Shifting Sands Reveal Ancient Hawaiian Petroglyphs

Archaeology Magazine ^ | July 29, 2025 | editors / unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

AP News reports that ocean swells and shifting coastal sands exposed ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs on a beach in Oahu. The carvings were first seen almost a decade ago near a U.S. Army base in Waianae, an hour outside Honolulu, but were quickly swallowed back up again by the sand. Although sections of the artwork have occasionally become visible, said U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii archaeologist Laura Gilda, this is the first time the entire panel has been exposed. The scene consists of 26 petroglyphs -- 18 of which depict anthropomorphic stick figures -- carved across a 115-foot stretch of sandstone. Experts believe that they appear to tell a ceremonial story, and that the largest figure, which is shown with one arm raised and the other lowered, may represent the rising and setting sun. The petroglyphs may have been created 600 years ago, just a few centuries after the first Hawaiians likely arrived from Polynesia. To read about the previous period in July 2016 during which some of these petroglyphs were visible, go to "Shifting Sands."

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TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: abrahamfornander; ancientnavigation; epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; hawaii; petroglyphs; polynesia

[SunkenCiv]

Detail of petroglyphs carved into sandstone at U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii's Pililaau Army Recreation Center, Waianae, Hawaii

Nathan Wilkes

[SunkenCiv]

[thinden]

P

[yesthatjallen]

"Early Hawaiian petroglyphs on a beach are visible again with changing tides and shifting sands"

Or the sea level is dropping.

[Free Deplorable]

But this is impossible. All I heard over the last 15 years is how much the ocean levels have been rising at a dangerous rate.

[Beowulf9]

Really interesting stuff.

Early natural Hawaii must’ve been gorgeous.wish we knew more.

[rktman]

Unpossible. Climate change rising sea levels so............ 😂👍

[SunkenCiv]

The rest of the petroglyphs keyword, sorted:

• Ancient human faces emerge in the Amazon after 2,000 years: Extreme drought unveils previously unknown petroglyphs on the Manaus Riverbed [10/24/2023]
• New dating of cave art reveals history of Puerto Rican people [10/22/2023]
• Mysterious and Life-size camel carvings have been found in Saudi Arabian desert [10/19/2023]
• 2,700-year-old petroglyphs depicting people, ships and animals discovered in Sweden [06/09/2023]
• Moluccan Boats From Indonesia Identified in Australian Rock Art [06/03/2023]
• Nazca Desert Mystery [11/27/2022]
• Peru: Cave art found on Inca Trail crossing Archaeological Park of Machu Picchu [09/21/2022]
• Maharashtra: Ancient stone age tools found in India cave [09/21/2022]
• The Lost Ship in the Desert: Sonora Desert [07/12/2022]
• Does This Amazon Rock Art Depict Extinct Ice Age Mammals? [03/07/2022]
• 9,000-year-old ritual complex found in Jordan desert [02/23/2022]
• The mysterious symbols found carved in Qatar's deserts [11/29/2021]
• Prehistoric art hints at lost Indian civilisation [10/01/2018]
• Shuwaymis (oldest leashed dog carvings) (Seems to be origin of large number of new articles) [11/19/2017]
• Did China discover AMERICA? Ancient Chinese script carved into rocks may prove Asians lived in New W [07/09/2015]
• Hallucinogenic Plants May Be Key to Decoding Ancient Southwestern Paintings, Expert Says [11/16/2014]
• The Mystery of Stonehenge, Ancient Petroglyphs and Crop Circles [03/11/2014]
• New geoglyphs of the Jordanian Harrat [05/15/2013]
• Remarkable Russian Petroglyphs [03/22/2012]
• Did Stone Age cavemen talk to each other in symbols? [03/12/2012]
• Oldest rock art in Egypt discovered [11/17/2011]
• Magnificence on Cave Walls [01/25/2010]
• Petroglyphs in Southeast Alaska [11/09/2009]
• Ancient rock art discovered in the Scottish Highlands [08/17/2009]
• Spanish Archaeologists Find Oldest Evidence of Man in Paraguay [ 5,000 years ] [03/02/2009]
• Prehistoric cave paintings took up to 20,000 years to complete [10/04/2008]
• "Cracking the Maya Code" [04/05/2008]
• Ancient Petroglyphs Lie Amidst Suburban Sprawl [12/25/2007]
• Eagle Mountain: Ancient rock art found at building site [ 6K BP petroglyphs ] [09/17/2006]
• Archaeologists, courts debate artifacts' value [ Theft of petroglyphs raises questions... ] [06/19/2006]
• Forgotten petroglyphs in Baltimore park to be studied, displayed [ Susquehanna Valley petroglyphs ] [06/05/2006]
• Most cave art the work of teens, not shamans - A landmark study of Paleolithic art [02/15/2006]
• Big ancient Scythian drawings found in Altai Mountains (Russia) [09/26/2005]

[marktwain]

The 2016 story said they were created “more than 400 years ago”.

The 2025 story says they “may have been created 600 years ago”. Interesting change in timing in the two stories.

Europeans found the islands about 247 years ago.

[SunkenCiv]

Scientific dating may not be possible due to NAGPRA or some local BS.

[frank ballenger]

1960s vinyl LP. The sight of women shifting gently left to right, left to right created a hypnotic effect on males.

https://www.google.com/search?q=images+hawaii+in+Stereo+by+Leo+Addeo&sca_esv=0b20df6c4f725740&udm=2&biw=1052&bih=506&ei=5iKQaMbFCMarptQP9tn

[mabarker1]

The water level is the same.

The Glyphs are done on Floatation Foam.

[SunkenCiv]

Abraham Fornander

Google

[gundog]

Early natural Hawaii must’ve been gorgeous.

If you like bare lava flows....

[Beowulf9]

No flora and fauna?

[21twelve]

“Experts believe that they appear to tell a ceremonial story, and that the largest figure, which is shown with one arm raised and the other lowered, may represent the rising and setting sun.”

I follow some guy on youtube that explores the American SW and he comes across similar figures and other symbols. He’s no expert, but he says the “experts” tell him they can only guess at what the various symbols mean.

The animals are pretty obvious, but does a wavy line mean a snake or something else. The various shapes for the people vary as well with hands in different positions, etc. but they don’t understand their meanings.

He did find some images depicting 6 digits on each hand. That IS a genetic thing, and is still exhibited by natives in the region. Along with other findings I think those individuals had a higher status.

[Red Badger]

Hamalakwanamomowmeilani was here.......................

[Red Badger]

Well, maybe not THAT early!................

[gundog]

There’s some dispute as to when the Polynesians settled the islands, but they brought a lot of plants and animals when they did. Up until then, it would have been seabirds, and whatever the currents brought. I know a guy that went to Hawaii in the ‘80s. He said the Big Island...the youngest of the islands...was like a desert.

[dljordan]

“Early natural Hawaii must’ve been gorgeous.wish we knew more.”

You like cannibals?