Autumn 2024
In early March, Andy , Josie , Eliza , and Emma St Pierre were invited by the trustees of Hurimoana Urupā, at Manutuke near Gisborne to carry out a GPR survey. The trustees wanted to identify whether the ‘open’ areas between marked graves contained burials. The project was an immensely rewarding opportunity to work with the trustees and Ngāti Maru who are the largest hapū of Rongowhakaata. The survey took two days to complete and will assist the hapū with future plans and use of the urupā.
Later in the month, Eliza and Josie undertook field survey in Rotoehu Forest, continuing an on-going LiDAR ground truthing exercise as part of heritage management work in the forested area with Timberlands. This included additional recording of newly identified sites, updating information about previously recorded sites, and a post-harvest inspection under archaeological authority conditions.
To round off a busy month, the whole InSitu team participated in an exploratory investigation (authority no. 2024/383) in Gisborne in the grounds of Te Kurī a Tuatai Marae ahead of construction of a worker accommodation based for the Transport Rebuild East Coast project. The marae trustees have made land available for the project adjacent to the current marae.
After karakia from Ta Derek Lardelli, test trenches were opened around the monument to Riperata Kahutia, a founder of the original marae which was constructed in the 1880s. The team quickly discovered that one of the unique ‘hazards’ of working on this site was its location adjacent to a golf course. Several speeding golf balls were dodged, and hard hats were required.
Pre and post-1900 material culture (bottles, faunal remains, ceramics etc) associated with the occupation of the marae were found during the investigation, but all pre-1900 archaeological evidence had been previously disturbed and modified due to earlier demolition and subsequent cultivation activity on the property.
No intact archaeological features were found, and no evidence of archaeological features associated with earlier Māori occupation of the site was found. In-situ evidence of the post-1900 wharenui, which was demolished in the early 1950s, was exposed and appropriately recorded. The final report of the investigation is in preparation.
And most recently, in very rainy/wet conditions at the beginning of May; Eliza, Andy and Josie undertook a small excavation in Stewart Street, on our doorstep in Whakatāne; adjacent to recorded site W15/1196 (pits) that was investigated in 2014. The property is being redeveloped by Kāinga Ora and midden was exposed during demolition activity. The majority of the property had been heavily disturbed and was covered by modern domestic rubbish. A small remnant of intact archaeological deposit was found and dating samples have been recovered. Reporting is in progress.