25: Carbon dating
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. That means there was no other occupants of this land prior to the arrival of the wakas. Below is an excerpt from a government website about some excavations in the 1970's near the Auckland Airport. I will highlight the key words for you.
22.2 R11/31, Maungataketake Paa (Ellett's Mt) and its fields A substantial section of this prominent paa has been destroyed by quarrying, but a significant portion of it still remains. Its archaeological features have not yet been mapped in detail. Two major excavations have been carried out on the western and southern sides of the site, in anticipation of quarrying. The results of this work have not yet been published, but a series of radiocarbon dates indicates this site was occupied as early as the period from AD 977 to 1179 (NZ-6476), and continued to be used in later centuries, possibly up until the 1800s (see Appendix 1). Excavations 1973-75, 1982, McKinlay. Eastern section field survey 1982, Bulmer. Planimetric map of Elletts Mountain, [n.d.], for NZHPT and Auckland University Archaeological Society, but does not record archaeological features. Courtesy of: http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/science-and-technical/S%26R63a.pdf
And this from elsewhere: There is by no means consensus over dates. Davidson suggests that only one site in the Auckland region - near Manukau South Head - might be dated at earlier than AD 1300 (pp.34-5); whereas Bulmer notes that radiocarbon dating of artefacts from an excavation at Maungataketake (Elletts Mountain) indicates the site was occupied as early as the period from AD 977 to 1179, and that a slope garden at Matukutururu (Wiri Mountain) dates to between AD 1001 and 1490.
Now in the first paragraph there are two very important things to note:
1. An occupation date of 300 years prior to Maori estimated arrival
2. The results of the work have not yet been published.
No.1 is why no.2 hasn't been done. Anyway, below are before and after photos of the destruction the quarrying has done. (click photos for a better view)
In regard to carbon dating, what must be remembered is that any occupation site is occupied for a reason. Food and location. Any subsequent invading people would displace the existing inhabitants or take over their previous location for the same reason the first were there. Therefore to find something from 970AD in an area with items from 1500AD should not be unusual. All through history - armies down to small groups took over existing occupation sites for the same reason people existed there in the first place...location! Therefore it is very logical to assume that very old items and occupation existed before classical Maori immigration completely dominated the previous archaic almost prehistoric occupation of NZ's first inhabitants who lived hand to mouth on seafood in small groups all over NZ (such as those near Ellets Mountain). This is no different to the obliteration of Maori occupation sites by over building with modern European buildings.
However, with what we are about to reveal, no Maori occupation or interference has ever occurred other than an inspection. What is dated will be 100% accurate.
