SCIENCE & TECH: The Megalithic Gate of Ha-amonga a Maui

Scattered over 700,000 square kilometers (270, 271 sq mi) in the southern Pacific Ocean are the Tonga islands. On one of the 176 islands that make up Tonga, there stands one of the strangest megalithic monuments in the Pacific, a trilithon called Ha’amonga ‘a Maui (A carrying stick/burden of Maui).

Tonga’s First Settlers: Tracing the Lapita People’s Navigational Feat The kingdom of Tonga is a Polynesian sovereign state and archipelago comprising nearly two hundred islands with around a quarter of them inhabited. The date that the first occupation of the islands took place is ambiguous – as is the dating of most of the archaeological sites in the region. However, the mainstream opinion suggests the first settlers of the islands arrived in around 1500 BC with the oldest occupied site found on the island of Tongatapu, where the unusual megalithic monument exists. • Oldest City Found on a Pacific Island Was Constructed in 300 AD in Tonga • Kasivaki: An Ancient Tongan Game That Was More Than Underwater Rugby A map of Tonga (Public Domain) For a start, arriving at and inhabiting these isolated islands over three millennia ago was a big achievement for the Lapita people, the first ones that are believed to have inhabited the island. The Lapita people were a pre-historic culture predating the Polynesians who later populated the islands from Hawaii to Easter Island – clearly showing navigational skills. The ancient capital of Tonga was the city of Mu’a, the name of which may remind us of the lost continent of Mu (identified with Atlantis), which today is considered by conventional archaeology to be a mythological place. Reconstruction of the face of a Lapita woman at the National Museum of Ethnology Japan. (Yanajin33/CC BY-SA 3.0) Coral Giants: The Remarkable Engineering of Tonga’s Megalithic Marvel The Ha’amonga ‘a Maui is located about 30 km (18.64 mi) from Nuku-alofa, the capital city of Tongatapu. The structure is a megalithic trilithon that was said to have been built in about 1200 AD by the king of the time, probably as the entrance to his royal compound Heketa. According to a Tonga nobleman, the trilithon was built to symbolize the brotherhood of the sons of king TuÊ»itātui. A trilithon is a structure that consists of two vertical stones with a third stone supporting the top. Many would be familiar with the most famous trilithons that can be seen at Stonehenge in the United Kingdom. This specific one consists of three coral limestone slabs creating a structure of about 5.2 m (17.06 ft) high, 5.8 m (19.02 ft) long and 1.4 m (4.59ft) wide with each stone weighing approximately 30 to 40 tons. A side view of the Ha’amonga-A-Maui. (Tony Bowden/CC BY-SA 2.0) There are many legends about the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui. The most prominent story says that the trilithon was made by the Maui demigod(s) because no other mortals would be able to handle such giant stones. It was said that the Maui obtained the stones and carried them on a giant canoe. Maui were legendary demi-gods, and they are present in most of the folklore of the Pacific islands. There were four brothers all with the name Maui, powerful with supernatural powers. Hawaii, Tonga, Tahiti and New Zealand all have legends related to the Maui, the first inhabitants of all those islands. But one of the most interesting aspects of the descriptions of Maui demigods is their interest in humans and their efforts to seek immortality for the human race – a topic that we will discuss another time. The king of Tonga, Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, suggested in 1967 that the trilithon also had astronomical significance related to solstices and equinoxes. He explained that the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui holds significance in Tongan culture due to its connection to the sun, which plays a crucial role in daily life. Notches on the top lintel mark the longest day, the shortest day, and the equinox, when the sun is directly overhead. The archway precisely aligns with these solar points on the horizon, serving as a celestial marker. This alignment was vital for navigators, farmers, and others who relied on the sun’s movements to guide activities like planting, harvesting, and seafaring. Additionally, three visible pathways are thought to emphasize this solar alignment theory. However, there is no evidence to support this perspective. The Ha’amonga ‘a Mau’i Historic Park was submitted to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative Listing in 2007. There still remains doubt as to whether the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui was really built for a mortal king of the kingdom of the Tongas in 1200 AD, or whether it came much earlier. It certainly bears a strong resemblance to prehistoric trilithons around the world, suggesting it is much older than 800 years. If the latter is true, the questions remain – why was it built and by whom? Top image: Ha’amonga ‘a Maui monument. Source: Sarah Kelemen Garber/CC BY 2.0 By John Black Ha’amonga ‘a Maui Legends of Maui Lost City of Mu’a and Tonga’s Great Trilithon Trilithons” data-class=”LazyLoad” />

