Centuries-old Hawaii petroglyphs damaged by vandals firing paintballs at cliff

A series of prized 300-year-old cliff drawings in Hawaii have been damaged by someone armed with a paintball gun, according to Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The culprit “fired shot after shot,” resulting in splatters across some of the 100-plus petroglyphs named Pu’u Kilea, carved into a basalt cliff in the Olowalu Valley, officials said in a release. The damage was found last week, officials said.

“I would guess several hundred paintballs were shot at this historical site,” Lt. John Yamamoto of Conservation and Resource Enforcement said in the release.

“White and yellow splotches of paint are spread across nearly the entire cliff face from the top to the base and from one side to the other. A great battle happened in this Ahupuaʻa and it’s hurtful to see this kind of disrespect for our culture.”

Investigators say the “attack” was likely random and they do not know how many people were involved. The suspects — if found — will face criminal and civil charges, officials said.

The Pu’u Kilea petroglyphs depict humans, animals, canoes and ship sails, historians say. The images date back more than 300 years and are “believed to represent legends or stories of the early Hawaiians.”

A video released by the state shows many of the paint splatters resemble droppings from an entire flock of birds, though some were much larger and resemble star bursts.

The damage comes at a time when Hawaii is struggling to protect its cultural and historical resources from vandals, thieves and people who are illegally camping for weeks at a time in state parks.

In January, vandals broke into a greenhouse operated by the state’s Plant Extinction and Protection Program and threw endangered native plants to the floor, according to a Facebook post.

A month later, investigators learned people visiting one of Kauai’s popular beaches were conducting illegal digs in spots known to host “subsurface cultural resources, including burials,” the state reported.

State officials say the violations are worsening because the Department of Land and Natural Resources is overwhelmed by growing visitation and bad behavior at parks and historic sites.

This story was originally published July 9, 2021 at 9:52 AM with the headline "Centuries-old Hawaii petroglyphs damaged by vandals firing paintballs at cliff."