Haka

History of the AOTEA SCIENTIFIC RESERVE The Sandhills By Owen Wilkes (2)

THE SITUATION TODAY

Probably two thirds of the midden heaps sampled by Cassels have now disappeared - mostly they have blown away, although a few of them are re­buried. A few sites have emerged from the sand that were not visible when Cassels was active.

On the other hand ASR is now far more unique archaeologically today than it was then, because other similar assemblages of sandhill middens along the Waikato west coast are now largely destroyed while, relatively speaking, ASR is well preserved.

In particular there has been massive destruction of sandhill sites by ironsand dredging at Taharoa and pinetree logging at Kawhia. Sandhill sites at Nukuhakari and on Raglan north head have probably suffered worse wind erosion than those in ASR. Sites on the Smith and Morrison properties are now hidden by marram grass.

URGENT WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE

The most urgent issue at ASR exactly how fast the sand is being destroyed, that needs to be worked on is establishing moving and how fast archaeological sites are being destroyed.

Some idea of sandhill air photos, and there happening now we need movement in the past can be got from looking at old are air photos going back to 1943. But to tell what is good datum points from which to carry out measurements  at, say, one-year intervals. ground near the foot of each important sites. I suggest that waratahs be driven into the approaching dune in the vicinity of the more important sites.

The best way of determining how fast the middens are being destroyed is by re-photographing them at regular intervals. Many of them were photographed by Cassels in the early 70s and by Lands & Survey ranger John Greenwood in the late 70s, but I have so far been unable to re-locate more than 2-3 of these photos, and they are undated.

I started taking photos in 1997, and already it can be seen by looking at these photos that the middens are being blown away much faster than I at least previously thought. 

As a first step to trying to control erosion of sites I suggest that a geology student be encouraged to write a thesis on the geomorphology of the dunes - the mechanisms/that form them and move them, and the possible mechanisms for controlling their movement.

POSSIBLE FUTURE ARCHAEOLOGICAL WORK

Cassels made an important and worthwhile start to investigate a quite important topic - the inter-relationships between a prehistoric group of people and their local

environment. It could be very helpful for future environmental management and protection if his work was carried further. 

The biggest weakness in the Cassels work is that he had no chronological control. No-one knows how old the midden heaps are or whether they were accumulating

simultaneously or consecutively. The most important need is for good carbon dating of as many of the Cassels middens as can be re-­identified.

The midden analysis techniques used by Cassels were relatively crude. Using modern techniques a lot more information could be got from much smaller samples. For example fine-mesh sieving can yield tiny fish otoliths which can be identified, so that a picture of fishing activities can be built up even if there is no ordinary fishbone present (because it was usually eaten by kuri).

Microscopic examination of the shellfish themselves can indicate at what time of the year it was harvested, oxygen isotope analysis can indicate the temperature of the water in which the shellfish grew. Measuring the size of the shellfish could give an idea of the harvesting pressure being put on the harbour environment. All this could be done with very little further damage to the middens...continue on Aotea Scientific Reserve