HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0896.031 2022-2024 P/LAAG
biII 10
COMM. F16
From: Simmy
Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2024 6:29 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Fwd: Royal Vista Testimony Cultural Resources
Attachments: Royal Vista skull bones female jpg; Royal Vista Skeleton removed sent to Hilo jpg;
Royal Vista Long bones removed jpg; Royal Vista Dismembered limbs leaving
articulated hands and feet jpg; Royal Vista Burial Mother and Juvenile jpg; Royal Vista
Burial description young woman jpg; Royal Vista Map Gamlon mauka jpg
Aloha County Council,
Please oppose Billl 69 for Kona Three LLC.
Here is my testimony,this is the exact testimony I submitted to the Cultural Resources Comrrjsiorg
Please use this same for your hearing. =t_)
Mahalo, �-
Simmy McMichaelCD CD.<
Aloha Cultural Resources Commission, = ,
I wish to comment on agenda 1. Design review for Kona Three LLC.
My concern is what is noted for this land: '-`-'
Although every attempt was made to make thorough coverage of the property in the field, it is unlikely
that every single site has been discovered and the site locations plotted on the project area map are
approximate. In addition, each site when discovered was only described in general terms and was not
examined in detail.
The presence of the historical railroad bed,this railroad played an important part in the Agricultural
Development of Kona in the early part of this century.The railroad was built in 1901 by the Kona Sugar
Company.
My ancestors worked for this Sugar Company and were close family ties with King Kalakaua who oversaw
the Agricultural District of Kahalu'u.
From Kohala all the way to Kainaliu is where my ancestors resided.
It's heart breaking to see so many destructions happening with Bulldozing Machinery. Out of Control!The
heavy operators are doing this without any archeological monitoring.And, recently
we witnessed a Spring well, mounds, and caves flattened, in the Kahalu'u Historic District.
There was no Stopping, but, in fact,when officials were notified,they escalated to move faster.
Very HEARTBREAKING as we cannot stop all the IWI Bone Crushing.There are thousands beneath,
hidden,traditional was secret burials.
IWI KUPUNA contain MANA.,AND THEY NEED KOKUA/ PROTECTION.ALL WE DO IS PRAY!
There are much palapala, I took apart what stood out and I'm forwarding this to you, knowing who can
read everything before a meeting.
This project building stories with take to DESECRATE DEEP.Why not go back to the old days of simple
post and pier. Hand clear the land.
It's time to STOP for this area, it was heavily occupied,thousands died and buried.
From what I read there was not hundreds of burials.
What little documented for Burials... Comm. No g (0• 3!
.Ref. To:
1 Ref. Dote e 4 2024
I learned just reading about Females. Mentioned was tertiary syphilis, dismembering limbs,this is an eye
opener.
We need to know more of what happened during these times.
The list shows Habitations, and knowing, loved ones were buried nearest.
Looking at the details of these few sites in an eye opener.The others beneath will be crushed.
,. Royal Vista list Habitation and Burials.jpg
;;.1 Royal Vista list Habitation and Burials pg 2.jpg
Its well-illustrated, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about this so this is why I wanted to send you,
my comments.
Thank you to the archeologist for doing this.
I would like to see no development, designate this as Historic District, Preserve Historic for Hawai'i.
This area is so Sacred and we need to Respect, Malama.
Once you allow development,there is no reporting of sacred burials, if reported,the job shuts down.
Mahalo,
Simmy McMichael
2
082-051.pdf
0 11 1/?,
section B
south profile of burial pit 1
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ekoa trunk
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° i i ft mandible and long
bones , female 30 to -_- -
Figure 43 Cross Section B of Site 10055 40 yrs 1_-
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The corpse was fully articulated lying on its back, feet to mauka - skull to makai, head
propped up against sloping bedrock with chin on chest. The left arm was flexed with
the left hand palm down on the left shoulder. The right arm was partially flexed,
forearm across torso and the right hand palm down upon left humerus beneath left
radius and ulna. The two (2) legs were parallel, fully flexed over right and left arms
with knees to the left side of the chest, feet with toes pointing North (to the left), the
right heel against the left side of the pelvis and the left foot slightly in front of the
right.
The skeleton was removed from Site 10055 (CSH219A) and was sent to the University
of Hawaii - Hilo Archaeology Lab for further study and conservation. Preliminary
data was collected in the field and is as follows:
1) Maximal length measurements; femur - 41 cm., left humerus - 29.5 cm.,
mandibular height -3 cm., sciatic arch - 65 degrees.
2) Pelvic bones badly decayed. No apparent bone disease anomalies but
moderate lipping on lumbar vertebrae.
3) Maxilla; complete set of dentition, no cavities, 3rd molars erupted, moderate
wear on all teeth.
4) Mandible; Right 3rd molar only 3rd molar present, cusps still visible, 2
incisors, both canines, both premolars present, breakage on front two incisors
and probably right canine, 1st molar on right side is diseased.
skeleton removed
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page 67of082-051
wide sciatic notches and a flat and abruptly angled sacrum. All long bones were
absent including tibia, fibulae ulna, radius and humerus. However, the articulated
hands and feet had been placed on the pelvis with fingers and toes pointing upwards.
