New Zealand Journal of Archaeology Index  >  Vol 30 Day

The Waitara Swamp Search, Taranaki, New Zealand

Kelvin Day¹

ABSTRACT

In 1960, Canterbury Museum Director, Roger Duff, led an excavation of a swamp (Q19/68) just east of Waitara township, under the auspices of the Taranaki Museum, in an attempt to find Maori woodcarvings. Whilst wooden artefacts were discovered, none of the hoped-for carved panels emerged. Although there was some disappointment about this aspect of the work, this paper argues that the excavation resulted in much more significant outcomes, namely the unprecedented involvement of Maori and Pakeha in all aspects of the work, the unusual interest by the press, and the effect it had on the community at large in the work of the Taranaki Museum which, at the time, was about to move into a new building. The project also cemented a relationship between Canterbury and Taranaki museums and, as a result of his involvement with the excavation, secured Rigby Allan the position of inaugural Director of Taranaki Museum.

Key Words: WAITARA, TARANAKI, SWAMP EXCAVATION, TARANAKI MUSEUM, ROGER DUFF, RIGBY ALLAN.

1 PO Box 315, New Plymouth 4340, New Zealand, kelvinmd@nettel.net.nz

Ó Copyright New Zealand Archaeological Association.  

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