NZAA Conference 2015
Waitangi, Bay of Islands
17-20 June
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Abstracts – Papers
Alexander, Lindsay
Whaleship arrivals at the north-east ports of New
Zealand
From the 1820s to the 1880s whaleships brought
social, cultural and economic change to the Far North
of New Zealand. My research has shown that more
whaleships arrived at the ports on the north-east coast
of New Zealand, primarily the Bay of Islands and
Mangonui, than previously recognised. Indeed more
arrived after 1840 than before 1840.
Even as whaling declined, with much reduced ship
numbers in the 1880s, whaleships and their crews
were still part of the economic and social functioning of
the communities of Russell and Mangonui. Though
small these towns were cosmopolitan ports. Whalemen
gave them a sense of unique identity that still
resonates today.
The revival in the fortunes of both Mangonui and
Russell during the late 1840s and 1850s came largely
from the Arctic whaling fleet. Arctic whaling by
necessity was highly seasonal. By September the
ships had to leave the Arctic whale grounds and, after
replenishing at Hawaii, dispersed to the whaling
grounds around the tropical Pacific. Some sailed
across the equator to whale in the Southern
Hemisphere during the southern summer. Many of the
ships that sailed south to the south-west Pacific called
at one of the north-east ports of New Zealand.
With the significantly increased numbers that have now
been recorded the impact of international whaleships
on the small, isolated and often insular societies of the
Far North, on the New Zealand whaling grounds, and
indeed on the south-west Pacific, needs to be
reassessed.
Bennett, Kurt
Flinders University
Rich Pickings: Abandoned vessel material reuse
on Rangitoto Island, New Zealand
Using Rangitoto Island as a case study, this paper
addresses to what extent archaeological signatures
inform the adaptive reuse of discarded watercraft
material in local communities. A review of
archaeological, archival and oral history data is
undertaken to achieve several aims. These include
determining the material available for salvage at the
time of abandonment, what cultural site formation
processes are visible at the individual vessel sites
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located in the ships graveyard at Boulder Bay and
locating and recording the reuse of abandoned ship
material in Rangitoto’s three bach communities;
Beacon End, Rangitoto Wharf and Islington Bay.
Finally, community behaviours towards abandoned
vessels are identified and discussed and this
information is used to update post-depositional site
formation processes of abandoned vessels.
This research is archaeologically significant as it
contributes to the theme of discarded watercraft reuse,
an understudied area which has the potential to reveal
meaningful interpretations about human behaviour.
Furthermore, it is significant as the behaviours and
attitudes of a disappearing community with a strong
community identity and a history of reusing material
are recorded.
Booth, John
Bay of Islands: Skipping (ever-so lightly) over five
centuries of prehistoric occupation
A dated midden points to the Bay of Islands having
had already received its first settlers by the early 14th
century; possibly five further sites relate to the Early
Period (pre-1450). A similar number of sites date to the
Middle Period. The changes in midden contents over
time fitted well with what Ian Smith found for the
greater Hauraki Gulf: a wide variety of fish and
shellfish, and the consumption of marine mammals
and moa, in the early times; reducing to a narrow
range of mainly estuarine shellfish (particularly
cockles) by the Late Period (1650-1800). Such is the
account contained within the 800+ middens/sites of
occupation for the Bay of Islands.
Based on what the archaeology tells us (also what it’s
silent over), and in a flagrantly light-weight fashion, I
will do my best to imbue in you my sense of curiosity
and excitement about these sites, and the manner in
which they have become blended within the
subsequent historical narrative. I will, almost certainly,
make possibly-outrageous conclusions that will leave
you in no doubt that I have no real expertise in this
area whatsoever, and should have stuck with lobsters.
Campbell, Matthew
CFG Heritage Ltd
Body part representation in New Zealand fishbone
assemblages
The conventional method of archaeological fishbone
analysis employed in New Zealand for the last 30
years has been to identify five major mouthparts –
dentary, articular, quadrate, maxilla, premaxilla – to the
lowest possible taxonomic level. This method has the
advantage of being relatively fast and easily learnt, and
provides robust cross-assemblage and cross-site
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comparisons. Recent analyses have extended this
method to include further sub-cranial and cranial
elements as well as vertebrae. Few assemblages have
been analysed using this method to date. This paper
looks at the analysis of two of them: Parton Road
(U14/2876) at Papamoa, Bay of Plenty; and Urquharts
Bay (Q07/751) on the Whangarei Harbour, Northland.
The results how that more species can be found
across more contexts using an extended method, and
that comparisons of cranial and vertebral counts
demonstrate unexpected variation in the treatment of
body parts.
Carpenter, Jonathan
Australian National University
Ruapekapeka fieldwork
Reporting on the results of further fieldwork at
Ruapekapeka
Carter, Matthew
LaTrobe University
Maritime cultural landscapes of the ‘middle
ground’: the development of the Pākehā
shipbuilding industry in pre-colonial New Zealand
(1792-1840)
Between 1792 and 1840 at least 22 sailing ships were
built in 11 different shipbuilding yards around New
Zealand. These shipbuilding enterprises often involved
considerable interaction between Pākehā and Māori
and were the locale for the manufacture of the largest
and most complex artefact of the period: sailing ships.
