Archaeology

Archaeology

Completed MA Theses
2015
Trilford, Danielle (2015): Seasonality at Wairau Bar.



Wadsworth, Tristan (2015): Relationship between Maori Pa and horticulture in the Marlborough Sounds.

2014
Clifford, Emma. (2014): “Taking Maori Tikanga into the Pakeha Paddock”: Understanding the Return of Koiwi Tangata/Human Remains in New Zealand.
The debate surrounding the return of human remains to indigenous communities has morphed from a contentious and hotly debated issue to an acknowledged part of many museums and institutions policies. The acceptance of an onus to return indigenous human remains to their descent communities has led to the opening of a dialogue worldwide. This dialogue, although varied in its success, is an important dialogue for the archaeological community to both understand and participate in, particularly as they become increasing involved. The aim of this thesis is to understand this dialogue in a New Zealand setting. This is done through an analysis of a case study of the process of return of koiwi tangata from Canterbury Museum to Rangitane o Wairau. This case study focused on the use of key participant interviews to highlight the dialogues within the process as well as the implications of that process. Ultimately, the case study highlighted the importance of partnership and communication in this dialogue as well as the practical nature of these discussions. The discussion of the case studies key themes in relation to wider New Zealand social, political and cultural traits as well as international case studies demonstrates a universally similar dialogue based on establishing cultural affiliation and the practicalities of reburial. However, the relationship between the crown and Maori in the form of the treaty of Waitangi, the precedent set by treaty settlement claims and the adoption of these principles and aspects of Maori tikanga by museums has resulted in a unique method of establishing descent as well as how the New Zealand dialogue functions.
Codlin, Maria (2014): Household Architecture and Religious Prosceiption in Pre-Contact Hawai'i.
In ancient Hawai'i, elites employed ideology as a way of acquiring and stabilising political and economic power. Material evidence of this is found in the numerous temples throughout the islands and in the formalised rules for constructing elite households. Ethnohistoric literature describes Hawaiian households as a collection of buildings with specific functional purposes. By segregating these activity areas, people were seen to observe kapu, a Polynesian ideological concept which, in Hawai'i, includes restrictions around gender and eating practices. This adherence was particularly vital to the elite as failure to observe kapu could pollute mana, the divine source of authority and power. However, it is unclear how kapu shaped the daily lives of non-elite Hawaiian society. This thesis addresses this problem by employing a high-detail GPS survey and assessment of
pre-contact households in a coastal section of Manuka, Ka'u district, Hawai'i Island. A number of attributes were identified from ethnohistoric accounts which would reflect the practice of religious orthodoxy in the home. The results suggest that kapu, and Hawaiian
religion more generally, was practiced in remarkably similar ways across the social ranks. Future research in this area will have important implications for how archaeologists view the kapu system, and will provide an avenue for research which has cultural significancefor Hawaiian communities today.
Lawrence, M (2014): Backyard Historical Archaeology: Unravelling past lives trhough analyses of the archaeological remains from 26 St. David Street, Dunedin.
This research focused on the archaeological remains from the 26 St. David Street site (144/548) in Dunedin, New Zealand. Although just one site, analyses illustrated that the archaeological remains represent multiple households and businesses from the second half of the nineteenth century into the early twentieth century. The examination of deposits, artefacts and historical records identified depositional processes and chronological timeframes, narrowing down potential contributors to the assemblage. Further analysis of specific artefact types and functions highlighted domestic and commercial activities that occurred at the site, as well as various relationships that formed and occurred within, between and beyond these residential and business spheres of the local neighbourhood. In these relationships and activities, such themes as sanitation and cleanliness, leisure and entertainment, and consumerism were explored. Moreover these investigations, alongside a brief analysis of artefact quality, elucidated how activities, interactions and individual expressions within a low middle- to working-class environment are positioned in regards to underlying roles, ideals and values associated with aspects of individual, household and community identities. The many private and public social interactions were highlighted as being of great importance for this growing and changing North Dunedin community. Furthermore, while natural and cultural formation processes effect what is represented archaeologically, the deposits and their contents provided a look into the regional, national and international processes and frameworks of an industrial world that have shaped the complex webs of past interactions, consumer choices, and daily practices reflected in the 26 St. David Street assemblage. ii
Potts, Kirsty N. (2014): Murihiku Pa:An Investigation of Pa Sites in the Southern Areas of New Zealand.
This Master's Thesis examines why there are fewer recorded pa (fortification) sites in Murihiku, the southern-most region of New Zealand. Previous research on pa sites has primarily focused on areas with high distributions of recorded pa, such as the Northland, Auckland and Waikato regions. This thesis examines the idea of the enclosure, using pa sites as a means through which to view variation in the form and function of enclosed sites. A testable methodology was formulated to establish a data set of archaeologically visible pa sites within Murihiku. Data was compiled from a range of sources, drawing upon archaeological, traditional, environmental and historical sources to produce a list of locations that has been identified, in some form, as pa sites. The resulting 31 sites were critically examined through field visits and the identifying attributes used to categorize these sites as pa. Subsequently, four archaeologically visible pa were confirmed; two prehistoric sites, Mapoutahi and Pa a Te Wera, and two historic sites, Te Waiateruati and Te Kiri o Tunoho. The nature of pa and their role in the late prehistoric period in Murihiku was investigated in order to evaluate the theories on why there are so few pa recorded. Pa sites are part of a dynamic and fluid continuum of site types that range from open to fully enclosed sites. The positions of these sites reflect the locations of socio-economic events, particularly the focus in the late prehistoric period on the east Otago coast. The historic pa appear to have developed in response to more external events, occurring to the north and south of Murihiku. Pa were important occupation sites within the settlement pattern, however, a lower population, varying motivations for warfare and their location south of the horticultural line should be considered as reasons for the fewer number of recorded pa sites in the region. This research project offers a new perspective on settlement in the late prehistoric period in Murihiku. Furthermore, it illustrates the value of understanding enclosed settlements in the occupational history of Murihiku, even though features such as pa are not as common or widely distributed as their northern counterparts. This study supports recent interpretations of Maori pa as multifunctional, multifaceted and complex sites that changed through time.
2013
Alderson, Helen A (2013): The Political Economy of Monumental Architecture at Nan Madol, Pohnpei, Federated States if Micronesia.

