|
Sent
free to subscribers to nzaawebsubscribers at yahoogroups.com
RSS link for this
news:
The
New Zealand archaeological Wiki.
archaeopedia.com
Want to be an archaeologist? -
our page on Careers
in Archaeology will help.
More
Touring
New Zealand? - look at this page - Archaeological
Sites for the Cultural Tourist. More
|
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Human skull found during excavation '500 years old'
A worker at a Christchurch excavation site has dug up parts of a human skull, reckoned to be more than 500-years-old.
Historic Places Trust officer Amos Kamo said pieces of the skull, which were found in Sumner suburb on Monday, had been assessed at Canterbury Museum and confirmed as Polynesian.
Polynesians were thought to be from the earlier phases of Maori settlement in New Zealand.
Construction worker Gary Mason, of Onetopo Properties Ltd, uncovered what appeared to be part of a human skull and pieces of jawbone while doing cliff-face stabilisation work. "
Opotiki's heritage unveiled by major study
Unknown aspects of Opotiki's heritage are being uncovered by a major study of Opotiki's historic town centre.
The project, which involves conservation architects, historians and an archaeologist, started in April and will be completed by the end of this year. It will provide an overview of the town's historic development, with more detailed research on individual places. Its goal is to ensure Opotiki's heritage is kept safe for future generations.
The project has thrown up some real challenges for the team, says historian Lyn Williams. Previous floods in Opotiki have destroyed many early building records for the town centre, so identifying the date of construction and the architects for historic buildings is a research challenge.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
A card from Caroline Phillips in the mail - and at the end of the rainbow was????
Actualy it was a change of address card. It's updated on the NZAA pages.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
NZAA Employment Sought (and Offered) Page
Hello employers - this page on the nZAA website gets a lot of traffic - some local , some intending migrants. Often people with heaps of CRM experience elsewehre - worth watching!
There is also a jobs offered column on the same page - much fewer offers there but still some from time to time. Job seekers could monitor the column for updates through page watch service like www.watchthatpage.com The url to watch is http://www.freebok.net/books/glaw2/view.html
Thursday, June 23, 2005
A Bone to Pick in Indonesia
Scientists say the pygmies and modern humans overlapped in the region for at least 40,000 years, but no evidence of contact between them has been found. The pygmy bones were uncovered beneath a layer of volcanic ash that is about 12,000 years old. All traces of Homo sapiens in the cave were found above the ash layer.
'There are still many problems to solve,' said Thomas Sutikna, an Indonesian archeologist on the discovery team. 'How did they survive in the same period with modern humans? Maybe they had contact with modern humans. We don't have information about that.'
The phenomenon of large animal species 'dwarfing' in isolated island habitats is well known to scientists, although it had not been seen in humans. In this process, scarce food supplies give the evolutionary edge to smaller creatures, resulting in the larger species' shrinkage over time. Stegodon, an elephant that also reached Flores more than 800,000 years ago, gradually shrank to the size of a water buffalo. "
Scientists say the pygmies and modern humans overlapped in the region for at least 40,000 years, but no evidence of contact between them has been found. The pygmy bones were uncovered beneath a layer of volcanic ash that is about 12,000 years old. All traces of Homo sapiens in the cave were found above the ash layer.
There are still many problems to solve," said Thomas Sutikna, an Indonesian archeologist on the discovery team. "How did they survive in the same period with modern humans? Maybe they had contact with modern humans. We don't have information about that."
The phenomenon of large animal species "dwarfing" in isolated island habitats is well known to scientists, although it had not been seen in humans. In this process, scarce food supplies give the evolutionary edge to smaller creatures, resulting in the larger species' shrinkage over time. Stegodon, an elephant that also reached Flores more than 800,000 years ago, gradually shrank to the size of a water buffalo.
Environment Waikato out of control
It's little wonder that our investment in new forests has diminished to a small fraction of the former levels and that large forestry companies are looking to leave New Zealand, ACT MP Ken Shirley said today.
The decision by Environment Waikato in respect to a land use consent to harvest epitomises the nonsensical barriers confronting forestry in New Zealand, Mr Shirley said.
In declining the application, Environment Waikato stated the following:
Felling and extracting mature pine trees had the potential to adversely affect wahi tapu or other traditional values and to disturb, damage or destroy archaeological sites yet to be discovered. "
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
World Monuments Watch - 100 most endangered sites
Pulemelei Mound, Samoa
Although its original purpose and the identity of its creators remain mysteries, the pyramid-like Pulemelei Mound is the largest ancient structure in Polynesia. Built on a stone base 65 by 60 meters square that appears to have been oriented to the cardinal directions, the earthen superstructure of the mound now rises 12 meters high over the island of Savai?i, which is considered by some to be the cradle of Polynesian civilization. Settlements dating to ca. A.D. 1000?1600 are associated with the site, but the actual date of its construction is unknown. "
Monday, June 20, 2005
Mayor backs Mt Eden bus ban
A multimillion-dollar makeover of Mt Eden could see traffic banned from the mountain in a bid to boost tourism and preserve one of Auckland's most significant landmarks.
Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard says the rapid deterioration of Maungawhau is being aggravated by high numbers of buses and cars which carry one million visitors a year to the summit.
A city council study in 2002 estimated at least 50 buses travelled up the mountain every day, and at least 10 times that number of cars.
Mr Hubbard wants to transform the mountain into a 'world heritage site' and preserve its archaeological importance."
Dick Hubbard: Mt Eden facelift a win for everyone
In the archives of Auckland City Council there is some film footage taken in the 1950s. A big bulldozer ploughs into a mountain of scoria while the narrator proclaims that Auckland's volcanic cones provide an almost inexhaustible supply of scoria, which is ideal for building roads and pavements.
How times have moved on - or have they?
Maungawhau, or Mt Eden, is of huge symbolic importance. It is the highest of Auckland's volcanic cones and occupies a strategic position overlooking the CBD. It is visited by 1 million people a year; more than half of those are overseas tourists.
Maungawhau means 'mountain of the whau', which is a small native tree. Maori valued the wood of this tree because of its low specific gravity and used it for the construction of fishing floats and boats.
Because of Maungawhau's prominent position it was an important pa site and in pre-European times up to 5000 people lived on its slopes at any one time. But by the time Europeans arrived the mountain was largely uninhabited"
Action, not words needed atop Mt Eden
The biggest threat to the state of Mt Eden has always been local body inertia rather than tourists or cows.
So Auckland mayor Dick Hubbard should be applauded for his announcement last week that Auckland City would act to stop the deterioration of the city's volcanic cones, but especially the popular tourist stop of Mt Eden, or Maungawhau.
Mt Eden has become decidedly 'tatty'. Paths have been worn into its sides, graffiti covers signs on top, the obelisk at the summit looks tired and the carpark is uninviting. "
Fragile icon needs our help: "
You can sense the fragility as much as see it. The grainy, pink volcanic soil of Mount Eden, worn bare in places by countless feet, has a spongy, springy feel. The last few trees cling to the summit with the tenacity of coastal pohutukawas.
The crater has been shaped into terraces, like a Roman amphitheatre, by countless animals. And, despite the sign that says 'Do not enter the crater, this fragile and sacred area is easily damaged,' some wits have arranged the stones at the bottom into a lewd design, with the word 'Lions'. "
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Electronic Publications
Electronic Publication on the NZAA website.
Papers for inclusion here are invited.
Instructions to authors:
The broad range of material appropriate here is the same as NZAA's paper publications: Oceanic archaeology and particularly about New Zealand.
This outlet is particularly suited to data rich publications and reports arising from mitigation archaeology. Papers on CRM practice are particularly welcome. Bibliographies are welcome. "
Friday, June 17, 2005
Volcanic Soils Yield New Clues About The Emergence Of Powerful Chiefdoms In Hawaii
When the first Europeans arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in 1778, they found a thriving, complex society organized into chiefdoms whose economies were based primarily on farming.
On the islands of Kauai, O'ahu and Molokai, the principal crop was taro a starchy plant grown in irrigated wetlands where the supply of water was usually abundant.
But on Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii, the main staple was the sweet potato a more labor-intensive crop planted in relatively dry fields where success depended on adequate seasonal rainfall. Some anthropologists say that, by the late 1700s, sweet potato production had reached its maximum capacity. As a result, the chiefdoms on Maui and Hawaii began aggressively coveting the taro ponds that flourished on other islands. Pressure to find new sources of food may be one reason why Kamehameha, chief of the island of Hawaii, launched an invasion in 1795 that culminated in his eventual conquest of the entire island chain.
Other coauthors of the Science study include T.N. Ladefoged of the University of Auckland
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Slow growth 'helped wipe out' moa
The moa were a family of giant, flightless birds
The extinction of New Zealand's giant, flightless moa birds may have been hastened by the long time they took to reach maturity, experts believe.
UK and New Zealand scientists studied growth rings (similar to tree rings) in leg bones from the giant birds.
They found that moa took about 10 years to reach full size and then several more to reach sexual maturity.
This left them vulnerable to human hunters who got to New Zealand 700 years ago, the team writes in Nature. "
Archaeology in New Zealand
Vol 48(2) out now:
Contents:
Fieldwork
Mat Campbell: Kakahi middens
Tony Walton: Sites managed by DOC
Andy Dodd: Hamilton waka tiwai
Scarlett Chiu and Christophe Sand: Lapita motif recording
Tony Walton: NZ archaeological workforce (broken down by age and sex as the census tables used to say)
Reviews
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Aus NATIONAL RAILWAY HERITAGE CONFERENCE
28-30 September, 2005 - Tamworth, NSW, Australia
'Thinking Rail: Lessons from the Past, the Way of the Future'
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Saving Antiquities For Everyone
The SAFE online resource that highlights issues related to cultural heritage and its vulnerability to looting and the illicit antiquities trade.
