Celebration as a source of power in archaic states: archaeological and historical evidence for the Makahiki festival in the Hawaiian Islands

Large celebrations in ancient societies, when viewed through the lens of political economy theory, were opportunities for economic redistribution, elite rivalry and social integration. Metrics to evaluate celebratory behaviour – such as festive gatherings, offerings at temples and shrines, games and memorials – remain underdeveloped. Here the author examines the archaeological and historical evidence for the Makahiki festival in the Hawaiian Islands. He takes a direct historical approach combining independent datasets to classify settings of celebrations and evaluate claims that the Makahiki festival originated, and was most elaborate, on Hawai’i Island, as well as that the festival was practised differently across the archipelago. The author finds that the relevant data collected over more than a century of archaeology are not sufficient to support these claims and that the distribution of tracks for the sledding sport (<i>hōlua</i>) might be a fruitful avenue for future research, especially when investigating elite rivalry. More speculatively, the author argues that it is possible to decipher choices in architectural design and location at royal centres that speak to attempts by the elite to artificially increase the density of crowds at low turn-out events while at the same time leaving enough room to accommodate high turn-out events.