing condition assessments at five previously recorded sites. Their findings included five traditional Hawaiian residential and agricultural sites, five postcolonial agricultural sites, one religious site, and six sites of undetermined affiliation. Three new sites were recommended eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

Project goals: Complete an intensive archaeological survey integrating subsurface testing to identify cultural remains, document new sites for National Register eligibility, and assess documented sites to determine any changes in condition or undocumented features.