This industry is the subject of a recently commenced
Ph.D. thesis aimed at exploring the motives, strategies
and products of Pākehā and Māori entanglement
during this significant period in New Zealand’s history,
which, along with the proposed methodology, will be
the subject of this presentation.
Cawte, Hayden, Matthew
Schmidt, Sheryl Cawte and Dawn
Cropper
New Zealand Heritage Properties
and Heritage New Zealand
The positive outcomes of global archaeological
authorities in the identification, protection, and
management of heritage and archaeological sites.
Perspectives from one region.
While the use of global archaeological authorities are
not yet pervasive throughout the CRM discipline, they
have been implemented with positive effect in a
number of occasions. Their use allows for active
rather than reactive engagement with all stakeholders
providing greater protection and management of
heritage
and
archaeological
sites.
In this paper, we present case studies in how they
have been utilized, the types of sites encountered, and
the contribution they have made to projects within the
Southern region.
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Dawson, Laura and Chris Mallows
Auckland Council
Filming protocols on historic heritage sites and the
role of the supervisory archaeologist
One of the many functions of the Auckland Council
Heritage Unit is the management of Significant Historic
Heritage places on public land. The Auckland Plan
commits Council to active stewardship of these
heritage assets and to leading by example in good
practise ownership and management. As a part of this
commitment, the Heritage Unit provides input on
events and filming requests throughout the region,
particularly those which intersect with Historic Heritage
places.
Filming requests, usually facilitated through Council
CCO Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic
Development (ATEED) are becoming more prevalent
as international filming in New Zealand is increasing. In
response to the greater interest and demand on these
vulnerable sites, the Heritage Unit is implementing a
program of site-specific protocols. These dictate the
needs of each site, and sometimes areas within sites,
that require greater supervision and input, as well as
identify areas and activities that are excluded
completely. The role of the archaeologist, particularly
with reference to supervising the filming process, is a
significant aspect of these protocols. The main
considerations include active assessment of site risk
and stability, filming gear weight and placement, and
the recording/reporting process.
We will discuss site examples where our
recommendations have been taken on board.
Edwards, Bill
Heritage New Zealand
Gazettal of the SS Ventnor
The SS Ventnor sunk in 1902 approximately 15 km
south west of the mouth of the Hokianga Harbour. The
ship had been chartered to carry the remains of 499
Chinese who had died in New Zealand, for reburial in
their homeland. Thirteen crew and passengers also
lost their lives in the sinking. In April 2014 the site was
declared an archaeological site under section 9 of the
Historic Places Act 1993. This presentation discusses
some of the historical information associated with the
shipwreck, discussion on the catalyst and the process
of the gazettal; importantly how support of the process
was facilitated by Iwi and the New Zealand Chinese
community.
Farminer, Andrea
Jackie Gillies + Associates
Heritage professional practice in Aotearoa/New
Zealand - a discussion
Heritage in New Zealand is currently a growth market
stimulated in part by continuing urban and rural
development and by more recent unique events such
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as the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake. With
the 60th anniversary of the NZAA last year and current
changes to heritage legislation, organisation and
guidance, is it time to review our professional practice
in New Zealand as heritage 'professionals'? This paper
briefly explores what heritage professional practice
may mean in a specifically New Zealand context and
examines some of the issues it is facing with changes
in the regulatory frameworks for heritage. It also
glances outside of NZ to understand how other
countries address their professional practice needs.
Ultimately the paper seeks to raise the question: is it
time to (re)start an open discussion on the need for,
and desirability of an organisation to help both regulate
and represent professional heritage practice in New
Zealand?
Fowler, Maddy
Flinders University
Missions and maritime: Australian results and New
Zealand potential
Religious and government missions and reserves
located on coastlines are an archaeological landscape
found in many places around the world, in particular
colonised countries such as Australia and New
Zealand. Maritime archaeological studies have
neglected Indigenous missions as potential sites and,
similarly, archaeological research at missions has
largely ignored maritime aspects. Indigenous peoples
living on missions built, owned, operated and
maintained both traditional watercraft and Westernstyle boats. The purpose of working vessels included
cultural obligations, transport, trade and fishing for
subsistence and sale. Importantly, missions used
colonial maritime networks for importing supplies,
exporting products, transporting stock and people
internally, as well as relying on marine resources for
subsistence.
This paper presents results of research based upon an
oral history, archaeological and archival case study of
the maritime activities at Point Pearce Aboriginal
Mission/Burgiyana in South Australia—the traditional
land of the Narungga people. Point Pearce was
established in 1868 and has been self-managed by the
community since 1966, forming the historical time
period for this study, however the research also draws
on pre-contact knowledges. This case study was used
to assess whether the maritime cultural landscape
framework, a Western concept developed in the
maritime archaeology sub-discipline, is applicable to
Indigenous missions.
