|
Although "crowded" seldom comes to
mind in describing the islands of Tahiti,
the word perfectly describes the density of Huahine's
historical sites. In fact, the famous archaeological
site near the village of Maeva has the largest
concentration of pre-European marae in Polynesia.
Maeva
at Lac Maeva, Huahine |
|
Maeva
at Lac Maeva, Huahine |
Now, almost fully restored, 200 archeological stone structures have survived centuries of natural destruction. These structures lie within yards of one another along the shore of Lake Fauna Nui and on the sacred and scenic Matairea Hill and include marae of island chieftains, dwellings, horticultural developments, and religious and ceremonial monuments.
Here,
overlooking the ancient stone fish traps and the
ocean beyond, visitors follow a footpath among royal
marae and immense fortification walls as well as
stone foundations for homes of island chiefs and
priests.
Other important historic finds have shown that
Huahine has the oldest recorded date of human
occupation among the Society Islands. Discoveries
at the recently uncovered sites date from A.D.
850 to 1200 and include ancient workshops for
the construction of canoes and assembly
of fish hooks.
These legends of Huahine
can come to life with one of the famous local expert guides
who will share ancient tales and stories
about their unique island life.
|
