Autumn 2025
Autumn began with a running start for InSitu Heritage, with Eliza attending her first solo site investigation less than two weeks after Josie’s departure to Canada. Earthworks for the restoration of a wetland at Pukehina, adjacent to the Little Waihī estuary, uncovered a small shellfish processing site. This site was comprised of a thin layer of dark soil and crushed shell extending across what would have been an area of high ground within the former wetland. Two obsidian flakes and one fire pit were also identified as part of the site. Several midden samples were recovered and taken back to the lab for further analysis. Monitoring of earthworks at Pukehina continued throughout the autumn season.
Also in March, Lynda was hard at work preparing a Conservation Plan for Hauhaenga Pā (U14/916), located in the Bethlehem Shores Retirement Village, in Tauranga. Lynda and Lotta attended a hui at the retirement village to discuss how best to preserve the site moving forward.
To wrap up the busy March month, conservation works began at Monmouth Redoubt Historic Reserve in Tauranga, to stabilise the condition of the redoubt. The redoubt was built in 1864 by the 43rd Monmouthshire Regiment and was constructed on top of the earlier Māori settlement of Taumatakahawai. The redoubt has been subjected to several "reconstruction" attempts over the years. The current work is being done to remove earlier reconstruction material and improve the stability and conservation of the site. During monitoring of these works, one of the original walls on the northern side of the redoubt was revealed. Several obsidian flakes were also recovered during works, likely associated with the earlier settlement of Taumatakahawai.
During the month of April, the whole InSitu team gathered together for a bonding activity. After receiving a permit from DOC, and with consent from Ngāti Awa, we were given permission to keep dead indigenous birds for the preparation of a faunal reference collection. The collection will assist with the identification of species that may be found in archaeological middens during investigations.
After appropriate karakia were given by Rapata Kopae, our guiding kaumatua, the team were given access to the local DOC office freezer which contains birds that have been handed in over the years. We, carefully selected specimens from a range of species. These birds have been buried to facilitate decomposition. Buried specimen will be revisited in Autumn 2026 for the next phase of processing before they are added to the InSitu Heritage faunal reference collection.
As the weather packed in for Winter, we finished off our Autumn season by having guests visit us at our office. Four members of Te Wahapū o Waihī iwi collective joined us to assist with preparing the material recovered from the Pukehina excavations for analysis. The event was also attended by Vanessa Tanner from DOC, and Rachel Darmody from Heritage New Zealand. We appreciate the enthusiasm members of Te Wahapū o Waihī iwi collective have shown for this project, despite the cold and wet conditions on the day, and look forward to working with them again.