The maritime history of colonised countries reflects the
European narrative, celebrating pioneer settlement and
reaffirming the dominant culture. National biases have
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been influential in maritime archaeology, where studies
have favoured the tradition of maritime historical
exploration, particularly shipwrecks—a legacy of
colonialism. The results of research at Point
Pearce/Burgiyana found that care must be taken when
applying maritime archaeological theories and
associated attitudes to Indigenous archaeology (‘with,
for and by’ Indigenous people). However, the
application of a Western framework did contribute
towards the decolonisation of maritime archaeology by
accommodating the beliefs, knowledges and lived
experiences of Indigenous people.
Maritime archaeology is significantly underdeveloped
within New Zealand. It therefore does not suffer from
nationalistic biases in research agendas to the same
extent as Australia. There is huge potential to develop
a maritime archaeology program in New Zealand
which is culturally unbiased and integrates Indigenous
and maritime archaeology from the outset. Research
focused on cross-cultural engagements in the maritime
sphere of coastal missions in New Zealand could
employ similar conceptual underpinnings and
community-based research as that undertaken at Point
Pearce/Burgiyana.
Furey, Louise, Alex Jorgensen,
Rebecca Phillipps, Simon
Holdaway, Rod Wallace, and Josh
Emmitt
Auckland Museum and University
of Auckland
Early settlement on Ahuahu Great Mercury Island
Garland, Jessie
Underground Overground
Archaeology
The politics of smoking: pipes, Oddfellows and
radicalism at 154 Armagh Street
We report on recent field work on Ahuahu Great
Mercury Island. The Ahuahu Great Mercury Island
Project is a partnership between the University of
Auckland and the Auckland Museum in collaboration
with Ngati Hei and the Fay and Richwhite families.
Recent discoveries in the central part of the island
shed light on the earliest occupations found on the
island to date. The use of geophysical survey
techniques revealed a hidden landscape, unaffected
by agricultural development. Preliminary results
provide an insight into the nature of early human
environment interrelationships, including settlement
and subsistence. We are also able to examine the
ongoing complexities related to formation of the
archaeological record and the role it plays in data
acquisition and interpretation.
During the 19th century, Christchurch became wellknown as a hot bed of ‘radical’ politics, contributing to
the emergence of the trade union, labour and women’s
rights movements in New Zealand. There has been
little direct evidence of this political inclination in the
archaeological record: not necessarily surprising, given
the general homogeneity of 19th century material
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culture and the somewhat intangible nature of political
ideology.
Recently, however, excavations on a central
Christchurch site uncovered a clay pipe assemblage
with associations to international political figures and
the ideals they represented. Further investigations of
the site, which contained a large artefact assemblage
dating to the 1870s and 1880s, unearthed connections
between the occupants of the section and the social
and political movements of 19th century Christchurch.
This paper explores those connections and the use of
material culture to reinforce or transmit political ideas.
Harsveldt, Patrick
Opus International Consultants
Standing Building Record of Hollyfort House
Dorie, Canterbury
During 2013-14 archaeologists from Opus International
Consultants Ltd monitored the demolition and
foundation removal of a pre-1900 farm house on
Mainwarings Rd, Dorie, Canterbury.
This paper
presents findings of the standing building record and
demolition monitoring of Hollyfort House which was
recorded as archaeological site L37/20.
Hollyfort House was associated with one of the early
settler families in the Dorie district. The farm dwelling
was part of Hollyfort Estate that was established in the
1880s by Henry James Harrison, a successful
agricultural and pastoral farmer in the area. The
Harrison family originally constructed an L-shaped hip
roof cottage in the late 1880s and gradually extended it
to accommodate their growing family.
The demolition of Hollyfort House at Dorie provided an
insight into a little-known style of rural building in
Canterbury. The building indicated at least six phases
of construction over time, at least three of these are
believed to have occurred in the 19th century. This
was evidenced from the building extensions carried out
over time with different construction methods and
materials used.
Heath, Helen
University of Otago
A ceramic analysis identifying social change in the
Late Iron Age at Non Ban Jak, Northeast Thailand
Excavations at the Late Iron Age site of Non Ban Jak
(NBJ) have revealed a new dimension to the research
of Northeast Thailand prehistory leading to the rise of
the civilization of Angkor. While previous excavations
in Northeast Thailand have uncovered an abundance
of mortuary contexts, excavations at NBJ have
revealed for the first time residential quarters and
ceramic kilns. This research intends to 1) identify
social inequality through the distribution of ceramics in
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mortuary and residential contexts, and 2) investigate
the nature of pottery production at the site. Data will be
gather through a form plus fabric analysis involving xray fluorescence to assess ceramic standardisation
through and across the site. This research gives us a
glimpse not only into social inequality between the elite
and non-elite but also the nature of Iron Age pottery
production at a local manufacturing site, in turn
investigating the nature of social organisation and
change in Non Ban Jak as a precursor community
leading to state formation.
