ARCHAEOLOGISTS’ FINDS IN COROMANDEL DISTRICT

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28800, 22 January 1959, Page 12

ARCHAEOLOGISTS’ FINDS IN COROMANDEL DISTRICT

“Th, PmtC Special Service

AUCKLAND, Jan. 20 The skeleton of an extinct hawk, the skull of a kuri, or extinct Polynesian dog, and the bones of species of moa hitherto unrecorded in the locality are some of the rare discoveries made by archaeologists in the Coromandel district in recent weeks. The diggers are members of the Auckland University Archaeological Society. Led oy the lecturer in pre-history, Mr J. Golson, they are excavating a settlement of the moa hunters—the earliest Polynesian inhabitants. The excavations, which are on a remote part of the Coromandel coast, have yielded a rich harvest of moa hunter relics on previous field trips. So far this summer

the archaeologists have recovered few artifacts but have made other significant finds. A large part of a skeleton Of the extinct hawk, Circus eylesr, was found in a midden left by the moa hunters. The discovery was made' by Mr R. Jolly, of Auckland, who noticed a bone protruding from the Sanfl, Important Find find, said it ■flras very important as only orte dther specimen had been found. That was at Pyramid Valley, in Canterbury. A single bone of the extinct hawk had been unearthed previously in the North Island. The hawk was half as big again aS the hatrier* hawk and had its lower mandible curved like that of a falcon. Although the skull and some of the vertebrae were missing, Mr Scarlett Said it would not be difficult to reconstruct it. Another relic of a moa hunter feast, the almost complete skull of a, kuri, was found by Messrs J. and'R. Green. The back of the cranium of the animal had been removed apparently to get at the brain for food. "This is a valuable find,” said Mr Scarlett. “Complete skulls of the kuri are rare. This one belonged to a young adult dog.” Mr Scarlett, who Is an expert 6n moa bones, attached great importance to the discovery of the remains of two species of moa which had not previously been found so far north. One was an example of the smaller. North Island Eiiryaptryx and the other either Eurjraptryx or the .larger Dfnornis. The moa hunter camp site where these finds were made was discovered fairly recently and is notable for the quantity and diversity of the cultural , material unearthed . there. However, the quality of the artifacts has not been so high as those found in the South Island. The Southern relics were found in association with burials.- The

I question is being asked whether a , burial ground bf the moa hunter* ! similar to the one -at WfcMn, ' exists on the Coromandel Its existence is considered istei : distinct possibility. - The Coromandel relies are no cruder than some of those fouM at Wairau and do not Indicate that • the North Island moa hunter chi- ■ tore was in any sense tnfMOr. Permanent Settlement. < Mr Golson believes, the first site excavated st Coromandel to have ! been contemporaneous tHtagMb" one discovered recently on Mute--1 tapu Island. It probably belnaaal : to the period AJ>. 1250 to 1 J 0t T 1 Judging by the variety of asm*- • ties carried on there, he had* . doubt that it was a' permaiMt' 1 settlement. However, it waa bjtSa ’ means a major site like a HMfe , and more extensive nnti tMSW Mr GolsOn thinks the lattetMMf:' be a considerably older aK--1 ment than its neighbour. He'brißK 1 his conclusions on the quantw,. ' size and variety of moa bona SM ' the quantity of moa egg shell tap earthed there. ■ Little significance to. attach<Ja the small number of burials jfcSal ’ so far. Much rn.ri tiiiiiiiilhitfM ' a series of with light-coloured eand. i Soil samples from these her* , been collected and will lie snWljteif • to determine whether they STS windblown or whether, in fate they belong to the moa hunter period. The pits have been Ailed ' in in a manner which, suggasto that they are of a considerable age. The origin and purpose of the j pits open up a whole sarias of questions, one of the most notaHe . being whether the earli st Maoris , possessed the kumera. Thia has been in doubt for many years.