Nan Madol is a monumental 2,000-year-old mortuary and administrative site. It was the seat of the island’s rulers, the Saudeleur, between A.D. 1200-1300 and A.D. 1500-1600. Nan Madol consists of 90+ artificial islets, stretching over 60 ha in the lagoon of Pohnpei, in the Federated States of Micronesia. Each islet was built from columnar basalt, boulders, and coral. Indigenous traditions link a dynamic political narrative strongly with the building of Nan Madol that involves the rise and fall of the Saudeleur. Monumental architecture built under the direction of the elite is a form of materialised ideology and can be interpreted to provide an understanding of past political development. As such this thesis asks: how does the investment in building monumental architecture, as tracked by columnar basalt used at Nan Madol, compare with Pohnpeian indigenous political history? Investment expended in building Nan Madol is examined in two ways. Firstly, 222 basalt stones are geochemically identified to source using a portable PXRF machine. Secondly, labour estimates are performed on 207 basalt columns. The resulting data is reviewed through a chronology that uses indigenous history, the results of previous archaeology, and a new architectural seriation for the islet Nan Dawas. The source and labour data illustrate a pattern of island-wide involvement in building Nan Madol, resource depletion of a specific source, and what appears to be a peak in labour around the 13th century before a decline. When compared with indigenous traditions, the data adds another layer to our understanding of Pohnpeian political history.

