Resolving the enigma of early coastal settlement in the Hawaiian Islands: The stratigraphic sequence of the Wainiha Beach Site in Kaua'i

Archaeological excavation has documented stratified cultural deposits at the Wainiha Beach Site in Kaua'i (Hawaiian Islands), beginning with the occupation of a residential structure dated around A.D. 1030–1400. After about A.D. 1400, the excavated area contains abundant evidence of widespread repeated temporary activities ending in the post‐Contact era (post‐A.D. 1778). The presence of an early permanent residence followed by a later period of temporary activities opposes conventional understanding of a trend from temporary to permanent occupation in similar sites in the Hawaiian Islands. The complete stratigraphic sequence is disclosed here, with reference to formation processes and depositional context of eight major strata documented in a controlled excavation 0.95 m deep. Various human activities (such as digging pits, trampling, etc.) and periodic natural high‐energy events (such as tsunami ) appear to have altered the upper portions of underlying deposits. Large sections of the earliest human occupation layer were obliterated, and successive episodes of short‐lived activities created numerous inconsistencies in the stratigraphy. These results have important implications for interpreting the cultural sequence not only at Wainiha but also at other rather enigmatic beach sites in the Hawaiian Islands and elsewhere. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.