Tangata Whenua

under construction

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This is a revisit of the post of 27th February and asks a controversial question. Can you really call yourself Maori if you have anything less than 1/2 portion descent. Some will agree and others will disagree...but hear me out.

Yes, we said we'd be in by now. Yes, it's taking longer than expected...and yes, that's life sometimes. If you had to do by hand what we have been doing in a confined space you would understand but we are progressing. Here are some photo's of progression of entry without giving away too much.

If you are here for the first time, and want to follow our journey from the beginning, make sure you read the section in the tab above "Why this blog was started". It will help you understand why we post and comment the way we do while our search is on.

Do ancient tall skeletons of an extinct race, rumored to exist in NZ, actually real. This article asked the question - the basis of our search, showing an design from an inscribed rock in the Matira Valley. Our interest is in the original inhabitants before Maori arrived. Even Maori acknowledge that there were some ancient ones different to themselves...

Tangata Whenua are what the original inhabitants called themselves. When early Maori arrived in scattered vessels, over time, they began interacting and interbreeding. The children of those unions assumed the title in the same way the child of an immigrant born here refers to himself as those around him - a Kiwi. 

Most know about the so called 'tattooed' rocks at Raglan. They were not carved by Maori, they were carved by the ancient ones and the symbols are far removed from Maori origin, and visa-versa. But very few will know that a few similar rocks were found in a valley south of Waikaretu and that they now lie at the Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngaruwhahia. 

The treaty was for the benefit of those who 'owned' the lands at the time of signing. Note however, that the musket wars changed the landscape and many had little or no lands left to claim. And that is just the Maori that the Europeans encountered. No previous peoples who were here before had any such protection by the Crown, and few Pakeha even knew they existed at that time. 

Although some will see the pictures of the tattooed rocks in previous post and this one and think 'oh, here's another weird Celtic origin website', you are very wrong. Whilst that theory has merit it cannot be proved yet. But who did carve those rocks? Our concern is not so much where the carvers of these stones came from - but that they existed. The purpose of this blog is only to present evidence that is irrefutable, clear and obvious. 

If you are on this blog you will probably know about the story of Tameana and Hineana caves. What is on most sites has been copied and pasted many times. It is said they are inaccessible, and that a third cave holds many of the 'tall ones' dead. Tameana is very big and easily navigated to start with - and it is easy found. Hineana, the more beautiful cave, is smaller but opens up inside... 

The Matria proves to be frustrating. Even with GPS coordinates and obvious features, the entrance remains covered. No point trying to enter something that could well be 2 metres away, GPS is not that accurate. Or we could be standing on top of it! But what exists under the trees nearby is unlike anything around about. It is also noted as an archaeological site. (By the way, this isn't the burial site). 

All rock carvings in NZ are unusual in that Maori did not carve rock as an art form. There are early Maori sites where they have 'painted' or drawn with charcoal on limestone cliff faces in Canterbury or North Otago. But there are sites of carved rock in Waikato, Coromandel, and as far down as the coast curving around Mt Taranaki. Taranaki makes sense because the 'tall ones' were on the west coast near Raglan anyway. 

Cave 1 is a long hollowed out cave entrance that opens up far inside. This shot was taken from halfway along the tiny entrance using a camera on a long pole. The dark spot is where the main cave starts we think. That is where they are... (apologies for photo clarity, it's difficult to move in that confined space). 

In 1930, a book written by James Cowan was published. Within it are some interesting comments about those he encountered. Keep in mind that when the observations were made (in the 1920's) Maori had only been interbreeding with Europeans for about 40 years in any real numbers. Obviously it has been occurring sporadically since the early 1800's.

There is much discussion (yet little proof) that whenever the 'tall ones' skeletons are discovered they do not have the traditional rocker jaw. It is said that this is because these 'first ones', the real Tangata Whenua, did not come from Polynesia or Melanesia, but from elsewhere. Once again, it is not my job to suggest where they came from.

If you are into all things Maori, you will have heard about the lady of the lake in Fiordland. She is purported to be a Maori maiden trussed up in tree stump on an island near Lake Hauroko. In fact she is in a cave in a cleft above the eastern shoreline of Mary Island on Lake Hauroko in Fiordland. 

Maori told early European stories of a people with red hair and lighter skin. But there were no stories about them being tall...or were there? In every case where tall skeletons are reported, there are what is described as a whole cache of them. So if the Urukehu are not tall, (the old Maori stories don't say they are) - who the heck are these 'tall ones', if in fact they do exist?