The only way that the long bones could be removed while the fingers and toes were
still articulated would be before the flesh had decomposed. However, there was no
sign of cutting at the separated joints.
The skeleton of the child immediately to the 1 south was completely articulated and semi
flexed. All skeletal parts were present but were in a partially decomposed state. The
contrast with the state of preservation of the adult skeleton is explained by the delicate
nature of the immature bones compared to those of an adult. It is clear from the
stratigraphic context that both skeletons were buried at the same time. Although it
was impossible to determine the sex of the child because of the crumbling skeletal
parts, the dentition was preserved in the mandible. The first molar had partially
emerged indicating a child between the age of 4 and 6. There were no anomalies
observed in the skeletal parts. long bones
A summary of the stratigraphic t ‘rt jratp1s'
1. An enclosure was constructed with roughly star eglisnasi s and a
cobble alignment of vertical slabs on the other.
e enclosure was occupied and used fo r.,'A 'r �` t < Ad food
2. Ctr.t»m TT which includes
.. 081-OS1.pdf rJ 1%'
The significant aspect of this site is that if the adult female did actually carry syphilis
and this is considered to have been introduced to Hawaii by Captain Cook in 1778,
then the burial and overlying occupation must date to the post contact age was found.
Either the site dates from the earliest known contact before foreign objects were
67
dispersed or syphilis was present in Hawaii before Cooks Landing. This question can
only be answered through charcoal and glass dating.
The other unusual feature of this site is the manner in which the skeleton was handled
after death. Although it is common with Hawaiian burials to have particular skeletal
parts missing, to our knowledge this is the only known case of dismembering limbs
and leaving the articulated hands and feet.
The final aspect is the apparent complexity of the stratigraphy which indicates multiple
use of the site - 2 phases of occupation separated by a burial. Such multiple use is
uncommon for upland sites in Kona.
`c� 082-051.pdf
Burial Sites
Site 10025 (CSH104) A is a typical Kona type monument burial with a large paved platform
overlying a small tube which served as the burial crypt. Site 10055 (219A) is a modest terrace
platform showing remnants of light occupation and a single underlying burial. The third burial found
in the study area is by far the most complex site showing an occupation phase both underlying and
overlying the burials. The two skeletons found in a stone lined crypt consist of a mature adult female
and a juvenile. They are assumed to be mother and child. The mother almost certainly died of
tertiary syphilis and was buried without long bones but with articulated hands and feet. To our
knowledge this is the first documented example of this in Hawaii.
Historic Sites
Historic land use, including coffee farming and cattle ranching is an important part of the
archaeological perspective in the property. Not only did it erase or modify many older remnants of
occupation but it left the most visible of human made structures - the ubiquitous stone walls. Beside
the walls are foundations of work buildings (Site 10053, CSH218A: Site 10076, CSH242) and one
probable residence (Site 10074, CSH240). The entire property was used for cattle ranching however,
58
hi 082-051.pdf
MO US 111 the top layer. 1 ms stratum. aestgnatea stratum t, containea oasatuc glass,
bone and coral artifacts, and adze flakes. The unconsolidated, mixed nature of the
sediment immediately underlying it postdate the construction of the mound and are the
result of activity from above. On the rnakui or west side of the site are two stone
cupboards with a corbelled construction. "These cupboards measure .6 m. (2 ft) in
diameter and the interior spaces are .3 m. (1 ft) high. They appear to be
contemporaneous with the construction of the rectangular alignment.
After the exposure of the rectangular alignment and the cupboards the next step was to
excavate the interior of the rectangular alignment. Directly underlying Stratum I and
distributed in a fairly uniform thickness in the alignment interior and under the
cupboards was a second stratum, designated Stratum II. This is a light grey
unconsolidated silt loam which contains wood ash and cultural material including
stone, shell and bone artifacts and midden. As this stratum was excavated a 3 foot
wide and 5 foot long stone crypt was exposed. The crypt consisted of a rectangular
arrangement of squared boulders. The fill of the crypt was removed (Stratum II) and
the skeletal remains of two individuals was uncovered at a depth of 1.9 m. (2 ft) below
the top of the crypt and resting directly' on bedrock. Two skulls were lying 1 inch
apart at the northeast end of the crypt and in both cases articulated to the vertebrae.
The skull on the north side was of an adult female and is described first below.
The skull was in excellent preservation except for an anomalous circular shaped region
of decay in the posterior parietal. The decay originated in the interior of the cranium
and had led to the development of a perforation in the left parietal. Although this has
not yet been confirmed y a forensic expert, it is characteristic of the effects of tertiary
syphilis on crania. The area of decay is localized and does not appear to be the result
of post internment decay which is not evidenced anywhere else on the skeleton. All
upper and lower dentition are present with one anomaly - the second right molar
contains as extra side cusp. The incisors have a slight "shovel shape". All three
molars are fully erupted and show slight even wear indicating an individual in the
early to mid twenties. The unfused cranial sutures particularly the coronal suture also
show a mature but young age. As mentioned, the skull was articulated to the vertebrae
and the scapulae, the clavicles and the pelvis were all in articulated position. An
examination of the sacrum and hip bone show characteristics of a female including
64
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