that time. They described areas of cultivation and of bracken fern and the location of
karaka trees, also where faunal protection was in place in the form of a rahui on rats,
eel and kiwi. They noted that kauri and totara timber was provided for fencing, road
making, telegraph poles and canoe construction. Kauri gum was also collected. A
stone with ‘tattoo markings’ on it near a sacred house (at Makarau) was documented
and local tribes (? or hapu) mentioned in association with the land included
Ngatituanawe, Ngatipakau, Ngatihua and Mahurehure (Northern Minute Books Nos.
2 and 9).
In 1909 the block was partitioned and the 500 acres containing P06/82 became known
as Punakitere 2A2. Four hundred and fifty acres was recommended for leasing by the
Maori Trustee while the remainder was to be occupied by seven owners.
Subsequently, multiple owners occupied Punakitere 2A2 under the guidance of the
Maori Trustee until 1956, when the whole of the block was sold to Tokowha Tomuri
(Northern Minute Books No. 9 a.r1d 35 , Block File 4A). It was partitioned in 1960 for
rating purposes and again in 1964. Reuben Fasher, a farmer, purchased block 2A2B2
from the Maori Trustee in 1973 and it was resold more recently for farming purposes
to the current owners.
3.0 SITE DESCRIPTION
P06/82 is a waterlogged inland site on a farm to the southwest of Iiaikdhe (see Fig. 1). '
It is located on the periphery of a basalt lava flow, in a small depression containing a
spring which once fed directly into the Kaupae stream.
The course of the stream has since been altered and straightened by the present owner
and the location of the site dammed to form a stock water supply. Newly.sown
pasture covers the surrounding gently rolling farmland and basalt boulders edge the
north-eastern end of the dam. The farm, ‘M. T. Holdings’ runs a variety of stock and
is owned by Maureen Hyett and Terry Wooldridge of Kaikohe.
In 1993 the stock pond measuring approximately 29 x 15m in size, was deepened
using a mechanical excavator leaving a central 16 x 2.5m ‘island’. An assortment of
artefacts were found by the owner in the resulting spoil heap.
4.0 THE EXCAVATION
The investigation was essentially a salvage excavation of the central ‘island’ and
certain relatively undisturbed areas on the slopes of the site before it was re-flooded as
a stock water supply.
It began with a small ceremony conducted by local Kaumatua, Mr Ron Wihongi and
attended by members of the tangata whenua and Mr Jack Lee, a local historian. One
of this group, Mr Colin Rameka, later assisted with the excavation.
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