Pouerua Archaeological Landscape

Pouērua

New Zealand · Northland

FortressUnknown
Approximate period1,300 CE — 1,860 CEMāori period before European contact and early historical period See on the map ↓

In brief

The pā on the volcanic cone and the surrounding agricultural fields were investigated through extensive excavations in the 1980s. The site is important to Ngāpuhi history and allows Māori agriculture, settlement and defensive structures to be studied together.

What was found?

  • 1Terraced pā

    The terraces and defensive layout on the volcanic cone form the fortified Māori settlement. Its location and layout are also interpreted as a visible expression of authority alongside their defensive role.

  • 2Stone rows

    Stone rows and other garden features were recorded in the surrounding agricultural areas. These allow investigation of how the volcanic terrain was arranged for cultivation.

  • 3Cultivation mound and plant microremains

    Bottle gourd pollen, kūmara starch, and woody tissue cells were identified in the soil of a mound. According to researchers, these indicate that the plants in question were grown on or near the mound.

  • 4Shallow boundary ditches

    The shallow ditches in the landscape also cross over small hills. Researchers interpret them primarily as garden boundaries, probably also serving as walking routes, rather than as drainage features.

  • 5Kāinga settlements

    The remains of small, undefended settlements around the pā were mapped. These show the extensive settlement pattern formed by agricultural areas and houses together.

What does it point to?

Pouerua shows that communities cultivating fertile volcanic soils organized agriculture, housing, and defense within the same landscape. According to researchers, the increasing concentration of small, dispersed settlements over time is associated with changes in social organization.

What did it teach us?

  1. It showed that understanding Māori settlement also requires examining the gardens and small settlements surrounding pā.
  2. Plant microremains provided concrete evidence of which crops the agricultural features might be associated with.
  3. It revealed that not every ditch was dug to carry water; some may have served as land boundaries.

Record

Culture
Māori, Ngāpuhi
First modern dig
1982
Team / historical
Douglas Sutton; University of Auckland
Coordinates
-35.3700°, 173.9327°

Sources

  1. heritage.org.nz
  2. waitangitribunal.govt.nz
  3. aacai.com.au
  4. en.wikipedia.org
  5. Department of Conservation — Māori Gardening
  6. NZ History

Nearby excavations


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12.000

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