Horrocks, Mark
Microfossil Research Ltd
Plant microfossils in Pacific archaeology:
Combined pollen, phytoliths and starch analyses
provide optimal evidence for environments and
agriculture
This paper outlines a combined micro-botanical
approach for archaeologists wishing to provide optimal
environmental and agricultural lines of evidence for
their excavations. For around the same cost as a
standard radiocarbon date, three separate analyses pollen, phytoliths and starch grains - can be carried out
on a soil or sediment sample, from a wet or dry
environment. Because different types of plants have
different production and preservation of their various
tissues, this combined approach provides great
diversity of plant species identification. For example,
some species, such as taro, often produce little or no
pollen but produce abundant starch which can be
preserved in soils. Plant microfossils can provide
valuable information about the nature and timing of
past environments, including forest clearance by early
people and specific horticultural activity. This approach
has identified the following Maori-introduced cultigens
at New Zealand archaeological sites: kumara, taro,
paper mulberry, ti, bottle gourd and yam.
Indigenous subsistence plants, such as bracken, puha,
rengarenga and poniu, have also been identified, as
have early European-introduced crops including maize
and potato. The cultigens and additional subsistence
crops, such as banana, coconut, candlenut, Indian
mulberry and Polynesian arrowroot, have been
identified at many archaeological sites in a wide
geographic range across the Pacific region. These
sites include New Guinea, the Marianas, the Marshall
Islands, Kiribati, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga,
Samoa, the Society Islands, the Marquesas, Hawaii,
the Mangareva Islands, the Pitcairn Group and Easter
Island. Sampling contexts are numerous, including
suspected garden soils, house sites, food preparation
areas, earth ovens, stone structures, rock shelters,
middens, pits, tools, pot sherds, dental calculus,
coprolites and latrines. As well as indicating the type
and geographic range of specific crops, microfossil
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evidence for gardening can establish or increase the
heritage value of archaeological sites, especially if no
obvious evidence such as artefacts or landscape
features is present. See www.microfossilresearch.com
for published results of studies using these combined
micro-botanical methods at archaeological sites.
Hurford, Jessie
University of Otago
Houses, shrines and the social landscape of
Tetepare, Solomon Islands
In late pre-contact — early contact period the island
communities of New Georgia (Western Province,
Solomon Islands) were involved in complex systems of
interaction, centred on ritualised head-hunting raids
and shell valuable exchange. With the emergence and
expansion of powerful island polities on certain islands,
many Tetepare Islanders were killed or forced to flee,
abandoning places of occupation. Today, the remains
of houses and shrines can be seen across the
landscape of Tetepare. In this presentation I explore
the emergence and social role of house and shrine
architecture on Tetepare, correlating socio-political
practices with differences in architectural form and
arrangement.
Hutchinson, Malcolm
Computational archaeology: An experimental
approach to archaeological records storage,
retrieval,
searching
and
very-long-term
preservation.
A recent research project resulted in the discovery of
over 180 previously unknown archaeological sites in
the Waikato Valley. The large number of sites required
an innovative approach to the organisation of text and
image data to permit the systematic compilation of site
records. This paper presents the results of
experimental software design arising from this need.
Johns, Dilys, Rachel Wesley and
Shar Briden
Recovery and conservation of a 15th century waka
from Papanui Inlet, Otago Peninsula
In October 2014 a team of iwi members,
archaeologists and conservation specialists conducted
salvage excavations at an eroding, anaerobic,
archaeological site on Papanui Inlet. Investigations
resulted in the recovery of a waterlogged canoe and
small assemblage of fibrework. Current radiocarbon
results of the fibrework indicate the site was probably
occupied towards the beginning of New Zealand’s
prehistory, in the 15th Century.
This paper briefly covers recovery of the unusual
waterlogged wood and fibrework assemblage together
with conservation of the materials at the Otakou Marae
and The University of Auckland.
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Jones, Benjamin, Shannon
McColley and Igor Drecki
University of Auckland
Digitising New Zealand cartographic heritage: A
new resource for archaeological and heritage
research
Both professional and academic archaeologists use
maps in a variety of ways to support their
investigations. Finding these maps is often based on a
word of mouth, coupled with unclear documentation
and unknown location of analogue map archives.
Access is sometimes limited due to copyright or other
restrictions, and revolves around institutional
memberships or subscription payments. This talk
discusses the comprehensive digitisation programme
of New Zealand historical government maps
undertaken by the University of Auckland Library and
the National Library of New Zealand. The programme
is now in its sixth year of operation and approximately
16,000 maps, spanning the last 150 years, have been
scanned and are progressively being made available
to the public. The maps focus on New Zealand, its offshore islands, a selection of South Pacific islands and
Antarctica. They cover a wide range of themes from
cadastral and topographical to military and land
inventory.