Legends of giants occur everywhere. But bones are hard to find once people say they discover them. There are lots of old black and white photos of the tall ones found in the USA in the 1800's. Even Native Americans have legends of giants - every race in every time period in history does. Most were hunted to extinction.

This post was written based on my frustration with an insistence that rock piles around the country were Celtic beehive houses. No evidence or logical presentation had ever been produced and I decided to challenge that. Some got upset, so I encouraged them to produce the evidence. None has been forthcoming. We at Tangata Whenua are all about evidence unless we state otherwise.

Where did the Tangata Whenua come from, and where did the Maori who came later arrive from? Most say Hawaiki, but where was that. All around the Pacific there are similarities, more so with language and carving styles. This article proposes there is enough proof people were here before Maori but also of Pacific origin

These are taken at the Auckland Museum. Many are direct pacific influence yet are only dates about the year 1500. The second seems to have a definite Hawaiian influence. But I will say that no. 9 is not Maori-like at all. Anyone know what it looks like? No.8 almost looks like something from the north-west Pacific region (Alaska).

So while starting this site specifically about revealing the skeletons of the 'tall ones', I keep seeing other things and getting distracted. And just when you thought you have read and seen most things on the topic...up comes this curve ball. These are pictures from Ireland. The 2nd photo was taken at the Newgrange site (on left) and the 3rd is more recent after restoration.

At cave site 2 there are possible markers hinting where the entrance is, but as always this needs to be taken with a grain of salt (preferably with a nice juicy steak). The cave is near a water source, was broken open by a digger and covered over again. This general area is where the inscribed boulders at the Turangawaewae Marae came from. One odd shaped rock was completely out of place...

I found it mind-boggling that you could discover through the chemical signature locked in the bones what a man was eating and drinking. Most people are not aware of the types of information that you can collect from the human skeleton. You start with the age, sex, and ancestry. From there you can get into the details of his health, his pathology.

I see many sites where Ngai Tahu claim the rock drawings are part of their tipuna (their ancestral history). After 140 years of history how can you claim they are your ancestors when your true ancestors are still buried in the North  Island, the place Ngai Tahu flourished for 600+ years before they migrated south...(actually forced to leave by war - as was common then).

Did a sub-tribe of Waitaha carve this? Was it the 'stone people' - the Urekehu? Was it yet another ancient, small and unknown tribe here long before Waitaha emerged? Was it just one Maori experimenting with his version of modern art, trying to be the Picaso in his own time in the same way non-traditional rock carvings appear on the cliff face at Lake Taupo? 

Captured chiefs heads were displayed openly - so as to mock them. There were never buried. Sometimes they would return heads in peace negotiations that is how revered these heads were before the musket wars. A genuine Maori chiefs head is a very sacred and revered item.

If you have been on various sites to do with the skeletons of the 'tall ones' you will have read about the Tameana and Hineana caves. Some of it is true, I'm not sure where the rest came from. However, as promised earlier, we will now provide some photos of Hineana. And there is a surprise. 

This post involves an interesting piece of early NZ history. Below are pictures of a famous carving from the museum at Te Awamutu. Tainui call the carving Te Uenuku and it was a show piece of the famous Te Maori exhibition to the USA in 1984. The name means rainbow, but the carving resembles nothing like a rainbow.

Waitaha, those here before Maori arrived, have a tradition that came out in a song. Oral tradition passed down over generations and taught accurately and completely, is one of the most accurate forms of information transfer - learning it word by word until it is burned into your memory. Here is the tradition of Waitaha, and other traditions.

There is a rock called Tokahaere situated just off Aoteroa Rd, 6km south of Wharepapa South in the Waikato. The whole area is popular with rock climbers. Strange thing is - at the time of writing these are the only two photos on the internet of this famous rock. I will have to go and take some myself now.

Our real purpose - the main goal - the No.1 focus, remains on producing substantiated evidence of the lost 'tall ones' skeletons. Most of the other posts (sidesteps) are time fillers, but interesting none the less. So, please…no one stress out from either side. 

This article will help you understand the difficulties of definition of land ownership...and it's not what you think is normal. Many Maori can seem to have claim on a land for many reasons according to this example in the 1800's.

Pakomio Maori, who returned to Easter Island, in 1886 he was the last survivor of the Peruvian Slave Trade. Before the Puruvians, the Europeans had also taken some of Rapanui’s population away to work as forced labour. Pakomio had red hair and white skin, some say from a European sexual union. 

