Called Pūowaina in Hawaiian, the volcano erupted some 75,000 to 100,000 years ago. Pūowaina (which can be translated as “Hill of Sacrifice”) has deep religious significance for the Hawaiian people. Long before Europeans arrived, it was a place where people who had committed certain crimes or “kapu” were put to death. The lava formed an oval, bowl-shaped crater, alluding to the English name, "punchbowl". Today, the site is commonly referred to as … [Read more...] about Oʻahu: Pūowaina aka “Punchbowl” (National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific)