HUMAN BONES.
hound in heart of a rock. '• Human bones’ have been uncovered in the course : of ; the .’excavations on the power-house site: at.' Araptuii. They were discovered high up on a cliff face of the gorge, pver TOO feet beneath the upper level.- The . remains are chiefly long limbi-bones, -and their discovery is -reported -by Mr C. A. Moore,' of Pularuru.
“One wonders.." lie writes, “if the bones are tlipse of a. race of people, preMaori in origin, perhaps pre-historic cave dwellers, who'at some early period by earthquakes or volcanic disturbances have been overwhelmed. On examining the bones one finds them deeply grooved by muscles and tendons. with abnormally well developed traction epipshysis (markings made by the movement, of muscles over the bones'). This proves that ’the people to whom they belonged-were a well-built, muscular face, and. as the bones show by their length.., remarkablv tall. One thing, however: which is hard to explain is why, ito skull bones have as vet '-been discovered. That''-the bones are of a, pre-hisloric-people is a reasonable hypothesis.' lapsed on. the locality of their discovery and the depth at whiclijthey lay £ However. I intend to. send them' to Dunedin, with a full ae-coup-t: of thelocation, etc., asking that a report' be made. At present we have the fact of -the, hones, being- right in the heart- J of the rock, centuries old. Anybody with any imagination at all must "conjure up .visions of the people to whom . they belonged., and wonder what grim tragedy of the jiast led to their burial in such an unusual tomb. Further investigations- after the , removal of more of the cliff face' may biing .forth’more data to work on. and at present T am keeping a keen lookout for implements or shaped flint tools and weapons.” - .
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Bibliographic details
Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 22 June 1925, Page 8
Word Count
298HUMAN BONES. Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 22 June 1925, Page 8
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