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What are the sources of evidence? Establishing proof of pre-Polynesian inhabitants requires gathering all available information and assessing the probability of earlier arrivals. Building the case necessitates drawing from multiple sources. Probability is subjective, with each person forming their own assessment of the likelihood of pre-Polynesian arrivals. The evidence can be categorised into the following areas: Māori Oral History Evidence Archaeological Evidence: Artefacts

What are the sources of evidence? 1.      Māori Oral History Evidence Continues Observations on Pre-Polynesian Inhabitation J.S. Polack J.S. Polack, an Englishman who arrived in New Zealand in 1831, became fluent in Te Reo Māori and published two books: New Zealand: Being a Narrative of Travels and Adventures  (Vols. I and II, 1838) and Manners and Customs of the New Zealanders  (1840). His writings covered a wide range of topics related to the Māori people, including referen

What are the sources of evidence in regards to New Zealand's first settlers? 1.      Māori Oral History Evidence Continues Observations on Pre-Polynesian Inhabitation Monica Matamua: Claims to be Patupaiarahe Descendant A number of people in New Zealand claim descent from Waitaha, Tūrehu, and Patupaiarehe. Numerous books have been written on the subject, with some suggesting that many cultural elements commonly associated with Māori may have originated from these earlier inha

Recent blogs have highlighted historical accounts from Māori oral tradition suggesting that other people were already present in New Zealand upon their arrival. How much credibility can we assign to the authenticity of these accounts? This topic is explored further in this blog: Who were New Zealand's first settlers? Māori Oral History Credibility of Oral Histories Oral histories are widely accepted as part of the historical record. Today, Māori oral traditions span approxima

Richard Price Excavation Site, Poukawa, hawkes Bay 1965 Recent Blogs have covered Māori oral history providing evidence of pre-Polynesian habitation in New Zealand. Archeological evidence is the next category to be examined: Māori Oral History Evidence Archaeological Evidence: Artefacts and Features Additional categories for discussion following this Archaeological Evidence include: Evidence from DNA Analysis Origins of the Māori Language 2.      Archaeological Evidence Archa

Archaeological Artefacts 1.1 Artefacts Recovered from a Dig at Poukawa In 1930, professional surveyor Russell Price conducted a survey at Poukawa, 20 km south of Hastings, to construct a canal outflow for Lake Poukawa. The goal was to provide flood protection and reclaim land for pasture. During the excavation of the drainage channel, Price discovered leg bones of moa standing upright in the soil—without torsos or heads. Richard Price Excavation Site, Poukawa, Hawkes Bay, 196

Pouto Ki Rongomaraeroa carving and Tamil Bell Two artefacts in the series are presented: Archaeological Artefacts 1.2 Carved Panels: Pouto Ki Rongomaraeroa Two carved panels of a similar style have been discovered in separate locations in Northland. One was found during the draining of a swamp in the Kaitaia District and is now housed in the Auckland Museum. The second panel was uncovered in 1991 in the sand at Pouto Beach, Kaipara North Head. Local iwi were adamant that the

Two artefacts in the series are presented: Archaeological Artefacts 1.4   Polished Stone Tools Julius von Haast Julius von Haast (1822-1887) was a German-born New Zealand explorer, geologist, and founder of the Canterbury Museum  in Christchurch . He named the Haast Pass and Haast River after himself. He discovered and named many glaciers in the central South Island, including the Franz Joseph Glacier, named after the Emperor of Austria. Haast township, two mountains, Haast S

The final artefact in this series is presented: Archaeological Artefacts 1.6 Serpentine Stone Bird Carving In 1878, a finely carved stone bird  was found beneath the roots of an upturned manuka tree. The location was between Aotea Harbour and Raglan. The bird is comprised of a dark green serpentine stone, weighing 2.1 kg and around 25 cm in length. The Carved Stone Bird Multiple questions arise from the discovery: There is no serpentine stone in New Zealand. The closest outcr

Archaeological Evidence Archaeology is the study of the human past through material remains. These remains can include any objects that people created, modified, or used. There are two main categories of material remains: Portable remains , usually called artefacts, include tools, clothing, and decorations. These have been dealt with in previous Blogs. Non-portable remains , such as buildings or post-holes, are referred to as features . Over time, New Zealand has been accumul

Location of Wairau Bar in Marlborough The Wairau Bar excavation site is one of the most significant archaeological digs in New Zealand due to the diversity and number of artefacts found. Wairau Bar is an 8 km long boulder bank, formed where the Wairau River meets the Pacific Ocean, east of Blenheim. The area is dry, windswept, and covered in low scrub and grasses. In 1925, a paddock on the Bar was ploughed by Albert Eyles, the leaseholder of the land, exposing numerous artefa

