Ahu A ʻUmi Heiau

Ahu A ʻUmi Heiau is a historic archaeological site high on Hawaiʻi Island between Mauna Loa and Hualālai, built for the ruler ʻUmi-a-Liloa in the early 16th century after he moved the seat of government from Waipiʻo Valley. Unusual among Hawaiian heiau for its inland, high-elevation setting, it became part of a political center in Kona that endured for centuries and is also tied to later chiefly traditions. The enclosure was ringed by substantial stone cairns, and research suggests it may have included an astronomical direction register. Though partly damaged when incorporated into a 19th-century corral, it remains an important reminder of Hawaiʻi Island’s ceremonial and political landscape in ʻUmi’s time.

Honalo, Hawaii · United States