Heritage rocks!

That’s the message Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga will be sharing at the upcoming Bay of Islands A&P Show at the Te Waimate Showgrounds on November 12. The Northland office of HNZPT will team up with colleagues at Te Waimate Mission to present Ngā Kōhatu o Aotearoa — a visual display illustrating some of the many different ways Mā ori used stone in their everyday lives, with archaeologists and other staff onsite to answer people’s questions. “The earliest generations of Mā ori settlers in Aotearoa were quick to understand the lithic resources that they found around the country, and the many different ways in which stone could be used,” said HNZPT Northland regional archaeologist Dr James Robinson. “We have some amazing images from different museum collections around the country that really capture the artistry and craftsmanship of the different artefacts — which range from everyday tools like adzes through to exquisite taonga made from pounamu.” People can check out Ngā Kō hatu o Aotearoa — and some of the giveaways — at Site 91.