AN INTERESTING FIND.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3834, 21 August 1928, Page 3

AN INTERESTING FIND.

THREE MAORI AXES. While riding on horseback along the back of the Tiimatangi run one day last week, Master Eric Robinson, son of Mr. Fred Robinson, of Coley Street, discovered -three Maori greenstone axes, of varying lengths. The noise of the horse’s shoe striking some metallic substance on the sandy ground caused the boy to dismount, and just be-, ueath the sand he discovered three large greenstone axes or adzes, piled one on top of the other. The implements are in a splendid state of preservation and the edges are very keen. One is shaped to fit in the palm of the hand, used probably for finishing purposes, and the others are longer and were probably fastened to wooden handles, for rougher work. The implements are beautifully grooved and polished. They are not of pure greenstone being mingled with some rock substance which gives them a mottled appearance. The locality where the implements were found is not far from an old Maori burial ground and possibly were buried with the owner, or on the other hand may have been misplaced and not recovered. There is no doubt but what they were associated with the Ngatiapa tribe, who in the dim past occupied the land there. The Maori name tors uch iuplements is toki and for the smaller edged tools ponekeneke. Many years ago a Maori maiden hid a beautiful greenstone mere somewhere in the same locality and grief was expressed at the loss by the tribe, and thereafter the locality was named Ilimatangi. The mere still remains in its hiding place.

In conversation with Mr. W. Apairama, he expressed the opinion to our representative that the adzes had probably been buried with the owner and in the course of time the sand, drifted by the wind from the grave had left the axes- exposed. In many spots along this coast, the drifting sand had exposed the of Maoris in antient burial grounds. Mr. Apairama said it was not the custom to bury valuables such as meres, etc., with men. of rank. These were carefully wrapped and hidden in places apart from the graves.