Moa bones a significant find
When ancient moa bones were unearthed by a digger working on a new highway in Manawatu¯, an observer immediately knew the significance of the discovery.
The moa bones were discovered on the western side of the Ruahine Range last month, the site of Te Ahu a Turanga, the new Manawatu¯ Hawke’s Bay highway, which will replace the closed Manawatu¯ Gorge road.
Cory Skipper is a kaitiaki (guardian) for the project and he and an operator noticed the bones when a gully on the Ashhurst side of the range was being excavated.
He said it was a deep and spiritual moment.
‘‘I already knew how significant it was. I didn’t really need anybody to tell me.
‘‘I had already heard and felt it. The maunga [mountain] only reveals itself to its own.’’
Having previously worked as a butcher, when Skipper saw the bones in the bucket of the digger he knew immediately they weren’t from farmanimals.
The bones were taken from the site to Te Manawa museum in Palmerston North for a welcome ceremony yesterday morning.
The bones will undergo testing while at the museum to determine how old they are and where they came from.
More bonesmay be found according to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency project spokesman Lonnie Dalzell.
‘‘It’s the joys of an earthworks project, it’s the unexpected of what’s beneath the surface.’’
Discovery protocols are in place for during the dig, but this find was still unexpected.
Dalzell said it was a significant find for the project, the region and the country.
‘‘Moa bones have never been found in the region before. They’re significantly old.’’
The discovery hasn’t stopped construction, with work resuming around the area that was protected.
Site archaeologist Patrick Harsveldt said as they kept digging they started finding larger bones, but not a complete animal.
‘‘We were finding lower leg bones, the pelvis, some toe bones and vertebrae across about 4metres of the gully.’’
They will test the bones and samples of the hillside to determine their age. Moa became extinct in the 15th century.
He found no signs of any human activity at the site and no signs of the birds being butchered.
‘‘We’re dealing with a natural deposit in all likelihood, which would explain why there is at least two moa in the assemblage.’’
Kaitiaki representative Terry Hapi said it was significant to have found moa on the maunga from hundreds of years ago.
‘‘It’s really ancient, and I think the significance for Rangita¯ne o Manawatu¯ is great because we have joined a very small, but elite group from around the world that have become guardians to these ancient, prehistoric birds and bones.
‘‘It’s really significant, and it’s really important how we look after them.’’
He said after the testing and discussions with iwi, the bonesmay be returned to the maunga.
The Manawatu¯ Gorge road has been closed since 2017 due to slips. The replacement road is expected to be completed in late 2024.