This talk showcases the cartographic heritage of the
Bay of Islands, New Zealand. It provides an overview
of the programme’s production workflow, giving details
on
physical
scanning,
post-processing
and
georeferencing. Standardised geospatial records allow
users to comprehensively search a web-based map
repository to be available online later this year. It is
argued that this development not only provides a
systematic repository of historical government maps,
but also creates a collaborative environment for those
interested in and passionate about researching New
Zealand’s cartographic and national heritage. A link to
a complementary digitisation programme of historical
aerial photographs undertaken by Land Information
New Zealand is also highlighted. The talk concludes
that providing archaeologists with an open access
cartographic resources aids research, mitigation and
general CRM work in New Zealand.
Jones, Kevin
Northern Mahia Peninsula: results from five years
of monitoring
A generalised geomorphological model of the Mahia
Beach/Taylors Bay settlement area (on the western
side of the peninsula) has been developed and its
implications for archaeological site age and distribution
is discussed. Sites in the hill country and small valley
heads are also discussed. These include an area of
probable taro cultivation in quincunx pattern. On the
eastern side, at Whangawehi, there is a good landing
area. It is suggested that there were outlier settlements
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at the innermost tidal reaches which relate to the
1840s whaling/mission stations on the coast.
Law, Garry
Evidence of absence or.?
An investigation through modelling of the survivorhood
of early sites from early New Zealand and of the
frequency of early sites in a colonisation model of
multiple arrivals.
Loader, Jenny
University of Auckland
Investigating the Disappearance of Ceramics in the
Western Pacific
Ceramics arrive in the Pacific at approximately 3000
BP, and spread rapidly across Oceania, as far as
Samoa. Over time, aspects of the original ‘Lapita’
ceramic technology change and variations appear in
the formation, shape, size, frequency of vessel types
and the prevalence of decoration. At some point after
1000 BP, ceramics start to disappear from the
archaeological record across many parts of Oceania.
Further migrations after this time lack any evidence of
ceramic technology. At the same time, ceramics
continue to be produced in Fiji and Vanuatu up to the
time of European Contact. Preliminary research
suggests that a number of factors may be interacting
here. These include migrations of people, inter-island
trade and communication, lack of resources, loss of
ceramic technological skills and a change in food
culture. This research focuses on using changes in
ceramic material culture to identify change in food
culture or cuisine in the archaeological record of two
areas of the Pacific. The method will test existing
models on cuisine change developed overseas,
opening
up
the
subject for study in other areas of the Pacific.
McIvor, Isaac and Thegn
Ladefoged
University of Auckland
Ahuahu (Great Mercury Island, Coromandel, New
Zealand) land use: A multi-scalar approach
The duration and mode of occupation of pre-European
Māori living in northern New Zealand was influenced
by their subsistence strategies. Our analysis of the
surface archaeological remains on Ahuahu (Great
Mercury Island, Coromandel) examines how
communities practiced horticulture and interacted with
their local ecological and social environments through
mobility, storage, competition and cooperation.
Focusing on a 300 ha study area in the northern
quarter of the island we use a multi-scalar land unit
(LU) approach to categorize the landscape as a
continuously varying phenomenon with multiple
characteristics. Our results suggest that the largest
concentrations of horticultural infrastructure were
located in areas with high sunlight exposure
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(insolation), good soils, low slopes and stream access.
The patterning indicates the targeting of specific areas
for horticultural production, and perhaps differential
feature preservation and visibility. The spatial
organisation of storage pits, residential features, and
fortified locations suggest that the island was occupied
not only in the summer for planting, but throughout the
year. The heterogeneous characteristics of the
landscape influenced the continuous or repeated
settlement of three particular zones, and the economic
defensibility of these areas would have facilitated
territoriality within a socio-historical context of
population fluidity and mobility.
Middleton, Angela
University of Otago
Pēwhairangi–Bay of Islands missions and Māori
1814 – 1845
In the Bay of Islands, Pēwhairangi, the three decades
from 1814 to 1845 formed a period of turbulent change
in New Zealand, bridging the transition from the time
when the European population numbered only about
25, to the settler explosion following the signing of Te
Tiriti o Waitangi. This paper interweaves the framework
of Ngāpuhi political dynamics into an examination of
daily life in the Bay of Islands missions, beginning in
1814 with the first permanent European settlement at
Hohi and moving in turn through the subsequent Bay
of Islands missions. Particular attention will be paid to
the details of the Paihia mission settlement and some
of its principal characters, such as Hone Heke.
Mills, Joe
University of Auckland
LIDAR in American Sāmoa: A novel approach to
traditional survey
Archaeological survey in the Sāmoan archipelago has
long been restricted to pedestrian methods and
hindered by dense vegetation cover which both
restricts access to, and obscures the large structures
that comprise a large portion of the Sāmoan
archaeological record. Recent acquisition of a LIDAR
dataset for American Sāmoa has revealed the potential
for the use of remote-sensing methods to provide
solutions to these on-the-ground difficulties. This paper
presents a series of case studies comparing
pedestrian survey data and LIDAR data of a number of
large-scale settlements on Tutuila, with results
confirming the utility of LIDAR in the Sāmoan context
and providing the means to re-evaluate a number of
long-held assumptions about the archaeology of the
interior of Tutuila.
