the first ancient hawaiians to arrive on hawaii island lived along the shores, where food and water were plentiful. settlement expanded inland to the mauna loa – mauna kea region in the 12th and early 13th centuries. archaeological evidence suggests that these regions were used for hunting, collecting stone material, and possibly for spiritual reasons or for astronomical or navigational observations. the mountain's plentiful forest provided plants and animals for food and raw materials for shelter. flightless birds that had previously known no predators became a staple food source.