The exact population of the Hawaiian Islands at the time of Captain James Cook's arrival is not known; however, the large range of estimates from 100,000 to 1,000,000 illustrate the controversial nature of the topic and disagreement over the best methods for calculating it.
For the purposes of this article, "ancient" Hawaii is defined as the period beginning with the first arrival of human settlers, around AD 1100, and ending with their initial contact with the first Western visitors.
[3] The theory of constant population growth in Hawaii has scant support from the archaeological data and is contradicted by paleo-environmental evidence and radiocarbon dating of historical sites.
As population grew, so did its environmental imprint, including forest clearing by burning, building of heiau at agricultural sites, and the decline of indigenous plants.
It is believed relying on the archaeological data and oral traditions, that the social organizations evolved after the initial settlement as the population increased.