The C-shaped structures of Haleakala National Park: Vernacular architecture in the Hawaiian islands

Monumental architecture is well-documented in the Hawaiian islands but C-shaped structures are treated as a residual category of unformalized architecture. Little was known about these structures beyond their previously described function as “temporary field shelters.” Although temporary structures are a ubiquitous form of vernacular architecture throughout the world, the widespread and varied use of the C-shaped structure constructed from basalt boulders is unique to the Hawaiian islands.; Despite the limitations imposed by undated and unstratified surface associations, a common archaeological problem in the Hawaiian islands, 2,721 recorded C-shaped structures are analyzed in order to interpret two C-shaped structure sites located in the Crater Historic District of Haleakalā National Park, Maui. In the absence of direct dating methods, indirect and inferential methods are employed to draw probabilistic conclusions as to the function of these C-shaped structures, from the survey and surface data.; During the study, questions are addressed concerning the importance of feathers, bird hunting, warfare in the Hawaiian islands, weapons of war, and the theory of the design of vernacular architecture. The result of this study is a new interpretation of the C-shaped structure of Haleakala and a new understanding of the place of vernacular architecture in the Hawaiian islands.