Sidestep: Maramaratotara petroglyph site

This one of a kind site exists in a small grove of trees on Flaxmill Stream on the Coromandel Peninsula. It is more of a recumbent petroglyph than most on cliff walls etc. It was carved around two natural pools eroded out of rock by the action of a stream. The stream was diverted past the two pools by a channel cut into the rock bed of the stream. It collects the water by cutting across rock above the top pool and discharges into a lower pool. The channel is up to 21cm wide and deep and 2.5 metres long.

Above the lower pool is a petroglyph of a face. The eyes and the moko are incised while the remainder is in bas-relief. The face is 50cm long and 33cm wide and up to 4cm of rock have been removed in forming the portions in relief. The stylistic treatment would also appear to be an adaption from woodcarving. The only unusual feature in this respect would be the straight moko lines on either side of the nose. At the bottom of the lower pool there appears to be a hewn outlet one 2.4cm deep and 15cm wide which has a water worn groove in it. This need not imply that a diversion channel was cut later as the channel was blocked with earth slipped from the bank above causing the water to flow into the lower pool. Alongside the face is a remarkably circular hole 13cm in diameter and at least 33cm deep. A piece of obsidian was found in this hole. Similar structures, apparently postholes, occur in this area.

Twenty pieces of obsidian were recovered from the top of the gravel in the pool. Of these at least two were water rolled pebbles and the majority of the rest showed weathered or water rolled surfaces although their other surfaces were fresh fractures and they were undoubtedly artifacts and waste material. All pieces were grey in transmitted light. The source of this obsidian was no doubt in the Whitianga detritial deposits which are evident in erosion areas in the immediate vicinity of the site. The two water worn pebbles could have arrived in the pool by water transport from the hill above. There is in all probability still a large quantity of obsidian in this pool.

As this site has no recorded parallel elsewhere in New Zealand interpretation of it is difficult. On the grounds of the separating of the pools from the stream and the depositing of the obsidian it is concluded that it is a ritual site of some type. There are two definite possibilities: that it is either a Wai Tapu (a place for the practicing of purification by sacrifice); or a Wai Whakaata or Wai Rakaia (a water mirror used for adornment).

A water mirror could explain the diversion of the stream as stopping ripples on the surface of the pools and could also explain the obsidian as hidden hair cutting tools as has been was suggested for the Kauri Point swamp siter All other recorded petroglyphs in the area depict items of material culture and a face could scarcely be included with this grouping. They do however show similar technique.

The face is either decorative or has some religious significance. Generally however sacred places or Tüahu, which include Wai Tapu, are as natural and unadorned as possible. It would be unwise to ascribe to this site any more definite purpose than spiritual ritual use.

I finally found an old photo of it...