Uni students uncover moa in ancient oven

Students from Auckland University have uncovered the remnants of a moa being cooked in an oven from 600 years ago at one of New Zealand's earliest sites of human settlement.

Steel sculptures of moa, an extinct flightless bird. These stand in the village of 
Alford Forest in South Canterbury, New Zealand [Credit: Getty]

The archaeological students travelled to Great Mercury Island off the east Coromandel coast in February as part of course work excavating 15m by 10m of an ancient sand dune in Coralie Bay.

During three weeks of excavation the students uncovered 13,000 objects, including stone artefacts and bones.

Professor Simon Holdaway said one of the most significant finds was the discovery of moa remains in the remnants of an ancient oven.

Finding moa bones is not uncommon, but finding signs of the bird being prepared and eaten, particularly in the North Island, are rare.

Prof Holdaway says the site must be more than 600 years old, which makes it one of the earlier sites in New Zealand's history.

Significant quantities of obsidian - naturally occurring volcanic glass - were also uncovered.

Obsidian does not originate from the island, which suggests it must have been brought there by the people inhabiting Great Mercury, likely from nearby Mayor Island.

A blade made out of obsidian was also found stuck inside the shoulder and flipper of a seal.

The islands have not had a breeding population of seals for 600 years.

The university's excavation team will return to the island in June to excavate another part of Coralie Bay.

The work is supported by the local Ngati Hei iwi and the islands' owners, financiers Sir Michael Fay and David Richwhite.

Source: NZ Newswire [March 13, 2015]