MAORI RELICTS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1732, 10 May 1905, Page 14

MAORI RELICTS

FLINT FLAKES FOUND AT MIRAMAR.

AN INTERESTING PAPER

A paper dealing with flints found at Miramar was read before the Wellington Philosophical Society by Mr H. M. Christie last evening. As it dealt with some of the earliest evidences of the advent of the Maori race in these parts ft was listened to with particular interest. Air Christ ie said it was quite a common occurrence to find Hint Hakes upon the shell and bone heaps, on the sites of the old Maori pahs, around the coast of Miramar and the dirtrict known as Hataitai. In some localities the chips are numerous and their presence in large quantities led him to believe that some kind of oh ipping establishment must have been situated on the spot. The presence of - ~ese flakes and chips naturally led one to inquire from what place the flint was obtained. It is known that flint is only obtainable in quantity on the East Coast of the North Island towards Hawke’s Bay, and he inclined to the opinion that the supplies were obtained from that district. About a. quarter of a mile past Terakihi Bay, at the south-east of Miramar, opposite 3 lighthouse, a considerable number of flints of various kinds and sizes were fonud. Some were only flakes, and others measured from three to live inches in length and two or three inches thick. These were lying on the old sea beach well above the present high-water mark. The deposit extended about one hundred yards along ah© beach and nowhere beyond that particular area could specimens be found. Discussing the probable means by which the flints were deposited m •‘this queer place” Mr Christie suggested two :—(1) That they might have been placed there by the Maoris who occupied the district long ago, or (2) they might have been carried ashore attached to the roots of seaweed in i.ho manner in which many stones, quite foreign to the district, are deposited on the shores. Of the two suggestions the first was probably correct. The bay in question is well situated ior landing canoes. A very fine collection of flints picked up on the spot referred to was exhibited at the meeting. Many more specimens, [he said, remained scattered about the gravel. The flakes exhibited came from the sites of the old pahs on Miramar, and had. lie explained, been used as knives or scrapers- Some of the specimens were semi-transparent, and, in the words of Mr Christie “must have boon very scarce.”

Til© Maoris did not appear to liave been able to work flint as readily as say the ancient Britons or the North American Indians. It was unusual to find flint adzes or tomahawks in Ncav Zealand.