A discovery of markings and ash inside a cave on Hawaiʻi Island has archeologists scratching their heads. Back in 2014, scientist Tim Scheffler ventured into a Pāhoa area cave on an emergency mission: the eruption of Kīlauea threatened to destroy the cave before it had been fully explored.
As lava flows from Kīlauea’s eruption were cooling abovehead, Scheffler found a large abstract design of parallel and intersecting lines on the cave floor. They appeared to be made from plant roots and slabs of rock.
For nearly 12 years, Scheffler has researched what this finding could mean, looking into comparisons with petroglyphs on Kahoʻolawe and Micronesian stick charts (maps of the sea created by Pacific voyagers).
Scheffler spoke with The Conversation about the rare find, starting with describing what he terms the “pictogram” in the cave. Read his recently published research here.
This story aired on The Conversation on Oct. 10, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