In 2011 at Anaweka Estuary on the rugged North-Western coast of the South Island a huge storm uncovered a 6 metre section of an ocean going waka hull later carbon dated to 1400AD. On the side of the hull was carved a beautiful representation of a sea turtle which to its rear has a ridged line that follows the curve of the hull. 

Patupaiarehe is the name given to the mythical fairy people of the forest. Some say it refers to the pakeha, meaning Europeans, yet pakeha [keha] actually means white spirits of the sea. Imagine what they thought when they saw white people sailing in large white sailed boats across the sea? But I wondered what the word Patupaiarehe really means. 

Down the coast from where the carved stones of Tongaporutu in Taranaki lie (see No.7 Petroglyphs post), is a site of interest at the Waitore Lagoon. Here are some photos of the excavation including an anchor stone. This anchor stone looks like a small number of other anchor stones on display in museums, but most Maori anchors eventually had holes.

The Korotangi - the Sacred Bird of Tainui, is yet another interesting and very odd non-Maori looking artifact. We previously discussed another on 3rd February. This one however, is accepted as a relic of Tainui people even though its manufacture, design, it's style and especially (they say they brought it with them) since the stone it's made from, says otherwise.

The Hatupatu carved stone beside State Highway 1 is just part of a whole line that once existed. Maori have two different stories. One is unlikely and the other completely fanciful. I say unlikely because Maori did not just set up memorials of carved stone to commemorate victories over enemies - certainly not 140 of them all in a straight line with one standing 2 metres higher than the other. 

Just four days ago I visited an archaeological site few know about. Koiwi (skeletal remains) were removed but the artefacts were reburied and the site now becomes a commercial site. Much more remains around the area and you can feel the history, imagine the area with the old thatched whare’s and people collecting shell fish. 

Haast's eagle is an extinct species of eagle that once lived in the South Island of New Zealand. It could be the Pouakai or Hakawai of Maori legend. It’s prey was the moa. The eagle became extinct around 1400, when its major food source, the moa, were hunted to extinction by Maori, when much of its dense-forest habitat was burned by them. 

The story goes that a Chinese junk fleet was destroyed by a comet that hit near NZ causing a huge tsunami that hit the island along with a huge fireball which burned all the forest of the entire South Island. The comet crater exists underwater between Campbell Island and Stewart Island apparently, and I’ve asked for the geological report I was told confirms it. It may indeed exist? But that’s not the red flag...!

If you live in Auckland and climb Mt Eden you might have seen this thing. Its a concrete pou with two inscriptions. On the left inside is a Maori quote which means: "From Te Pou Hawaiki to Te Kapua kai O Mataoho let us walk these ancient paths with our ancestors". On the right is some unknown language. I asked Ngati Whatua for an interpretation of the unknown language. They refuse to comment for some reason.

Carbon dating is to be part of our presentation of the 'tall ones'. This should prove interesting to say the least. However, I found something else during our research, because I spend a lot of time digging for information. One of the things that has been constant in most publications is the dating of  the arrival of the Maori to NZ. It has been said that they did not arrive before about 1280AD.

This artefact was found in a Maori village near Whangarei in the upper North Island and was used for cooking. Those at the village said they had used it for several generations. That would be about 150 years they had been using this artefact. It was found in 1836 so we can therefore assume that Maori found it around 1680-1690.

Issac Gilsemans, present on Abel Tasman's ship, drew a picture of giants seen on Three Kings Islands. He created engravings of huge native warriors, towering over the islands in New Zealand. Did they see a race of tall ones there or was it a fanciful mock up of the islands but tall ones seen elsewhere, or ....? The owners of the Great Barrier Lodge believe Gilsemans had probably seen the real thing. 

Some time prior to 1904, an iron helmet was dredged from the Wellington Harbour in New Zealand. My theory is it is French and arrived here via du Fresne where 25 of his men were attacked by Maori in the Bay of Islands. This tribe, Ngare Raumati has over 200 killed in retaliation but it is possible the helmet was taken or gift. Maori, as other native tribes, loved to take stuff where opportunity existed. 

In 2004 a skull found on the banks of the Ruamahunga River in the Wairarapa NZ. It turned out to be a Caucasian woman who died about 100 years before the area was settled by Europeans. It was found she was between 40 and 45 years old and died between 266 and 302 years ago - therefore she was alive in 1742 - 50 years prior to known European contact.

