Bones found in Kailua-Kona park

KAILUA-KONA — A cultural impact assessment for the Kailua Park master plan from 2010 indicated that ancient, undiscovered burial sites likely still existed in multiple areas within Old Kona Airport Park.

On Wednesday, the assessment was proven correct yet again.

Deborah Ward, spokesperson for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, confirmed via email Thursday that the department received a report of iwi, or bones, that were unearthed in the park.

A Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officer and a state park archaeologist responded to the notification Wednesday and found it accurate.

“Numerous iwi have eroded there over the years,” Ward wrote. “They appear to have been exposed by the recent king tides. With authorization from State Historic Preservation Division, (the responders) gathered the remains found on the surface and placed them in the care of a caretaker ohana. The remains will eventually be repatriated to a location approved and secured by the SHPD island burial specialist.”

This is the first iwi discovery in the park since last July, when an unnamed man reported coming across unearthed skeletal remains on the shoreline.

In that case, the man reported the find to police who handed it off to the DLNR. Hawaii Police Department Maj. Robert Wagner said police typically try to determine how long the remains have been there.

“If it is old, we pretty much leave it there,” he wrote in an email Thursday. “Of course if it is new, we treat it accordingly. Usually stuff like teeth fillings clue us in in regards to how long remains have been at a location.”

Wagner said he hadn’t heard about police involvement with the newest find at Old Kona Airport Park, but based on DLNR findings the remains proved to be iwi, at which point police hand over proceedings to other state agencies.

Email Max Dible at mdible@westhawaiitoday.com.