Supplemental pollen identification study for ‘Aimakapā Fishpond core, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, North Kona, Hawai‘i Island
Ward JV and Athens JS. 2012. Supplemental pollen identification study for ‘Aimakapā Fishpond core, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, North Kona, Hawai‘i Island. International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc.. Honolulu, Hawaii
This report presents supplemental pollen investigations for a 2006 paleoenvironmental study of ‘Aimakapā Fishpond at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park (KAHO), in North Kona, Hawai‘i Island. These supplemental investigations were conducted by International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc. (IARII) under contract to the National Park Service (NPS). The scope of work for the present study was to further refine the previous interpretations by attempting to identify one of the dominant prehuman pollen types. This type was referred to as the Euphorbia (small type) pollen, which comprised between 20 and 80 percent of the early pollen assemblage, and then abruptly disappeared from younger intervals in the pollen record. Since the immediately younger interval, Layer IV at 102-104 cm below surface, pertained to the time of Polynesian settlement based on the presence of pollen from two Polynesian plant introductions, Cocos nucifera and Cordyline fruticosa (Athens and Ward 2006:35), it is possible that the loss of the Euphorbia (small type) pollen was due to extirpation of this taxon as a result of anthropogenic impacts (Athens and Ward 2006:35, 39).
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Ward, Jerome; Athens, J.
- Date of Issue
- 2012-01
- Publisher
- International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc.
- Units
- KAHO
- Keywords
- Aimakapa Fishpond, Euphorbia, Pollen, sediment core, vegetation community