Coromandel Life Magazine 2018 Winter

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604 Port rD, WHANGAMAtA
41 PictoN St, HoWicK
11 HUrStMErE rD, tAKAPUNA
LOCAL MERRELL STORES
39
The art of Heinrich Harder (1858-1935). Unfortunately, the artist seems to have
been unaware that Maori did not use bow and arrows.
Students from the University of Auckland found significant amounts of
obsidian as well as moa bones within the remnants of an ancient oven at
this dig site in Coralie Bay on Great Mercury Island in 2015.
Rare find on
Great Mercury Island
A 600 year old site with Moa Bones and Mata
In 2015, a group of 25 from Auckland University (including 12 students
from Field Methods in Archaeology) travelled to Great Mercury Island
as part of their course work. During the three week excavation, it was
surprise all round when they found not only significant amounts of
obsidian, but also moa bones within the remnants of an ancient oven –
estimated to be 600 years old!
It is one of the oldest sites found in NZ to date with evidence of
human habitation, and, while not unusual to find moa bones, it is rare
to find evidence of moa being prepared and eaten, especially in North
Island. “The moa was likely procured elsewhere and brought to the
island,” commented Professor Simon Holdaway. “The significance is
that the moa must have been alive shortly before they ate it.”
There were lines of stones and burnt wood – signs that a dwelling
may have been there. An obsidian blade was also found inside the
shoulder and flipper of a seal and, as there haven’t been any seals
breeding on the island for 600 years, this assisted the excavation
team in dating the remains.
Over 12,000 objects were discovered, including stone artifacts and
bones. The large number of obsidian objects – flakes and cores – was
sourced with portable x-ray fluorescence and identified as coming
from several Coromandel locations such as Hahei, Cooks Beach, and
Mayor Island, but also as far away as Taupo and Northland regions.
Their dig site at Coralie Bay, just 8km off the Coromandel coast,
covered an area of 15m x 10m, but was expanded on the many
subsequent visits since 2015. The Ahuahu Great Mercury Island
Project is a joint venture between the University and the Auckland
Museum. The work is also supported by Ngati Hei, the local iwi, and
the island’s owners, Sir Michael Fay and David Richwhite.
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