This post documents the last fight between North Island and South Island Maori and documents the racial slur Maori put on war and the taking of land when they did the same among themselves for 500 years prior. Don't take this post as anything other than stating historical fact.

The Moriori have long been discussed as whether they are part of the group of races known as Waitaha. I’m almost beginning to wonder whether there are no Waitaha but rather it was the name of the collective group, not a distinct tribe. However, I’ll explore that later. Moriori had a distinct dialect, lack of cultivated foods, a semi nomadic lifestyle following food sources and they often lived in circular huts. 

According to Maori legend we have our own Bigfoot. It is an old legend of a creature called the Mohau. It is known by many names depending where in NZ you lived (which shows that different cultures lived here who had different names for it otherwise if  all arrivals came from Hawaiiki, they'd call it the same thing). Think about that one awhile! 

In all this, we are attempting to find evidence of the true tangata whenua - those here before Maori. The treaty was written in the language of the day, with people who believed things that those now do not. They called themselves tangata Maori - not tangata Whenua. 

This is a controversial question but treat it as an exercise in exploring roots and identity, regardless of race. Understand that there never was a Maori nation, only a collection of warring tribes all around the country, collectively referred to as Maori. Defining ‘Maori’ was to allow for a reference point when discussing Pakeha, its origins and meaning in today’s society. 

Who are the tangata Whenua? Legally it is recognized as the collective Maori tribes and this was put into law in 1974 to help with claims against the crown. Legal recognition of the name only had to do with land, ownership of, and compensation for. But what does it really mean...? 

This interesting carving was found by Ellis Sinclair in a cave 1938 on the Otago Peninsular. The area used to be called Okia Flat. A full excavation was made but sadly the cave has since collapsed.

This item is in the Auckland Museum. here is the traditional information: This ancient carving was found in 1920 at the now drained Lake Tangonge, near Kaitaia. The angular forms, chevrons, decorative notching and the character of the central figure all suggest that it is an early development of Maori art from older Polynesian models. 

I had a brief discussion with someone recently on the FB connection when I posted something saying it was amazing to think that Maori were technically in the stone age in the 1700’s. The meaning was they used stone tools, not acted like cavemen. Yet one person of Maori descent got upset because of the European notion of 'ages'. 

...So we can see that traditions, genealogies, and relics all seem to point to human occupation long before the arrival of the six canoes, if not to a time thousands of years before the beginning of our era. The origins of the first ones in NZ could have come from anywhere north or east. 

Maori say they came from Hawaiki. But Hawaiki was a region, not a specific island as you will read below. They could have come from different regions in the Pacific to the religious hub before being expelled or even sent on their long journey to Aotearoa, keeping in mind the name Aotearoa is also Rarotongan!

Today we were to begin the entry to Cave 1. It now has to be delayed and I feel awkward because of the emotional connection to what's inside. But it will happen eventually and what we find will be described once full entry is achieved. The information on the 'tall ones' needs to be broadcast. I'm sure all of you reading this will agree. 

At Piha, there is a large pohutukawa that grows out of the top of a large rock and has sent soots down into the soil beneath to sustain it. To Te Kawerau a Maki the rock with the tree on it was sacred and was known as Te Kamaka. It is a rare example of a named tapu tree in the Auckland Region and in on the WCC Schedule for protection.

The Kati Mamoe (who came from the North Island) had a type of karma performed for what they had previously done to the original Waitaha occupiers of the land. It was therefore, almost a spiritual utu, as unfair as the Ngai Tahu slaughter was. Those who make war on peaceful people (such as the Moriori) reaped the seeds they sowed.

An interesting excerpt from an old journal on the history of the Waitaha.

Only 7 of these type of adzes are known in NZ, all of argillite and all in Northland close to the location of the notched Kaitaia carving (Orongotea - post no. 31). The type of adze is attributed to a very early Maori style.

Cannibalism was formerly prevalent amongst the New Zealanders and occured up until about 1965. The implacable desire of revenge which is characteristic of these people, and the belief that the strength and courage of a devoured enemy are transferred to him who eats him...

Ngāti Hotu were believed to have been part of the Tini o Toi Tribes of the Bay of Plenty tradition describes Ngāti Hotu as 'a very fierce and warlike people' whom it took many generations of warfare to destroy before the final battle around 1450. 