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Neill, Ann and Rob Hannaby
NZ Transport Authority
Big machinery, mammoth projects and tight
timeframes- developing frameworks to better
respect NZ’s archaeological resource in transport
projects
New Zealand’s state highway network traverses many
of the routes, trails and portages of early settlerswhether by sea or overland. Farms, towns and cities
grew along the transport network and engineered
structures (bridges, tunnels, culverts, viaducts etc.)
provided access through difficult terrain. Therefore, it is
no surprise that historic and cultural heritage abounds
on, and adjacent to, the transport network. As a nonrenewable resource and a physical record of New
Zealand’s nationhood the presence of cultural and
historic heritage provides an opportunity and a risk to
all transport projects.
The Transport Agency manages almost 11,000 km of
state highways. These account for about 12% of New
Zealand’s roads and around half of the 40 billion
vehicle kilometres New Zealanders travel each year.
Among the assets are over 4,000 bridges, tunnels and
culverts. Just under $3b was spent on transport
activities in the 2013/14 year with the lion’s share on
new and improved infrastructure and maintenance.
A major investment in this highway network through
the Roads of National Significance (RoNs) and
Accelerator projects has seen some of the largest
earthworks in NZ’s recent history and numerous
archaeological authority applications to Heritage NZ.
These projects have also required transport planners,
project managers and professionals to hone a rare
combination of technical skills, consultative and
collaborative mindsets, and work within Treaty based
partnerships.
Through the lens of several projects we explore
lessons learnt and improvements to tools and
processes adopted by the NZ Transport Agency to
more consistently manage these opportunities and
risks. The tools include: an environmental screen;
impact assessment guidelines and supporting
templates; GIS based risk maps; revised ADP; website
and e-learning resources for staff, suppliers and
contractors; and a research project on the economics
of heritage to feed into multi-criteria analysis and
transport project investment mapping and decision
making.
As
a
knowledge
community,
archaeological
professionals are invited to join the conversation to
continue to develop understanding and awareness to
better respect NZ’s archaeological resource in
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transport projects.
O’Keefe, Mary
Heritage Solutions
Big sandpit and big Tonka toys - construction of
the Kapiti Expressway
NZ Transport Agency is constructing an 18km long
expressway on the Kapiti Coast, north of Wellington.
Archaeological work prior to construction produced
information about very large functional sites.
Monitoring during construction is yielding further new
information about the size and function of sites, and
their relationship to the environment.
This is
contributing to a quite different story of the pre
European occupants of the coast and they way they
interacted with their environment and utilised the
available resources. Just as interesting are the types
of sites not being found.
Pacey, Huia
Heritage New Zealand
Prehistoric vocabulary
What happens when vocabulary doesn't reflect
evolved societies? With due respect to the scientific
and technical skills that our archaeological community
displays, the continued use of terminology such as
"prehistoric" in Aotearoa in 2015 is a curious thing to
me.
Aotearoa/New Zealand is rightly proud of its recent
blended history and yet archaeologists use a term
coined by a Frenchman in 1831 to describe ancient
French caves he had found and then picked up in 1851
by a Scots-Canadian as an archaeological term along
with the three age system developed by a Dane - as
an attempt to make sense of the chronology of
Europe. Let's have a look at this Eurocentric term and
see whether it works when viewed from another lens.
Phillips, Caroline
A missionary pa
Paihia was the location of the second Church
Missionary Society mission station in New Zealand.
Established in 1823 on the flat between the present
School and Kings Roads in Paihia on land gifted by
Hamu, wife of the chief Te Koki. Five years later,
following rumours of an impending attack by southern
tribes, Te Koki proposed that a refuge pa be built close
to the mission. In September 1828, with the assistance
of Te Koki, the missionaries undertook the
construction. Although the threat subsided, the pa
appears to have been a location that continued to be
used by the missionaries. In December the same year
two cannonades were “planted just below the pah”.
These were not for defence, but for salutes during
celebrations. A flagpole is also visible in many
illustrations located on the hill behind the mission, and
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may have been erected on the pa. This paper
examines the descriptions of this bi-cultural endeavour
from missionary letters and proposes a possible
location for this as yet unrecorded structure.
Ramsay, Rebecca
University of Auckland
Waving goodbye to our heritage: Assessing
Vulnerability of Coastal Archaeological Sites within
the Hauraki Gulf
This research proposes a proactive framework for
assessing the vulnerability of coastlines, to aid in the
conservation
and
preservation
of
coastal
archaeological sites within the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland,
New Zealand. This is important as recent evidence
from the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) (2013) shows that the effects and
consequences of climatic change are increasing. For
coastal zones this means an increase in storm
frequency and associated coastal hazards, such as
erosion and inundation events.
Therefore the framework applied in this research
employs a coastal vulnerability model (CVM), to
access coastal areas most at risk to erosion and
inundation processes. Overlaying the CVM results with
archaeological
site
records
and
associated
environmental attributes, three main archaeological
site types within the Hauraki Gulf were identified as
highly vulnerable to frequent, small-scale coastal
hazards, all located on highly exposed and low-lying
coastlines. These vulnerable sites should take priority
in future conservation efforts to minimise damage and
destruction to the regions heritage, to ensure its
protection for future generations.
