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It's a bit complicated; there are sacred sites all around the summit, but nothing on the summit, itself. The claim is that the summit was so sacred that they di
by goodcanadian 7y ago
It's a bit complicated; there are sacred sites all around the summit, but nothing on the summit, itself. The claim is that the summit was so sacred that they didn't even build temples there. My, admittedly cynical, take is that there is nothing on the summit because it is cold and barren and there isn't enough air to breathe. However, it is clear that Mauna Kea, in general, was an important place in Hawaiian religion and spirituality.
- PopePompus 7y agoAncient Hawaiians also constructed the largest primitive rock quarry in the world near the summit of Mauna Kea (https://www.nps.gov/places/mauna-kea-adz-quarry.htm https://www.nps.gov/places/mauna-kea-adz-quarry.htm), to mine dense rock for stone tools. So it's hard to believe that pre-contact Native Hawaiians believed that the summit of Mauna Kea was too sacred to build near (the TMT would be further below the summit than most of the existing telescopes [only the VLBA antenna would be lower]).
- roboys 7y agoWhat percentage of a total community has to believe something is sacred before it is accepted as so? The idea of going with what the majority thinks falls apart in this context.