Terms such as the “Māori Middle Ages” highlight the frustrating unknowns that still cloud this picture. Our new research now offers a more precise timeline.
But a series of new radiocarbon dates from twigs, bird bones and moa eggshells told a different story. The site had been used repeatedly between 1320 and 1440, rather than occupied for a single short period.
Archaeologists have traditionally divided early Māori history into three broad periods. The first, from around 1250 to 1400, was marked by the establishment of settlements and hunting of moa and other native wildlife.
Over the centuries that followed, their descendants developed new ways of obtaining food and forging communities. But there has long been uncertainty around when – and how quickly – these shifts occurred.
A different problem arises between 1480 and 1640, when radiocarbon levels in the atmosphere changed very little. This means remains from across that 160-year period can produce almost identical dating results, obscuring the timing of the transition to classic Māori society.
The findings from both sites provide a more nuanced picture of the changes that took place between early Polynesian settlement and the emergence of classic Māori society.
‘Wiggle-matching’ points to a longer history
The revised dates are consistent with other archaeological evidence, including two-piece shell fishhooks similar to those found at later Māori sites in Northland and the Coromandel. This helps resolve the discrepancy between what archaeologists found at the site and what earlier dating results suggested.
When the first Polynesian settlers arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand some 750 years ago, they found an environment very different to the lands they left behind.
Fiona Petchey
This greater precision brings us closer to connecting archaeological evidence with Māori oral traditions, which preserve accounts of events and communities from the past.
At Waihemo (Shag River Mouth), on the east coast of the South Island, archaeologists previously believed the site had been occupied for just 20 to 50 years during the 14th century.
The findings also showed that by around 1410, the food sources used by its inhabitants had shifted away from moa and seals towards greater reliance on shellfish, fish, dogs and birds found in the open countryside.
This is particularly problematic for the years between 1290 and 1400, making it hard to pinpoint when early settlements were occupied. As a result, archaeologists have often grouped sites within a broad 14th-century settlement period.
To overcome these challenges, we combined high-precision radiocarbon dating with statistical modelling that accounts for the order in which archaeological remains were deposited.
A less understood “transitional” period followed, before the emergence of “classic” Māori society around 1600, with more intensive food production, fortified settlements and distinctive cultural traditions.
We also found that ovens beneath these food remains belonged to a much earlier, discrete period, dating to around 1440.
P.S. Suwanski/Wikimedia Commons; Rod Wallace; Fiona Petchey, Author provided (no reuse)
By combining high-precision radiocarbon dating with detailed archaeological evidence from two sites, we have found that some economic changes began earlier than previously thought.
By analysing charred twigs and hīnau seeds – short-lived materials that provide more reliable dates than older, larger branches – we refined our dating models and narrowed down when discarded shellfish and fish bones accumulated, placing them around 1600.
A clearer picture of cultural change
We also used “wiggle-matching”, which compares patterns in radiocarbon measurements with known fluctuations in atmospheric carbon levels to narrow down their ages.
This longer timeline helps explain why artefacts associated with the earliest Polynesian settlers were found alongside objects from later periods. Rather than belonging to a single early occupation phase, they reflected a gradual change in activity at the same site.
We applied these methods to evidence from two important archaeological sites, allowing us to establish more precisely when they were occupied.
The author acknowledges the support and kaitiakitanga of mana whenua, as well as fellow researchers Atholl Anderson, Louise Furey, Simon Bickler, Gerard O’Regan, Matthew Schmidt, Roderick Wallace and Peter Sheppard.
Atholl Anderson, CC BY-NC-ND
Archaeological evidence suggested the site was occupied only briefly, but earlier radiocarbon dating indicated it had been used for several centuries.
The amount of radiocarbon in the atmosphere has fluctuated over the centuries, meaning remains from different periods can produce similar results.
At Kokohuia, overlooking the Hokianga Harbour in Northland, our findings helped resolve another long-standing puzzle.
Rather than dating developments to broad periods spanning centuries, these methods can narrow the timing of events to just 20 or 30 years – roughly a generation.
Radiocarbon dating allows archaeologists to estimate the age of ancient remains by measuring a form of carbon that gradually decays over time. But turning these measurements into precise calendar dates can be tricky.
