Unearthing the Polynesian Past

Patrick Vinton Kirch – U California, Berkeley

May 2, 2016, 7:00-8:30 P.M. Unearthing the Polynesian Past.

Perhaps no scholar has done more to reveal the ancient history of Polynesia than noted kama‘aina archaeologist Patrick Vinton Kirch.  For close to fifty years he has explored the Pacific, as his research took him to more than two dozen islands spanning the ocean, from Mussau to Hawai‘i to Easter Island.  In Hawai‘i Kirch has traced our Islands’ history in the Anahulu Valley and across the ancient district of Kahikinui, Maui.  His joint research with ecologists, soil scientists, and paleontologists has helped bring to light how Polynesians adapted to—and frequently transformed—their island ecosystems.  His recently published memoir, Unearthing the Polynesian Past, tells the stories of his many expeditions among the islands and peoples of the Pacific, free of academic jargon, in a narrative that conveys the sheer adventure of these experiences (along with the setbacks and discomforts).

This evening Dr. Kirch shares some of these tales with us, reflecting on how the questions we ask about the past have changed over the decades, how archaeological methods have advanced, and how our knowledge of the Polynesian past has greatly expanded.  Copies of this comprehensive yet remarkably readable book will be available for purchase, and Dr. Kirch will be pleased to inscribe them.

Free to Lyman Museum members; $3 nonmembers.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for evening public programs.  Limited seating; first come, first seated.   Additional parking next door at Hilo Union School. (Click here to see map of additional parking)