Settlement Pattern Change in Hawai'i: Testing a Model for the Cultural Response to Population Collapse

Abstract

The population collapse in the Hawaiian islands after European contact is discussed in relation to aspects of change and continuity identified between settlement patterns of the prehistoric and historic periods for two traditional territorial units on the islands of O'ahu and Hawai'i. In addition to a decline in the absolute number of residential complexes occupied during the historic period, most features occupied after European contact contain more components, resulting in an increase in horizontal space associated with each residential complex. KEYWORDS: Hawaiian settlement patterns, Historic architectural change, Historic demographic collapse.