SOUTH ISLAND ROCK PAINTINGS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3088, 19 May 1917, Page 7

SOUTH ISLAND ROCK PAINTINGS

— • MAN BEFORE THE EARLIEST MAORIS. The" annual report of Dr. Benham on. '.be'Otago University Museum contains an Interesting account of rock paintings in Hie South Island, and tho way in which these have provided a unique- exhibit to the museum treasures. The report states: —Mr. J'. L. Elmore, an American visitor to this Dominion, has been much impressed by the wonderful series of robk paintings executed in the rock shelters : that exist in the limestone districts of 'the South Island. .Ho made tracings of all those paintings that he could find or hear of. These he brought with him to Dunedin, and I was 'so influenced by his enthusiasm and by h.js generous offer of assistance if I would undertake the work ■ that I arranged to havo photographs of these tracings taken. From these photographs Mr. Elmore then made coloured drawings of .the piclographs of each shelter,, showing the true- relativo position of ■ each object, a. thing- that has "never before 'been attempted'.for the New Zealand pictographs, but which ' may ' have Borne significance if it turns out that these figures should have the value of Iwords or bo the record of events. But apart from this these coloured drawings show the exact arrangement of the separate items in each rock shelter, so that they, will he of great -value to-future .students' q£ the subject. So this museum ■has. .the. only complete set of such draw-' ings of all. the. known rock paintings in iSew.. Zealand. 'Moreover, with-tho financial assistance, of thVOtago Institute, of the Auckland Institute, and of myself, Mr. Elmoro proceeded to the site of some of those shelters' that stfind on freehold ■property, and,.having obtained the permission of the freeholders;: ho removed the rock, face with the drawings thereon from several shelters. Wo have thus acquired some 30 pf (ho original prehistoric drawings, so. that, they are-available for anyone interested in the method of this art to study the manner of their execution and the nature of the ' pigments used. There is no doubt that they are the work of men who'inhabited the island before the arrival of tho earliest Maori, since theTo is no resemblance to tho patterns, used ,by them in'their carvings On wood-or other material. Some of these originals will be sent in due lime to tho Auckland.Museum in return for their aid. Others, perhaps, may be available to other museums which "may wish to. contribute to the cost of their procuring: but most of them will remain liere, and in due time will bo exhibited, tosTPther with the coloured drawings above mentioned and the photographs of the shelters or caves which were taken by Mr.'Elmore.- \

The only man who tendered for scavarisinj work tn the Hinckley (Leicestershire) Rural Council was of military age and made it a condition that the council should first, "square, the local tribunal." '.As np other man is available the milibxj'y/ill be'asked to defer his call,