You will recall we discussed what one large tribe has said openly. Ngai Tahu assert... “that due to conflict and intermarriage these groups (Waitaha and Kati Mamoe) have become incorporated into Ngai Tahu, and are no longer distinct".  If that is true then Maori no longer exist as a race. They can exist only in legislation.

There is a drawing of an artifact that I found in an old journal, but before I talk about it, I will remind you of the pattern from one of the inscribed rocks at the Matira site that we revealed on our very first post on 8th January. This inscription is just one of several but it's pattern is unusual. 

We are seeing consistent growth in the number of people viewing this website. The counter (above right) has only been up since mid-February and it shows that many are interested in our task of revealing the long lost 'tall ones' - regardless of who they are, how long they have been here, or where they originate. 

In yesterday's note we briefly mentioned an artifact (International spelling) none of you reading this would have known about previosuly. It is an Asian styled figurine found at Mauku, 56km's south of Auckland City. There appeared to be nothing available about that item other than a brief reference from an old newspaper of 1919.

This is written not as an anthropologist would, exhaustively and in minute detail, but simply as a reflection of stories told by those who claim to know the races that existed beforehand. It is more of an anecdotal investigation of accepted Maori lore.

Just south of Muriwai is an interesting pa that, in 1925, was regarded as one of the most compelte undistrubed pa's in the Auckland region. There were some strabnge carvings in the trnch walls, some unusual pits dug into the walls and an Andesite pentagonal rock pillar common in Waikatere and the Raglan areas.

A three-armed stone remarkable artifact was found in the sand hills near Okehu, between Wanganui and Waitotara. Taranaki. Of course Taranaki and all the way up the west coast to Port Waikato is where most of the unusual artefacts have been found in NZ.

There is a lot of talk of giants around the world. Every continent has stories of them. Some of those stories will be based on fact and many will be embellished or made up from legends from elsewhere. The fact is, few skeletons have been presented for evidence. But absence of evidence does not always mean evidence of absence.

Recently we went back across to Kūwaha Tāwhetaana to plan the entry procedure. From final excavation, to lights required inside the cavern, safety of entry to security (it's paramount no one knows where it is and when it occurs), even a CO2 meter. 

Previous posts on 8th, 15th and 28th January covered a little about the Matria site. This is where the incised rocks came from that are still at Turangawaewae Marae and included two special designs shown below. Matria is where the story of the cave of the tall ones first started except many said it was Waikaretu. In fact the contractor advises that story was actaully about Matira Rd.

Lots of stories have surfaced over the years about bones being sent to the fertilizer works in Auckland. Some, such as Scott Hamilton and others have refuted the idea. That is quite expected really for there is no documented proof of it and they are simply reacting in a normal way to certain claims made. 

In our previous article on this artefact we covered the story of the carved bird, how it was found and Tainui's subsequent claim that it was the sacred bird mentioned in their traditional song. Here we examine the story in regard to reality vs tradition. If you haven't read the Korotangi article -  do so now. (22:The Stone Bird - 12th February  http://tangatawhenua16.wix.com/the-first-ones-blog#!22-The-Stone-Bird/cgla/56b01b0a0cf2b4e0b614379c) 

IN 1878 my people stocked the native grass belt on the West Coast, by Dargaville, with sheep, the first adventure in sheep-farming on the Wairoa. There were no fences, and my task in shepherding caused me continually to traverse the coastal belt, from Maunganui Bluff half way to Kaipara Heads...

We have mentioned before that there are similarities between North-West American (Haida) cultures and Pacific cultures that suggest contact, travel to and from or migration of some 2000 years ago at least. 

This is part of an old and long article by the well known Elsdon Best so I thought I'd copy parts of it that related to reaching NZ. Unroll the world's map and look upon the vast area of the Pacific Ocean - the Mare Pacificum and Mar del Sur of old-time writers, the Great Ocean of Kiwa of the Maori, the realm of romance and home of the Lotus-eaters. 

It seems that when the overhang with it's carvings was first discovered, local Maori knew nothing about them. As with many unusual discoveries, this seems the oddest factor - that local natives knew nothing of certain discoveries prior to them being exposed. This is even stranger considering Maori pride themselves on the accuracy of their oral history and traditions! How could this happen?

Hawaiian lore has long held that ancient voyagers came to Hawaii from what is now French Polynesia and then returned, time and again. In fact, a point on the island of Kahoolawe, named Kealaikahiki  - "the way to Tahiti"  - is believed to have been a popular starting point for the voyage back south. 