Tonga’s First Settlers: Tracing the Lapita People’s Navigational Feat

The kingdom of Tonga is a Polynesian sovereign state and archipelago comprising nearly two hundred islands with around a quarter of them inhabited. The date that the first occupation of the islands took place is ambiguous – as is the dating of most of the archaeological sites in the region. However, the mainstream opinion suggests the first settlers of the islands arrived in around 1500 BC with the oldest occupied site found on the island of Tongatapu, where the unusual megalithic monument exists.

A map of Tonga (Public Domain)

For a start, arriving at and inhabiting these isolated islands over three millennia ago was a big achievement for the Lapita people, the first ones that are believed to have inhabited the island. The Lapita people were a pre-historic culture predating the Polynesians who later populated the islands from Hawaii to Easter Island – clearly showing navigational skills.  The ancient capital of Tonga was the city of Mu’a, the name of which may remind us of the lost continent of Mu (identified with Atlantis), which today is considered by conventional archaeology to be a mythological place.

Reconstruction of the face of a Lapita woman at the National Museum of Ethnology Japan. (Yanajin33/CC BY-SA 3.0)

Coral Giants: The Remarkable Engineering of Tonga’s Megalithic Marvel

The Ha’amonga ‘a Maui is located about 30 km (18.64 mi) from Nuku-alofa, the capital city of Tongatapu.  The structure is a megalithic trilithon that was said to have been built in about 1200 AD by the king of the time, probably as the entrance to his royal compound Heketa. According to a Tonga nobleman, the trilithon was built to symbolize the brotherhood of the sons of king Tuʻitātui.

A trilithon is a structure that consists of two vertical stones with a third stone supporting the top. Many would be familiar with the most famous trilithons that can be seen at Stonehenge in the United Kingdom. This specific one consists of three coral limestone slabs creating a structure of about 5.2 m (17.06 ft) high, 5.8 m (19.02 ft) long and 1.4 m (4.59ft) wide with each stone weighing approximately 30 to 40 tons.

A side view of the Ha’amonga-A-Maui. (Tony Bowden/CC BY-SA 2.0)

There are many legends about the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui. The most prominent story says that the trilithon was made by the Maui demigod(s) because no other mortals would be able to handle such giant stones. It was said that the Maui obtained the stones and carried them on a giant canoe. Maui were legendary demi-gods, and they are present in most of the folklore of the Pacific islands. There were four brothers all with the name Maui, powerful with supernatural powers. Hawaii, Tonga, Tahiti and New Zealand all have legends related to the Maui, the first inhabitants of all those islands. But one of the most interesting aspects of the descriptions of Maui demigods is their interest in humans and their efforts to seek immortality for the human race – a topic that we will discuss another time.

The king of Tonga, Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, suggested in 1967 that the trilithon also had astronomical significance related to solstices and equinoxes. He explained that the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui holds significance in Tongan culture due to its connection to the sun, which plays a crucial role in daily life. Notches on the top lintel mark the longest day, the shortest day, and the equinox, when the sun is directly overhead. The archway precisely aligns with these solar points on the horizon, serving as a celestial marker. This alignment was vital for navigators, farmers, and others who relied on the sun’s movements to guide activities like planting, harvesting, and seafaring. Additionally, three visible pathways are thought to emphasize this solar alignment theory. However, there is no evidence to support this perspective.

The Ha’amonga ‘a Mau’i Historic Park was submitted to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative Listing in 2007.

There still remains doubt as to whether the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui was really built for a mortal king of the kingdom of the Tongas in 1200 AD, or whether it came much earlier.  It certainly bears a strong resemblance to prehistoric trilithons around the world, suggesting it is much older than 800 years.  If the latter is true, the questions remain – why was it built and by whom? 

Top image: Ha’amonga ‘a Maui monument.  Source: Sarah Kelemen Garber/CC BY 2.0

By John Black

This article was first published in 2014 and was updated Nov 2024 by an Ancient Origins editor.