Usually buried under layers of sand, the western shores of the Hawaiian island of Oahu revealed a series of stone-carved petroglyphs that haven’t been visible for decades. But thanks to tides and currents, the images have emerged in front of a U.S. Army recreation center, looking like tags tossed up by ancient street artists.
SFGate reports that the petroglyphs were first documented in 2016; there are a total of 26 petroglyphs, etched into the sandstone. Most depict humanoid shapes, those classic stick figures with a prehistoric vibe that you’re used to seeing in pictures of archaeological sites. But two of them, in particular, are especially interesting. They are enormous and detailed. They are over eight feet tall and feature figures with visible fingers.
That may not sound like much, but in the world of petroglyphs, where most carvings are kept vague or depict only the most general concepts, a small detail like fingers represents artistic intent, possibly an attempt to describe a specific divine figure.
Hawaiian Petroglyphs Reemerge Due To Changing Tides
The glyphs are part of a larger cultural narrative known as moolelo. But what they specifically represent is up for debate. In a 2017 Army interview, Native Hawaiian Glen Kila, whose lineage traces back to the area’s earliest Polynesian settlers, said the petroglyphs’ outstretched fingers represent Maui, the demigod hero of Hawaiian mythology, whom you might pop culturally know better as the character played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Moana.
Kila believes that since the fingers are pointing from east to west, mirroring the sun’s journey in our sky, the carvings serve as a kind of spiritual roadmap, acting as a religious symbol, much like the cross holds special significance in Christianity.
You won’t be able to see them easily unless you have a military ID, and even then, you probably won’t have many opportunities to see them in person anyway. Speaking to SFGate, Army spokesperson Nathan Wilkes says that it’s only a matter of time before they’re covered up by the ocean again.
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