Internet Archaeol. 16. Phillips. Archaeological data

2.2 Archaeological data

Amazingly, a significant number of Māori settlements were constructed along the low-lying riverbanks, and a series of fortifications (pā) and small undefended settlements or small villages (kāinga) have been archaeologically recorded there (Phillips 2000a) (Fig. 3). These settlements were probably occupied between AD 1450-1850 (all but one of the radiocarbon dates from six pā and three kāinga date between 1550-1750 cal AD at 1 s.d). Of particular interest is the observation that nearly all the settlements downstream from the Hikutaia junction were constructed on foundations of sub-fossil shell.

Concentrations of settlement occurred at the confluences of the major eastern tributaries with the Waihou River. Among these was the extremely large fortification (2ha) of Oruarangi, which was between 2 and 8 times greater than the others. Settlement models, such as central place theory, would interpret the pā as the principal sites with the smaller kāinga as satellites, while Thiessen polygons and catchment analysis would divide the river banks into territories based on the centrality of the defensive settlements. However, the pā are not regularly spaced and tend to be in groups of 2-4 with intervening spaces varying between 1 and 8km, so that the resulting territories would be of a very uneven size. Undefended villages also tend to be similarly grouped. Again the standard analyses would suggest that the larger distribution gaps related to spaces between polities.

Problems commonly associated with archaeological surveys were present here too, including the lack of surface features in most settlements, destruction and damage by recent farming and drainage, and a blanketing of silt over some settlements.