Rika-Heke, Makere
Heritage New Zealand
Fabricating credibility
It is 2015 and synthetic traditions regarding Maori
archaeology are once again on the rise. A new
generation of hyper diffusionist voices has emerged,
helped along by the anonymity of social media and
lack of knowledgeable commentary.
This paper looks beneath the modern cultivated veneer
of synthesised traditions and explores how
archaeology is being appropriated and used to hijack
and displace ancestral Maori footprints upon the
landscape. The conclusion of this paper poses the
question- should archaeology as a whole be doing
more to address synthetic myth makers?
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Robinson, James
University of Otago
Tawhiti Rahi – ‘Nga Poito o te Kupenga o Toi te
Huatahi’ [‘A float of the fishing net of Toi te
Huatahi’] : Maori Settlement on a circumscribed
and constrained offshore island, and how this can
inform our understanding of the regional history of
Ngatiwai’s maritime tribal territory.
The coastal waters off the temperate north-east coast
of New Zealand contain extensive and sometimes well
preserved pre-European archaeological settlements on
island groups inter-visible with the mainland. Recently
a multi-disciplinary doctoral research project was
completed on one of these island groups - the Poor
Knights islands, and specifically Tawhiti Rahi Island within the territory of the Ngatiwai tribe, to try and
understand the relationship of these particular islands
to the Northland mainland and the other island groups.
This project was built around an archaeological
landscape approach that was then informed by the use
of traditional and historic records and earth sciences.
Three interrelated questions underpinning this
research are: Who settled the islands? colonisation
and connectivity]; When was the island settled?
[colonisation and environmental change]; Why were
they settled? [connectivity]
Results from the survey and excavation, material
sourcing studies, a reconstructed and dated vegetation
sequence, and a broad net of historic research have
identified a complex and changing interaction between
the Poor Knights Islands and other islands and to the
mainland. Used at various times as garden outliers,
mutton bird resource areas, horticultural based
settlements, defensive locations and as a pig farm for
early European trade. It is argued that these events on
Tawhiti Rahi reflect and mirror changing economic,
social and ritual realities in the wider regional history of
Ngatiwai that started with the earliest arrival of
Polynesian colonists to New Zealand just after 1300AD
and which continued through to the early 1800s.
Schmidt, Matt
Heritage New Zealand
Archaeology of the Lower Nevis Valley, Central
Otago
The isolation of the Lower Nevis Valley and the limited
use of land here has meant that its archaeological
record is highly intact. Sites range from two possible
Moa Hunter camps, 19th and early 20th century gold
mining sites, coal mines, pastoral homesteads,
complex water control systems to township remains. In
the 1870/80s hundreds of Chinese occupied this valley
while at the same time the Bannockburn goldfield over
the Carrick Range was dominated by European
miners. Research by Heritage New Zealand over the
last nine years has seen a comprehensive record
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compiled of the heritage sites identified in the Lower
Nevis valley which has led to an increased recognition
of the significance of this heritage and its protection.
This paper presents the current results of this ongoing
research and explains how the heritage in the valley
gained its addition protection in the District Plan.
Simmons, Alexy
Simmons & Associates Ltd
Soldiers' food security during
campaign of the New Zealand wars
the
Waikato
Food insecurity is a timeless issue and defined by
uncertain or limited availability of nutritionally adequate
or safe foods. The methods used to ensure the supply
of comestibles and individual access vary contingent
on resources, culture, events, and other factors.
Among the most obvious types of archaeological
evidence are storage facilities and systems for
resource distribution. In this paper I present
information about other indicators based on the
archaeological evidence for soldiers’ food security
during the first ten years of the Waikato Campaign of
the New Zealand Wars, 1862-1872.
War provides particularly fertile ground for research on
comestibles, because food is often a cause of conflict
and is essential to an army on the move during
hostilities. The research findings are based on the
application of a foodways model which is used to
extract and compile data from military site excavation
reports, eye witness accounts, and war department
records. The results indicate there are several types of
information that should be considered when examining
the question of food security at military sites, as well as
at other historical archaeological site.
Smith, Ian
University of Otago
Rangihoua Pa and the political economy of early
19th century Bay of Islands
Rangihoua pa and the adjacent Te Puna area were the
main focus of European engagement with the Bay of
Islands during the first two decades of the 19th century.
An 1805 visitor described Te Puna as ‘the capital of
this part of the country’ and for several years nearly
every vessel calling at the Bay conducted most of its
trade there. It also became the centre for initial
European settlment with the founding of the Hohi
mission station adjacent to Rangihoua pa in 1814.
Within a decade, however, it was a backwater, playing
little part in the vibrant dynamics of both Māori and
European life in the Bay. This paper examines the rise
and decline of Rangihoua, and seeks to explain them
with reference to the economic patterns and political
dynamics during the first three decades of the 19th
century.