Location of Waipoua Forest, New Zealand Waipoua Forest is located on State Highway 12, 45 km north of Dargaville, on Northland's west coast, between Dargaville and Omapere. Today, the Waipoua Forest (130 sq km) contains an Archaeological Reserve spanning approximately 645 hectares. Numerous archaeological sites were excavated between 1973 and 1984. Importantly, large areas remain unexplored. The most significant excavation was conducted by archaeologists from the University o

2.5 Canal Networks Across New Zealand, there are significant engineering feats from past centuries, one of the most notable being the construction of canals to drain swamps for agricultural production and fish management. A few key examples of these feats are: Lower Wairau River Canal System In 1912, the Journal of the Polynesian Society  published details of a canal system discovered in the Lower Wairau River, Marlborough. This intricate network stretches around 20 km in le

The Poukawa excavation is one of the most significant in New Zealand’s history. If not included as a major feature, this section would be incomplete. Details of the Poukawa excavation have been published in previous blogs, and for ease of reference, the blog is repeated here: In 1930, Russell Price, a professional surveyor, surveyed Poukawa, 20 km south of Hastings, to build a canal outflow for Lake Poukawa, aiming to provide flood protection and reclaim land for pasture. Whi

Previous blogs have explored two categories of evidence suggesting the possibility of human habitation in New Zealand over two thousand years ago. Māori Oral History Evidence Archaeological Evidence: Artefacts and Features Two additional categories will be introduced in upcoming blog posts. Evidence from DNA Analysis Origins of the Māori Language 3.      Evidence from DNA Analysis The Māori population exhibits significant physical diversity, with variations in skin tone, hair

Origins of the Māori Language Evolution of Māori Language All languages are constantly evolving. As cultures interact and merge, languages borrow words, phrases, and grammatical structures from each other. When different languages come into contact, they can influence each other, leading to changes in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Māori is a subgroup of the family of Malayo-Polynesian languages.   T hey are spoken across a vast area, including Southeast Asia, Melane

Origins of the Māori Language Influence of Sanskrit on Māori The Aryan Maori by Edward Tregear To understand the development of the Māori language, it can be insightful to compare it with other languages. One approach is to examine the similarities between Māori and the Sanskrit language. Abraham Fornander in Hawaii and both John MacMillan Brown and Edward Tregear in New Zealand independently concluded that Polynesians, including Māori, shared an Aryan ancestry with Europeans

The Possibility of Pre-Polynesian Settlement in New Zealand The previous Blogs have explored this question. Now is the time to weigh up the strength of the evidence to reach a view on the subject: Who were New Zealand's first settlers? Introduction The prevailing academic consensus holds that New Zealand was first settled by East Polynesians around 1280 AD. However, an alternative theory proposes that New Zealand may have been inhabited by earlier peoples—possibly arriving ov

How India shaped the world: I recently visited India to explore how this country has evolved and what drives it today. Over a span of 1,450 years—from around 250 BC to 1200 AD, a period known as the Common Era — India had a profound impact on the world through its religion, trade, science, technology, mathematics, and culture. Notably, Indian influence spread not through military conquest but through the power of its ideas. India: Hindu Temple 2000 Years Ago India’s Influence

I recently visited India to explore how this country evolved and what drives it today. In the 1,450 years from about 250 BC to 1200 AD (called The Common Period), Indian religion, trade, science, technology, mathematics, and culture had a profound impact across the world from the Red Sea to the Pacific. Notably, the strength of India’s ideas was key to spreading its influence—not through the power of its sword! This is how India shaped the world! Westward Expansion Indian mar

How India shaped the world: I recently visited India to explore how this country evolved and what drives it today. In the 1,450 years from about 250 BC to 1200 AD (called The Common Period), Indian religion, trade, science, technology, mathematics, and culture had a profound impact across the world from the Red Sea to the Pacific. Notably, the strength of India’s ideas was key to spreading its influence—not through the power of its sword! Overseas trading ship in South-East A

I recently visited India to explore how this country evolved and what drives it today. A major natural asset facilitating India’s maritime trade is its peninsula position , strategically located between the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal . The efficiency of maritime routes far exceeds that of overland routes, making sea travel the preferred method for movement between India, the Middle East , and South-East Asia/Eastern Asia . Likewise, traders from these regions relied on

How India shaped the world: I recently visited India to explore how this country evolved and what drives it today. During the 1,450 years from 250 BC to 1200 AD (known as The Common Period ), the spread of Indian religion  had a profound impact  across South, Central, South-East, and Eastern Asia . Even today, over half of the world’s population  lives in areas where Indian religious ideas  once dominated or still hold significant influence. Indian Trade as a Key Driver for

I recently visited India to explore how this country evolved and what drives it today. In the 1,450 years from about 250 BC to 1200 AD (called The Common Period ), the spread of Indian religion had a profound impact on South, Central, South-East, and Eastern Asia . Today, over half the world’s population  lives in areas where Indian religious ideas are, or once were, dominant. Buddhism to China How India shaped the world: A key figure in Buddhism’s spread to China was Xuanza