64: The Wairau Bar Skeletons
The Wairau Bar is a gravel bar formed where the Wairau River meets the sea in Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, north-eastern South Island, New Zealand. It is an important archaeological site, settled by explorers from East Polynesia who arrived in New Zealand about 1280. It is the earliest known human settlement in New Zealand. At the time of the occupation it is believed to have been a low scrub-covered island.
The site was discovered by , in 1942, found more artefacts. Early investigations with Roger Duff unearthed a burial site. Bones were scattered and close to the surface, either from large storm surge waves or a tsunami which probably contributed to the scattering. About 2000 artefacts and 44 human skeletons were removed and examined in detail.
The examination showed that the people were using the same cultural methods as those in eastern Polynesia, particularly the Marquesas Islands. Sixty-nine adzes were found at Wairau Bar, of which only three were made of greenstone. Eighty small, one-piece, triangular, stone or bone fishing lures with lashed unbarbed hook were found.
None of the skeletons were from elderly people. The oldest was 39 and the second oldest was 36. Most of the skeletons were from people aged in their 20s. No children and only 1 teenager's skeleton was found.
Many of the skeletons showed multiple signs of stress such as Harris lines (on X-rays of long bones such as the tibia) caused by either infection or a poor diet. Tooth wear was substantial among older individuals, with teeth worn to the roots, but this did not seem to be due to bracken fern root chewing. All the adults showed healed bone fractures, indicating a well-balanced diet and a supportive community structure. These early colonisers were tall compared to most Polynesians. The skeletons were all found in shallow graves, with the heads pointing towards the east and the feet to the west, as was the practice in eastern Polynesia. The archaeological layers were shallow.
Note: New Zealand Wairau Bar 1280-1300 AD 42 41 adults 1 subadult 10 males 4 ?males 18 females 3 ?females 6 ?sex
The above shows a collection of adzes from the site, a facial reconstruction of one skull and a sketch of one burial (no.5) which , like a few others, has the skulls missing (?)
What interests me is burial 4. There are no available sketches of burial 4 but it did have a skull and there is one old photo on the net taken from an old journal. Nothing more exists that is easily available at this point. Check the plan of skeletons and you will see this is definitely burial no.4 with the large adzes buried with it. The jawline is not distinctly Polynesian and neither are some of the other skulls where facial reconstruction has been completed.
More later.