Award for Mangahawea Bay excavation
The Arakite Trust, which led a two-week archaeological excavation at Mangahawea Bay. on Moturua Islands, in the Bay of Islands in January, and more recently a three-day wa¯nanga on traditional voyaging and navigation, has won the New Zealand Archaeological Association (NZAA) Public Archaeology award, which was presented at the association’s conference on Stewart Island.
The excavation and wa¯nanga were funded by the Lottery Tuia — Encounters 250 Programme, and was supported by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, the Department of Conservation, the University of Otago and Te Rawhiti Marae.
Heritage New Zealand’s Northland regional archaeologist Dr James Robinson, who with Department of Conserva- tion ranger Andrew Blanshard accepted the award on behalf of the trust, said it was an acknowledgement of the trust’s commitment to engaging with the public in a way that increased understanding and appreciation of New Zealand’s rich archaeological heritage.
The trust had organised a public open day during the excavation, as well as last month’s wa¯nanga and a historic cruise of the Bay of Islands.
“In terms of fostering engagement with the public and archaeology, the project has been a major success, quite apart from the archaeological significance of the work that was undertaken, which would never have happened without the trust’s commitment to this kaupapa,” Dr Robinson said.
“Archaeology, traditional history and the hard sciences are different data bases, but when combined together can create something bigger than the sum of their individual parts.”
According to NZAA Council president Katharine Watson, the Mangahawea Bay excavation project ticked all the boxes.
“Criteria for winning the award include making a contribution towards the identification, protection and preservation of archaeological sites, the enhancement of public awareness, enjoyment of and education about archaeology, and the strengthening of the relationship between Ma¯ori and the archaeological community. The programme led by the Arakite Trust engaged the interest of hundreds of people who visited the site over the two-week excavation, as well as thousands of New Zealanders who learned about the excavation through extensive media coverage, which included national radio, television and press.”
The citation noted that in 2017 a partnership project between DoC, Nga¯ti Kuta and Patukeha, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and the University of Otago revisited an unpublished 1981 excavation at an early settlement site at Mangahawea Bay. Korero between the parties during the project, run under the tikanga of Matutaera Te Nana Clendon, revealed a confluence of interest in both Ma¯ori and European perspectives on Pacific voyaging, and specifically on how, when and why Polynesians settled in New Zealand.
“The project is a large, ongoing programme with a focus on recognising and understanding early settlement of Aotearoa through archaeology and traditional knowledge,” it added. “When combined, archaeology and traditional knowledge provide a powerful tool to explore the past, including Austronesian, Polynesian, Ma¯ori and European voyaging, settlement and adaption. The basis of this project is around community involvement, opportunities to tell their stories and recognition of these stories.
“The result of this work will not only provide highly significant information in terms of archaeology, but will provide a blueprint on how public archaeology can be successfully carried out for years to come.”