Study ‘needs more time’

Press, 17 December 1982, Page 4

Study ‘needs more time’

Archaeologists want more time to study a moa hunter site at Kaikoura. Recent excavations, organised by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, were hurriedly made in order to learn something of the site before any land disturbance took place, the Canterbury Museum Trust Board was told yesterday. The museum's directorelect, Mr Michael Trotter, told the meeting that although the site was theoreti-

cally protected under the Historic Places Act, 1980, the land was nevertheless sold for subidivsion without any provision for archaeological investigation or for salvage of material and data. Mr Trotter helped in a project to assess the site's importance before it is destroyed by housing development. The site has been known since 1857. The Canterbury Museum made a small excavation there in 1973 and

: discovered it was one of the i earliest human occupation I sites known in New Zealand. - Mr Trotter feels it is un- [ likely that development of i the site will be stopped. The board agreed it was i important to gain more time > to study the area. The board will seek more ■ money from the Historic Places Trust and more time i to study the site from the ’ Kaikoura County Council. It • will also let the landowners I know what is happening.