HILO, Hawaii —- A portion of a North Kona archaeological site apparently has been bulldozed, possibly destroying a suspected heiau, agricultural terraces and other features on a site where ancient Hawaiians were living about 1,000 years ago, according to two archaeologists familiar with the incident.

Thomas Dye, president of the Society for Hawaiian Archaeology, said the damage to the five-acre Pua'a 2 Agricultural Fields Archaeological District site is a particular concern since it is on the National Register of Historic Places, something only reserved for the best sites...

Paul Rosendahl, a consulting archeologist whose firm surveyed the property on behalf of the owners in 2005, said he has concluded based on records and the field report from his staff that the site was destroyed sometime between 1985 and 2005.

The property is owned by Arianna Farms 'Ono Kona Coffee...[which he said is] "entirely blameless" because the State Historic Preservation approved grading and grubbing permits as well as other permits necessary to do the work, despite records showing an archaeological site on the property.