- MD
Sidestep: Marlborough's Mysteries
The Marlborough Sounds, and D’Urville Island in particular, have provided us with some very interesting artefacts that are either from the earliest Polynesians (prior to the immigration canoes) or the previous inhabitants those early ones found here. So why is this small area of the South Island so interesting? The last post referred to an unusual 'miti' type patu that was also from the South Island of NZ, so let's first go south again and view a few artefacts from Otago, Southland and Canterbury...
While mentioning Otago, there is also a story from 1862 where gold prospectors sank a shaft in the Manuherikia Valley. Ten feet below the surface they found charcoal, ashes and moa bones. (that's 3m underground!) The surface ground around looked as if it had been undisturbed for many generations and it is likely these bones were from the fires of those from the sporadic 950AD arrivals at least to the more likely pre-inhabitants before any Polynesians from organised areas (Tahiti, Marquesas etc). Many of these artefacts are very old indeed.
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Marlborough has some very interesting artefacts itself. From Pelorus Sound, Clarence River, and D’Urville Island the most unusual exist. The descriptive stories of finds (not able to illustrated) also bear out that the habits of the early inhabitants were very different to the migratory Polynesians, possibly predating by 4-500 years if we look at the archaic tools. Note – weapons were not prevalent. This is a key to them not being linked to whom we now call Maori. That right there is a hint of who they were...or were not!
1: Various Marlborough artefacts
2: The egg shaped stones
3: Unusual adzes
4: Extremely unusual Pendants
5: Cremation mounds
This is not that well known, but there were a number of cremation mounds in the Pelorus area. These were where bodies were completely burned. It is true is could be solely to prevent invading Maori forces taking body parts but as cremation was not a common practice, it is more likely a religious rite which we will never know about.
Besides cremation, the former inhabitants of the Pelorus district disposed of their dead in various ways. Recently a tomb built of stones and containing a much decayed human skeleton, was found at Taradale, Kenepuru Sound. The body had been interred in a squatting position or reclining with the lower limbs folded against the breast. At Beatrix Bay, the remains of a hollow tree contained many human bones. Along the shores of Rangitoto Island many human bones are buried in the sand; but this is common elsewhere in the olden days even up to Doubtless bay in the Far North where we have seen intensely old burials - including a human tooth necklace.
