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39: The Okehu Artefact
This remarkable three-armed stone artefact was found in the sandhills near Okehu, between Wanganui and Waitotara. Taranaki. Of course Taranaki, and all the way up the west coast to Port Waikato, is where some of the unusual artefacts in New Zealand have been found.
It is made of a hard dense flint-like stone, probably metamorphosed Argillite, a rock possessing the qualities of toughness and hardness necessary to shape in such a form simply by the chipping process. In stone-fashioning technique in NZ native cultures it is unique, matching the supreme skill of flint-shaping craftsman of Ancient Egypt [JPS, Vol 46, No.3 (1937) P126)]. The only similar form from NZ is a triple hollow scraper from the Nevis Valley, an implement bearing a real relationship of form to the Oheku Tribrach above.
It is impossible to say what it was used for. It would be possible to use it as an auger and many have suggested it was used for divination. A similar Celt tribrach object was found on the Isle of Wight and another elsewhere in Britain yet no one knows what they are used for. There are only three known examples like these in the world so far as we know.
Sketch of Isle of Wight Tribrach Photo of the same item Another one from elsewhere in Britain
I wrote to the gentlemen who placed an article on the two found in Britain, advising that one exists in NZ. Their reply was one of a distinct lack of interest. I'm not sure why yet.
You will note that both of the tribrach (from Okehu and that from the Isle of Wight), have a flat portion in the centre. In that regard they are almost identical in shape form and function. This is not absolute proof it is a Celtic artifact or a copy of one by early arrivals but it is too damn similar to assume it is just a random connection. Of all the unusual NZ artifacts found in this country, they all have similarities to distant cultures. As you will know, we are not ones to assume anything, we will not call it of Celtic origin, but we will say it appears to be identical to one that is on the other side of the world. We will say it is unusual, not of Maori design and was found in an area with many unexplained objects.
Some of these items on this website you will have not seen or read about anywhere else before seeing them here. We will produce more in time. I'm hoping that there are some artifacts in the cave of the 'tall ones'. This would reveal much it that were the case.