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Sutton, Nicholas, Glenn
Summerhayes & Anne Ford
University of Otago
Pots on the move: Ceramic production and
mobility at Oposisi, PNG
The recent finds of mid-late Lapita ceramics at Caution
Bay near Port Moresby demand a fresh look at more
than 40 years of intermittent archaeology along the
south coast of Papua New Guinea. The relationship
between this colonisation event, dated to c. 2900
calBP, and the previous earliest known ceramic
horizon in the region, beginning c. 2000 calBP, which
is widely referred to as Early Papuan Pottery (EPP),
remains still to be fully resolved. Oposisi on Yule
Island, first excavated by Ron Vanderwal in 1969, is a
key site for understanding the EPP period, and
therefore the nature of this relationship. A reexcavation of Oposisi in 2007 produced a new sample
of ceramics, in addition to seven new AMS radiocarbon
dates all in good chronostratigraphic order, confirming
an initial settlement of the site around 2000 calBP. This
paper presents the preliminary results of stylistic, fabric
and chemical analyses of the new sample of Oposisi
ceramics that is being undertaken as a Master of Arts
project, expanding a Papuan pottery production study
begun by Glenn Summerhayes and Jim Allen.
Teele, Ben
Jackie Gillies + Associates
Attention-seeking: a discussion
engagement
in
archaeology
archaeologists’ role
on public
and
the
This paper examines the role archaeologists' play in
facilitating and encouraging client and public interest in
archaeology and how different media help to enable
this and promote our own (best) practice as a
profession. With the recent legislation changes,
archaeologists’ are playing an increasingly pivotal role
in heritage management, facilitating communication
about historical and archaeological values between
clients, Heritage NZ and the public. Because of this,
archaeologists’ have the ability to encourage client and
public interest in preserving heritage. The importance
of utilising various types of media can help (or
sometimes hinder) the clients and public interest in
projects and their overall outcomes. Through positive
outcomes archaeologists’ can promote our own (best)
practice as a profession. This paper uses several case
studies from Otago to look briefly at some examples of
the various roles archaeologists can play as
‘managers’ for archaeological projects.
Tremlett, Luke
University of Otago
Considering hospital construction
This paper presents an outline and preliminary results
from my MA thesis research which considers the
extent to which hospital buildings reflect changing
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approaches to medical treatment in the 19th and 20th
centuries. It uses as a case study Ashburton hospital
where construction began in 1880, with subsequent
additions and remodelling up until the present day. The
focus here is on four of the oldest buildings, and both
historical information and buildings archaeology
recording
are
used
to
define
a
room-by-room sequence of construction and
modification events. Attributes including room size and
provision of ventilation are then examined for change
over time. Preliminary results indicate that over time
patient rooms became smaller and more specialised in
function, and that ventilation decreased. Probable
reasons for these changes will be considered.
Wallace, Rod
University of Auckland
Charcoal Assemblages from Maori Horticulture
sites
Charcoal assemblages from 10-15 pre-European
Maori horticultural sites in the Waikato indicate
gardening was carried out in clearings in virgin
Tawa/Matai dominated bush and that these gardens
were used only once. This pattern is radically different
from that seen in coastal areas in the northern North
Island where charcoal assemblages such sites are
dominated by secondary scrub vegetation. Charcoal
assemblages from Waikato horticultural sites
compared with assemblages from horticultural sites at
Opita near Paeroa and from Great Mercury Island.
Watson, Katharine
Underground Overground
Archaeology
Let's talk about buildings...
Wilton, David
Information archaeology – an archaeological genre
whose time has come? (Part II: Prehistoric wireless
networks)
The team at Underground Overground Archaeology
has recorded numerous domestic buildings in
Christchurch over the past four years. But what does
all this data mean? What do different building features
actually tell us? And what are the bigger questions we
can ask of this data?
The author developed an interest in the archaeology of
information technology and systems while investigating
the ‘Old Wires Track’ across the Coromandel Ranges
(as presented to the NZAA conference in 2011). This
was the final link of the NZ national telegraph system,
and was completed in 1872. This type (and age) of
system fits nicely into the Industrial Archaeology
paradigm. However, information technology actually
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transcends the so-called Industrial
preceding, and now, superseding it.
Age;
both
The latest study analysed visual signalling
technologies used by Maori, and compared them with
similar systems used by other prehistoric communities
(e.g. Chinese and North American Indians).
Woods, Naomi
University of Otago
From garden to plate and back again: links
between gardens and tableware patterns in 19th C
Whanganui
When European colonists arrived in Whanganui they
were met with a totally alien and, to them, untamed
landscape. Once the practical considerations of shelter
and subsistence were taken care of, many of these
settlers shifted their attention to ‘civilising’ their
surroundings. Private and public gardens became a
major consideration. Henry Williamson owned a seed
warehouse in the centre of Whanganui during the
1860s and ‘70s and his newspaper advertisements can
give us some idea of the types of plants that were
popular at this time. A comparison of these plants with
one of the most popular tableware designs of the
period-the Willow pattern- reveals interesting links
between tableware and ornamental garden design.
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