Ha’amonga ‘a Maui
The Ha’amonga ‘a Maui has been scientifically interpreted as an early style sundial clock that recorded different seasonal changes. The Ha’amonga ‘a Maui fully acknowledges the sea position of Tongatapu and the exact observation of the morning sunrise on the shortest, midway and longest day. How our ancestors knew the science of the sun’s positional sunrise along the Tropic of Cancer, Equator and Capricorn remains a mystery.
The success of the Tongan Maritime Empire has been directly related to the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui. The trilithon enabled Tongan leaders to understand the astronomy of the sky, sun routes and was used as a seasonal calendar.