The work that SAFE is doing is critical, not only for Iraq's cultural heritage, but also for the heritage of all mankind. All those who enjoy the benefits of democracy have a duty to stand up and support those actions that will stop the destruction of history. Donny George Youkhanna, Director General of the National Museum of Iraq
Monday, June 13, 2005
NZAA Annual Reports
Reports form the 2005 AGM:
President
Site Recording Coordinator
AINZ Editor (pdf)
Publications Coordinator
Webmaster
Journal Editor
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Matata Floods and Archaeology Again
We go back to the Environment Court on June 16 in regard to the injunction to halt the subdivision and we need to have things sorted out by then. "
Thursday, June 09, 2005
2005 Conference Awards
Public Archaeology Award: Richard Walter and Chris Jacomb
Best Student Paper Award: Amy Findlater
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Cambridge embraces Pacific
The museum at Cambridge houses the second largest collection of Pacific ethnography in Britain after the British Museum. A Maori studies course at Auckland University, Te Kete Aronui, led to Dr Amiria Henare's appointment as a curator at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at Cambridge University.
Dr Maureen Lander's course in Maori material culture, which researches traditional technologies and generates ways of revitalising and recording that knowledge, prompted Henare to visit 100 museums in New Zealand and Scotland to research artefacts, Maori weaving and indigenous anthropology.
The museum at Cambridge houses the second largest Pacific collection of Pacific ethnography in Britain - the British Museum has the largest - and collections date back to the voyages of Captain Cook in the late 18th century.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Heritage Studies Symposium
St Margaret's College University of Otago
Thursday 30 June - Friday 1 July 2005
The Area of Research Strength in 'Heritage Studies' at the University of Otago is holding a select symposium of international and national scholars in Dunedin at St Margaret's College on 30 June and 1 July 2005 to discuss cultural heritage management with a particular focus on conflict.
The interpretation of cultural historical places and associated remains as public heritage or patrimony is an increasingly contested, and even violent space on occasion.
Prominent examples of recent note include clashes over Judaeo-Christian and Islamic sites of significance in Jerusalem, and the destruction of the Moghul mosque at Ayodya, India, the Mostar Bridge in the former Yugoslavia, and the Buddhist statues at Bamiyan, Afghanistan. There is national and international tension over the repatriation of important archaeological collections or monumental remains such as the Elgin Marbles, and over the return of historical or archaeological human remains to Native American, New Zealand Maori and Australian Aboriginal communities. Claims for redress by indigenous communities against post-colonial governments increasingly involve cultural heritage sites or objects.
This symposium provides an opportunity for dialogue and reflection on themes of conflict in the contemporary management of cultural heritage. Speakers at the symposium will incorporate theoretical and empirical approaches, and consider case studies of cultural heritage conflict, and/or some of the fundamental causes of such conflict, including the emergence of new or revived cultural identities and politics.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
2005 National Historic Heritage Workshop
Napier and Hastings
3 - 6 October 2005
Archaeologists, Architects, Engineers, Consultants, Resource Managers, Local Authority Planners, Owners and Developers, Maori Heritage Professionals, Historians, Academics, Conservation Specialists, Researchers, Educationalists, Heritage Tourism or Commercial Operators head to the beautiful cities of Napier and Hastings in early October to focus on New Zealand's key heritage issues and discuss our heritage future.
This conference will stimulate, educate and inspire you with expert local and international keynote speakers sharing knowledge and expertise on a variety of heritage related topics. Workshop sessions and field trips will focus on Maori Heritage, Planning and Resource Management, Economic Development and Conservation giving practical opportunities to share knowledge, discuss trends, learn, and build partnerships.
From the welcome cocktails at Mission Estate, to the elegant Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony at the Hawke's Bay Opera House, engage with colleagues in the unique settings. Join optional pre and post conference tours and enjoy the enchantment of the Hawke's Bay region.
Remember to register! Conference registrations open in mid June; reserve your place at this exciting national level heritage conference - take advantage of the early-bird offer.
Registration and information
Phone: +64 3 546 6022
Email: heritage@confer.co.nz
THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF TRADE & EXCHANGE AAA AIMA 2005
The joint Australian Archaeological Association (AAA) and Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology (AIMA) Conference 2005.
As part of the AAA/AIMA conference this year in Fremantle, Western Australia, there'll be a session focussing on archaeozoology - the study of the exchange between people and their environment, and for that matter, the exchange between peoples. We're hoping to hear about proposals for papers with a site-specific, regional or a continental focus om faunal remains, that address theoretical and methodological issues in archaeozoology or taphonomy, or any topic dealing with mammals, birds, fish, or any other animal in archaeology. Please see below for more details. If you wish to register your interest please let Joe or Oliver know soon. Abstracts would need to be finalised in August.
|
Become
a Member of the N.Z. Archaeological Association
|
Members
get our quarterly magazine, Archaeology in New Zealand and discounts on publications
and events. |
|
|
This
message is intended to be compliant with New Zealand Law: The Unsolicited
Electronic Messages Act 2007. Please communicate with the webmaster on any
issues that may arise in this regard.
|
|
Opinions
in items linked in this column are not those of the Association.
An
archive of news posts can be accessed at http://www.nzarchaeology.org/blog/archive/
|
