Big Island Ground Tour
Stop 14: City of Refuge
Along the south Kona coast is the Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, formerly known as the City of Refuge. This is where criminals or vanquished warriors of old Hawaii were given sanctuary. Much of the Park is restored so that you can see out-rigger canoes and carved statues that once characterized this area.
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It's fun to take a look at some of the outrigger canoes that they have at the Park, since it gives one a better understanding of how adventurous the early Polynesian settlers who sailed to Hawaii must have been.
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Wood-carved statues indicate that the City of Refuge has great religious significance to Hawaiians, and was a place where common people came to be forgiven many crimes.
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Another view of the intricate carvings that are on view in the Park.
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Religious carvings in the rocks are called petroglyphs in Hawaii. Here we see a fine example that is probably hundreds of years old.
From here you can continue on to Stop 15 on the ground, or you can pick another point from the Big Island Virtual Field Trip page.
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Authors: Peter Mouginis-Mark & Lori Glaze
Copyright by P. Mouginis-Mark Curator: Lori Glaze Page Design: Laurence Laforga |
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