Winter 2024

InSitu have been busy during winter with a variety of site works across the motu. In early June Andy and Eliza did a field survey prior to afforestation in Te Ākau, north of Raglan on the Waikato west coast. The team visited two recorded pā R14/3 and R14/166, six pit/terrace sites; R14/189, R14/190, R14/191, R14/193, R14/194 and R14/399 and recorded six new sites pit/terrace sites: R14/464, R14/465, R14/466 (Figures 1 and 2), R14/467, R14/468 and R14/469. The sites will all be reserved from planting with appropriate buffer zones.

Towards the end of June Eliza and Josie headed to the east coast to survey the proposed upgrade for a collapsed bridge, destroyed during Cyclone Gabrielle at Doneraille Park, Tiniroto, inland from Gisborne. The bridge, which is the third on the site, is near the former St Leger Homestead dating to the early 1890s. Evidence of the old vegetable gardens, wool shed, former cable river crossing, and historic bottle glass fragments are present in the vicinity. An archaeological authority is being sought for the work associated with the bridge replacement.

Josie and Eliza continued their travels with a trip up to the Coromandel Peninsula, to undertake a post-harvest inspection of T12/148 (Pā). The pā is within a private woodlot that was planted in pines in the late 1990s. The trees were removed under Authority No. 2024/121 and an existing track at the base of the pā was utilised for the harvesting activity. As the track was re-cut, a large shell midden lens was re-exposed. The trees were removed from the archaeological site features with a high degree of care and the surface features of the pā generally in good condition. The pā will be excluded from any replanting.

In July, after attending the NZAA conference in Nelson; Josie and Eliza head to the Pāpāmoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park to set up annual archaeological site condition monitoring points, as per the requirements of the Conservation Plan. It was a great couple of days surveying the stunning pā and terraces at Pāpāmoa (Figure 5), witnessing the ongoing maintenance that goes on to keep the archaeology in good condition and checking out the new interpretative signage. They also updated all record forms for sites within the park, and added extents where possible, so ArchSite is finally looking nice and tidy over the Pāpāmoa Hills Park area!

U14/238 (Pā) at Pāpāmoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park

Most recently, in early August Eliza, Andy and Josie undertook a survey pre-harvest survey of a pine forest south of Ōpōtiki, which included the sites W16/55 (Pā), W16/122 (Pit/Terrace) and W16/370 (Pit/Terrace). One new site was entered into ArchSite as W16/449 (Pit/Terrace). An archaeological authority will be required for the harvest activity.

Autumn 2024