More than 20 rare wooden statues dating back to the early 19th century have been discovered in a lava cave in North Kona, Hawaii. They are considered tiki, a deity worshipped by the native Hawaiians.
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Tiki Statues |
Construction workers accidentally punctured a lava cave while preparing to build a golf course. Lava caves are formed from hardened lava. Similar to limestone caves, some caves in Hawaii are located 15 meters below the surface.
Historian Herb Kane states that the statues, featuring various carvings, may have been hidden in the cave when this once-popular belief was outlawed in 1819.
At that time, Christian settlers had arrived on the island, and with the support of King Liholiho Kamehameha II and his regent stepmother, Christianity became the dominant faith, replacing the tiki worship. After the ban, stone temples were destroyed, and wooden idols were burned.
Tiki played a central role in ancient religious practices. Most statues depict human figures with bent legs. Tiki also refers to the name of the first man, according to Polynesian legend.
Currently, due to disputes with native Hawaiian groups over the rights to the discovered artifacts, the cave and the tiki statues are being sealed and closely monitored.
M.T. (according to Discovery)
