NIU researcher Michael Kolb will publish details of his research in Hawaii that show some of the islands earliest temples were built in the 13th century.

The study contradicts recent research that indicated Maui’s temples, also known as heiau, were built within a span of decades near the turn of the 17th century.

Using radiocarbon dating on 90 samples from the ruins of 40 temples, including several smaller temples that were newly discovered, the NIU associate professor of anthropology found the basis for his study, which will be published in the forthcoming issue of Current Anthropology

“This research provides conclusive evidence that the Maui temple network grew and expanded over a period at least five centuries,” said Kolb, who spent a dozen years locating and excavating temple sites across the island and collecting samples for radiocarbon dating.

Polynesians discovered and began to inhabit the Hawaiian Islands as early as A.D. 300, but the first western contact wasn’t made until 1778, with the arrival of British explorer Captain James Cook.

Because the islands are relatively isolated from the rest of the world, the development of monumental architecture and complex society in Hawaii is of keen interest to archaeologists. Most of what is known about Hawaiian civilization prior to European contact was handed down through oral histories, recorded in the 19th and 20th centuries. Issues surrounding the origins, chronology and pace of temple building have long been debated.

Working with students from NIU and other universities, Kolb excavated portions of the sites and gathered charcoal from beneath the basalt (cooled lava) foundations for dating.

“The Hawaiian civilization lacked ceramics, which is typically why radiocarbon dating is relied upon by scientists,” Kolb said. “Before a temple was built, the land would be set ablaze to clear it from vegetation, leaving behind charcoal remains. We also were able to gather samples for dating from the sites of ancient ovens and bonfires.”