From time to time, incidents connected with the “lost” Maori tribe of the lower South island figure in the news, and many people are given to wonder what it is all about. A few years ago, the subject received a big revival, following the discovery by a deer-stalking party of a naked footprint, in the sand at the head of one of the remote fiords. 

Most of us have heard about the Kon-Tiki expedition and all the subsequent spin off expeditions - some of which failed. It all started back in 1947 with a Norwegian called Thor Heyerdahl. Thor believed that Polynesians were connected to Easter Island and that Easter islanders came from Peru.

In 1939, 13-year-old schoolboy Jim Eyles, whose family lived and farmed on the bar, discovered what has come to be described as the greatest archaeological find in New Zealand history. Searching for “Maori curios”, he came across an unexpected cavity in the ground. Using a piece of No 8 wire, he dug out what he first thought was a gourd but which proved to be a 20cm moa egg.

There have been many stories of discoveries that supposedly pre-date Maori where we have been told have been hushed up, destroyed or covered over. I'm both a skeptic and a believer if you can imagine that. I take the position of the receiver i.e "I sort of believe you, but prove it to me anyway". The only way to prove these rumours is by one manner and one manner only - providing evidence of tall skeletons.

Many unusual artifacts that defy explanation have been found around NZ. The Okehu tribrach, The Kaiatia carving, The Korotangi, the objects from Waverley and various rock inscriptions, and the lunate pendants.  There are only two lunate pendants that are known in NZ. Both are in the bottom of the South Island in original Waitaha territory who had mingled with the Kahui Tipua.

Fig. 21 represents a human figure in soapstone from D'Urville Island. The suspension hole has been cut, not drilled. The style is what is usually described as “late,” or “typically Maori,” a style which, in the South Island, appears to be most strongly represented in the Nelson province. Duff states that soapstone occurs in the mineral belt, adjacent to baked argelite, at D'Urville Island and elsewhere in Nelson province. 

Fashioned from soapstone, this amulet is described as an abstract human form drilled to be hung around the neck on a cord. The face of this amulet, notably in the formation of the nose and jaw, is perhaps more like that of an animal than a human. The simplified body relates to that of the human form however. 

Below is a collection of photos all from Te Papa this time. They show an interesting array of pendants (Maukaki) mainly from the South Island and one from Wanganui (use the search bar above to find more unusual items from Wanganui).  

Below is a collection of 4 similar shaped pendant/amulets. The first is at Te Papa and is a well known example in bone from ....and said to be made before 1600AD and was found in 1936 by railway workers at Kaikōura inside a fibre package buried beneath a dead tree and has Marquesas characteristics. 

The Pitcairn Islands which comprise of Pitcairn and a low lying island called Henderson Island, Ducie Is, and Oeno Is, have revealed statues with evidence of eastern and western Pacific cultural influences. The only conclusion to be made is that much Pacific voyaging took place in both directions (or did it?)

Around 1992 Maxine Stringer found an unusual carving in the sand hills of Pouto at the Kaipara-Hokianga coast. Noel Hilliam recovered the item and it now sits in the Dargaville Museum. He has said, as many believe that it is of Waitaha origin (200AD+) and not Maori who came 1000 years later from Polynesia. We know Maori did not come from the east so that is important to note.

We all know of the birdmen rocks of Rapanui, the carved rocks of Easter Island that have fascinated many for as long as the Moai have. Rapanui is a strange Island in many ways and there are many theories about who was there first, who came next, where they went and why they left. 

We have delayed release of actual digs and these have already begun. The name doesn't represent the actual cavern, just the diabolical entrance to it. Someone filled this in a certain way to try prevent an re-entry by anyone else. You can tell by the way the dirt hides clay and the clay is on top of a layer of rocks and almost requires crowbars to release it. 

Back in the 1800's and even up to 1965, in museums, Maori preserved heads were able to be seen with red hair...alongside those with black hair. We are told that death renders all hair red. Not so according to personal observation of these heads. 

WE may go quiet for a week or so so won't have time to produce anything new, so here we repeat some older info.

Back on 29th February I posted about an artefact from Dunedin called the Okia Artefact. Here is the link for the post from that date. http://tangatawhenua16.wix.com/the-first-ones-blog#!Sidestep-The-Okia-artefact/cgla/56be6dfa0cf2a547431d0c80      As a reminder here are a few photos of that rare and unusual piece.