Bell, Alexander (2013): The Sweet Potato Factory. An Archaeological Investigation of the Pouerua Cultivation Landscape.
Pouerua is a volcanic cone at the centre of a large archaeological landscape in the inland Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand. The volcanic cone has been extensively modified by Maori in the past, and the surrounding landscape shows similar levels of widespread modification. The results of the field surveys and the investigation of the horticultural features indicated that the horticultural landscape at Pouerua was not one large development but rather a series of smaller constructions that overlapped and abutted one another. The interpretations od the horticultural data were used to investigate whether temporal and spatial change could be identified in the surviving horticultural systems. The results of the investigation of both the individual horticultural features and the horticultural systems was used to investigate how the cultivation landscape at Pouerua related to the numerous pa and kainga in the area. This section examined whether the horticultural features could be use to The results of this study suggest that the horticultural aspect of the Pouerua landscape underwent a series of changes in a similar vein to the pa and kainga within the same area.
Woods, Naomi (2013): Artefacts and Community Transformations. The Material Culture of Nineteenth Century North Dunedin.
Large quantities of artefacts have been recovered from development-based archaeological investigations in North Dunedin during the last decade. There has been no attempt, however, to draw this material together and develop a picture of the neighbourhood as a whole. This area, as with the rest of Dunedin, experienced major economic and social transformations during the second half of the nineteenth century as a result of colonisation, the gold rush of the 1860s, economic depression once this boom was over and the process of industrialisation in the 1880s and 1890s. The aim of this thesis was to discover whether these transformations are visible in the material culture record and if the artefacts can add to our understanding of these processes and how they affected the people living in North Dunedin at this time. This analysis of the nineteenth century North Dunedin community was conducted without the highly contextual household information that usually forms the basis of community studies, instead using the evidence gathered from the material culture itself. The artefacts from one primary study site (234-242 George Street} were analysed directly while the material from the rest of the study area sites was evaluated through data presented in excavation reports. Evidence relating to the massive influx of wealth and people that came with the gold rush, the hardship faced by many businesses after this gold ran out and the social and economic effect of industrialisation were all able to be identified in the material culture, as was the development of a distinct North Dunedin identity. Comparisons were then made between the North Dunedin findings and other colonial communities that have been studied in a similar way, which revealed that parallel processes were affecting many British colonial cities at the end of the nineteenth century, but the ways in which they were handled was often unique and contributed to each city's character. These results not only demonstrate the possibilities of less context driven community studies but also highlight the potential of development-based archaeological investigations and reports as invaluable academic resources.
2012
Chen, Yi-Lin (2012): Time if Transition: Patterns of Obsidian Exchange and Utilisation during the Lapita and Pot-Lapita Periods on Watom Island, Papua New Guinea.
The aim of this research is to investigate the nature of the social and economic transition occurring between the Lap ita to post-Lapita periods on the island of Watom, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. Archaeological obsidian from the localities of SAC, SAB, SDI and SDI6 is studied via provenance analysis (PIXEPIGME and PXRF) and technology analysis, in order to examine the spatial and temporal differences in obsidian source selection and usage. Results from the analysis undertaken revealed continuities and discontinuities in obsidian use between the Lapita and the later transitional periods. Continuity is demonstrated by the consistent use of expedient technology the complete absence of resource maximization during the two periods. Finally, the dominant use of obsidian originating from West New Britain (mainly the sub-sources of Kutau/Bao and Mopir) and the use of Admiralty obsidian (mainly the sub-source of Umrei) as a secondary supply of obsidian were constant over time. Discontinuity between the phases was demonstrated by an increase in the quantity of obsidian transported into the island and the rising dominance of West New Britain obsidian (especially the Mopir sub-source) in the transitional phase. From the results summarized above, it was argued that changes in social distance and/or exchange relationships occurred over time. That is, while the communities on Watom Island maintained exchange relationships with groups in the direction of the Admiralty Islands during the later periods, they had closer social ties with those in the West New Britain source region. Furthermore, the presence of a highly concentrated distribution network of Mopir obsidian within the localized region of Watom and the Duke of Yorks during the transitional phase was proposed. The existence of this localized network raises the possibility of regionalization taking place, and also suggests a close social relationship between communities from the two locales.
Hauman, Cathleen (2012): What's Cooking? An archaeological residue analysis of ceramics from Thailand.
Residue analysis is a relatively new method of investigating the past, and an analysis of ceramic residues has never been undertaken in Southeast Asia. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this type of analysis could successfully be carried out in the Southeast Asian context. Following this, the aim was to, as accurately as possible, identify the sources of the ceramic residues. Sherds were collected from four sites in Thailand, Ban Non Wat, Ban Salao, Khok Phanom Di and Nong Nor. Residues were extracted from these sherds using a solvent in a Soxhlet apparatus. The extracted fatty acids were analysed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry in the Departments of Chemistry and Human Nutrition at the University of Otago. Carbon isotopic signatures were also obtained using gas chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry in the Department of Chemistry. The fatty acid results suggested an organic source for the residues from all the pots. The most likely food sources were plant, fish or mammal, or a combination of these. The 13C isotopic results showed that the most likely source was a C3 plant, or an animal feeding on these plants. The faunal data from the archaeological sites support these conclusions. In conclusion this study showed that residue analysis 1s a viable avenue of archaeological enquiry in Southeast Asia.
Garland, Jessie (2012): Medicating Miners: The Historical Archaeology of the St Bathan Cottage Hospital.
The following research examines the nature of health care provision in Central Otago during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century through an archaeological and historical investigation of the St Bathans cottage hospital. Material excavated from a cesspit on at the hospital site has provided the basis for a detailed investigation of the practice and provision of medical care in the settlement and surrounding district from the early 1890s until the 1920s. The information derived from analysis of the archaeological assemblage has been combined with documentary sources to provide a comprehensive illustration of medical and domestic life at the cottage hospital, with an emphasis on the relationship between the dual function of the building as both a domestic residence and medical institution. This has, in turn, been used to explore the way in which the cottage hospital interacted with its wider social and geographical context on a local, national and international scale, including how that context influenced and was adapted to the day to day operation of a small health care institution in rural New Zealand.
Mitchell, Peter (2012): Tracks and Traces. An Archaeological Survey of Railway Construction Related Sites on the Otago Central Railway.
The focus of this thesis is the archaeology of workers' camps associated with the Otago central Railway. The railway was begun in 1880 and completed in 1920. Using the historical record in conjunction with remote sensing and site survey, this thesis separates site related to the construction of the Otago Central Railway from those involved with the everyday operation and maintenance of the line. Eight sites are investigated using a two site type model to determine whether a site was a Public Works Department site or that of a private contractor. The research has shown that Public Works Department camps were situated in the most favourable locations while those of the private contractors' were located as near to the work at hand as possible.

