Bobcat Trail Habitation Cave
Encyclopedia
Bobcat Trail Habitation Cave is a historic site of Ancient Hawaii
an living quarters in a remote interior area of the island of Hawaii
.
(region) of the North Kona District
on the island of Hawaii
. The exact location is kept restricted to avoid damage to the site.
It is on U.S. Federal land which is part of the Pohakuloa Training Area
.
At an elevation of 5100–9000 ft (1,554.5–2,743.2 m), the arid area receives only 20 in (508 mm) of rainfall per year. The vegetation is a mix of subalpine
and montane
dry shrublands
.
It is named for the nearby Bobcat Trail, which has been proposed to be restored into part of a Mauna Loa
trail system.
, who moved the royal residence to a site nearby on the same high plateau in the 16th century, now called Ahu A Umi Heiau
.
Original studies were focused on the coastal areas that remain inhabited today, but
even this more marginal area has evidence of human activity from A.D. 700 until the 18th century. Ancient Hawaiians hunted birds and gathered wood extensively on the plateau.
They valued both seabirds that nested here for food, and forest birds for colorful feathers used in ceremonial garments.
While hunting, they camped in the caves formed by Lava tube
s, placing gourds on the floor to collect water that dripped from the ceiling. The forests provided sandalwood
and medicinal plants. Bundles of sandalwood were found where they were left for later transport to the larger communities on the coast.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on May 15, 1986 as site number 86001086.
In 1995 a comprehensive survey of the area was funded by the U.S. Army to produce an environmental management plan.
In 2004, another study was done for some propsed improvements to the training area.
Although this cave is the only one listed on the register, there are several others in the area.
| publisher = Prepared for the US Army Corps of Engineers, Pacific Ocean Division, Fort Shafter, Hawaii. International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc
| year = 1989
| location = Honolulu Hawaii
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id =
| isbn =
}}i, Hawaii
| publisher = Prepared for the USACE, Honolulu District, Fort Shafter, Hawaii by Paul H. Rosendahl, Inc
| year = 1986
| location = Honolulu, HI
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id =
| isbn =
}}
Ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii refers to the period of Hawaiian human history preceding the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great in 1810. After being first settled by Polynesian long-distance navigators sometime between AD 300–800, a unique culture developed. Diversified agroforestry and...
an living quarters in a remote interior area of the island of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
.
Location
Coordinates are approximate; The site is within the Puuanahulu ahupuaaAhupua'a
In old Hawaii, ahupuaa was the common subdivision of the land. It is comparable to the tapere in the Southern Cook Islands. The traditional subdivision has four hierarchical levels:*mokupuni *moku...
(region) of the North Kona District
Kona District, Hawaii
Kona is the name of a moku or district on the Big Island of Hawaii in the State of Hawaii. In the current system of administration of Hawaii County, the moku of Kona is divided into North Kona District and South Kona District . The term "Kona" is sometimes used to refer to its largest town,...
on the island of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
. The exact location is kept restricted to avoid damage to the site.
It is on U.S. Federal land which is part of the Pohakuloa Training Area
Pohakuloa Training Area
Pōhakuloa Training Area is located on the island of Hawaii in the high plateau between Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and the Hualālai volcanic mountains...
.
At an elevation of 5100–9000 ft (1,554.5–2,743.2 m), the arid area receives only 20 in (508 mm) of rainfall per year. The vegetation is a mix of subalpine
Subalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
and montane
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
dry shrublands
Hawaiian tropical high shrublands
The Hawaiian tropical high shrublands are a tropical savanna ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. They cover an area of on the upper slopes of the volcanoes Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Hualālai, and Haleakalā. It includes open shrublands, grasslands, and deserts...
.
It is named for the nearby Bobcat Trail, which has been proposed to be restored into part of a Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, and the largest on Earth in terms of volume and area covered. It is an active shield volcano, with a volume estimated at approximately , although its peak is about lower than that...
trail system.
History
The trail was part of a system used before the time of King Umi'Umi-a-Liloa
Umi-a-Liloa ruled as the 14th Alii Aimoku of Hawaii island from 1510 to 1525.-Royal Birth:Umi-a-Liloa, commonly known as Umi, was younger son of Liloa, 12th Alii Aimoku of Hawaii. Umi's mother Akahiakuleana was of much lower rank and distantly related to Liloa...
, who moved the royal residence to a site nearby on the same high plateau in the 16th century, now called Ahu A Umi Heiau
Ahu A Umi Heiau
Ahu A Umi Heiau means "shrine at the temple of Umi" in the Hawaiian Language.It is also spelled "ahu-a-Umi", or known as Ahua A Umi Heiau, which would mean "mound of Umi"....
.
Original studies were focused on the coastal areas that remain inhabited today, but
even this more marginal area has evidence of human activity from A.D. 700 until the 18th century. Ancient Hawaiians hunted birds and gathered wood extensively on the plateau.
They valued both seabirds that nested here for food, and forest birds for colorful feathers used in ceremonial garments.
While hunting, they camped in the caves formed by Lava tube
Lava tube
Lava tubes are natural conduits through which lava travels beneath the surface of a lava flow, expelled by a volcano during an eruption. They can be actively draining lava from a source, or can be extinct, meaning the lava flow has ceased and the rock has cooled and left a long, cave-like...
s, placing gourds on the floor to collect water that dripped from the ceiling. The forests provided sandalwood
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted...
and medicinal plants. Bundles of sandalwood were found where they were left for later transport to the larger communities on the coast.
Protection
The site is state archaeological site number 10-30-5004 (this number, plus "50-" to indicate the state of Hawaii, was appended to its name on the National registry).It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on May 15, 1986 as site number 86001086.
In 1995 a comprehensive survey of the area was funded by the U.S. Army to produce an environmental management plan.
In 2004, another study was done for some propsed improvements to the training area.
Although this cave is the only one listed on the register, there are several others in the area.
Further reading
i.| publisher = Prepared for the US Army Corps of Engineers, Pacific Ocean Division, Fort Shafter, Hawaii. International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc
| year = 1989
| location = Honolulu Hawaii
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id =
| isbn =
}}i, Hawaii
| publisher = Prepared for the USACE, Honolulu District, Fort Shafter, Hawaii by Paul H. Rosendahl, Inc
| year = 1986
| location = Honolulu, HI
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id =
| isbn =
}}