Ancient stone carvings uncovered on Hawaiian beach
The 600-year-old petroglyphs, depicting humans and abstract forms, are usually obscured by sand and have not been seen in their entirety since they were first discovered in 2016.
Six-hundred-year-old stone carvings have been revealed on a beach on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The petroglyphs were found just outside Waianae and represent people and abstract symbols carved into the rock by ancient Hawaiians.
The Art Newspaper
August 8, 2025
© Nathan Wilkes, courtesy US Army
Although the petroglyphs had already been discovered in 2016, the symbols are usually hidden by sand and will only stay uncovered for a short time.
“Seasonal changes in tide and wave energy have shifted the sands along the beach and fully exposed these petroglyphs,” Dave Crowley, manager of US Army Garrison Hawaii’s Cultural Resources Management Program (CRMP), said in a statement. “This is the first time since 2016 that the entire panel has been visible.”
Of the 26 carvings, 18 appear to represent humans etched as stick figures, while others take more abstract forms. The carvings range in size between 15cm and more than 2m. They are spread across a 35m-long sandstone panel stretching along the beach at Pililaau Army Recreation Center.
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