Teele, Benjamin (2012): Style Vs. Substance: Understanding Prehistoric Samoan Pottery Production on the Island of 'Upolu using Stylistic and Chemical Techniques.
This study focused on prehistoric pottery production patterns in the Lapita and plainware periods from the islands of 'Upolu and Manono, Samoa. Incorporating a holistic approach to excavated pottery assemblages, stylistic, temper and clay analysis was undertaken to identify whether initial production technology matched a larger regional signature and to test how production strategies changed through the plainware phase. Ceramics were sampled from Auckland War Memorial museum collections of five previously excavated sites. This encompassed the only known Lapita site of Mulifanua, as well as a range of temporally and geographically distinct plainware sites located along the north coast of Manono and 'Upolu. A combination of stylistic and physico-chemical techniques were undertaken to determine the full range of production variation present in Samoan ceramics. Stylistic analysis is a common method on Lapita assemblages, providing insight into distinctive cultural markers and regional cultural suites. This technique is, however, limited on plainware assemblages due to restricted vessel forms and an almost complete absence of decoration. Therefore, chemical analysis was undertaken using an electron microprobe on the temper and clay components of 149 sherds to produce data on production patterns associated with the plainware and Lapita phases. The results of the stylistic analysis confirm a lack of distinctive features on plainware pottery, and argue against the thin/thick ware division established for pottery assemblages in the archipelago. Two of the plainware sites, Falemoa and Jane's Camp show strong similarities in forms of decoration to the only known Samoan Lapita site of Mulifanua. A red decorative slip is recorded from these three sites, matching similar descriptions from assemblages on other islands within the archipelago and further afield. The presence of a carinated vessel from Jane's Camp suggests continuity in vessel forms between Lapita and early plainware sites. Early or transitional plainware sites might therefore be characterised by more diverse vessel forms then is currently established.The results of the chemical analysis indicate that almost all pottery was produced locally, with the number of resource procurement zones declining over time and a change in production techniques. Initial production utilised a variety of sources, most centred on the coast. Through the plainware period the focus shifts towards inland sources, with pottery produced at the end of the sequence from Sasoa'a showing a marked change to local trachytic tempers. The homogeneous nature of 'Upolu makes differentiating clay sources difficult, but they appear to match a pattern of local production. This research shows how production patterns for initial 'Upolu settlement were established, including the plainware period, an area currently understudied in Pacific archaeology. Initial colonisation by a Lapita people at Mulifanua was shown to be reflective of a larger regional colonising strategy, utilising the same production technologies and stylistic elements. There appears to be strong continuity in pottery production between the Lapita colonisers and the subsequent plainware settlements. Pottery production is local, with vessels becoming thicker and more heavily tempered over time, suggesting either changes to resource access or the exhaustion of quality clays. Overall production patterns for the two islands match previous work undertaken from other islands in the archipelago. This research provided a key quantifiable dataset and offers the opportunity to further expand prehistoric ceramic studies from Samoa. This thesis has shown continuity in pottery production between Lapita and plainware phases, and suggests the Samoan identity is descendant from the first people to colonise its islands.
2011
Brown, Andrew A. (2011): Material Culture Traditions of Prehistoric Murihiku.
In the last two decades advances in archaeological understanding of radiocarbon dating have led to the re-establishment of settlement of New Zealand at around 1300 A.D., a shortening of the prehistoric sequence by up to 500 years. These developments have over turned pre-existing models of regional culture change throughout New Zealand. While much information regarding change in Murihiku or southern New Zealand exists, little of it has been conceived within the ‘short chronology’. This thesis aims to re-develop an understanding of change in the region through the use of material culture studies. Two material culture traditions, adzes and fishhooks, from Murihiku were analysed in this research. Artefacts were subjected to paradigmatic classification and the frequency of resulting types used in the seriation of sites and cladistics analysis. Seriation also provided a means of plotting the development of individual character traits through time. The results of analysis showed a high degree of continuity across all sites in regards to the occurrence of artefacts, however, based on the frequency of forms seriation proved to accurately order the sites chronologically. Diachronic analysis of characters within the adze and fishhook traditions also provided interesting information. The adze tradition appeared to exhibit a constriction in the range of characteristics and the rise of simplistic and ubiquitous forms. Conversely fishhooks showed an increase in elaboration over time. The results of this analysis suggest that, relative to other regions, the change in Murihiku is conservative. This pattern may be the result of continuity in many economic activities, for which material culture traditions had been adapted, throughout the prehistoric period due to the absence of horticulture in the region.