Tephras and New Zealand archaeology
Establishing an accurate date for earliest Polynesian settlement in New Zealand is essential for understanding patterns of settlement and associated environmental impacts, and the processes and rates of cultural change in Eastern Polynesia. Tephra deposits from five volcanic centres, together with e...
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10289/5246 https://doi.org/10.1006/jasc.1999.0614 |
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ftunivwaikato:oai:researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz:10289/5246 2024-01-21T10:07:03+01:00 Tephras and New Zealand archaeology Lowe, David J. Newnham, Rewi M. McFadgen, Bruce G. Higham, Thomas F.G. 2000 https://hdl.handle.net/10289/5246 https://doi.org/10.1006/jasc.1999.0614 en eng Academic Press Journal of Archaeological Science Lowe, D.J., Newnham, R.M., McFadgen, B.G. & Higham, T.F.G. (2000). Tephras and New Zealand Archaeology. Journal of Archaeological Science, 27(10), 859-870. https://hdl.handle.net/10289/5246 doi:10.1006/jasc.1999.0614 tephrochronology prehistory archaeometry Polynesian colonisation early Maori landnám radiocarbon dating deforestation Kaharoa Tephra Taupo Tephra New Zealand Journal Article 2000 ftunivwaikato https://doi.org/10.1006/jasc.1999.0614 2023-12-26T18:25:23Z Establishing an accurate date for earliest Polynesian settlement in New Zealand is essential for understanding patterns of settlement and associated environmental impacts, and the processes and rates of cultural change in Eastern Polynesia. Tephra deposits from five volcanic centres, together with exotic sea-rafted pumice, provide isochronous constraints on the timing of earliest settlement and human impacts in northern New Zealand. A local basaltic tephra from Rangitoto Island (Auckland) and locally distributed andesitic tephras from Egmont volcano directly date human occupation to c. AD 1400–1450. Distal andesitic tephras (Tufa Trig Formation) from Mt Ruapehu, Tongariro volcanic centre, help constrain the timing of earliest anthropogenic deforestation signals in Hawke's Bay. Sea-rafted Loisels Pumice(s), although of uncertain stratigraphic reliability in places, overlies cultural remains that can be no younger than c. AD 1350 along the east coast, North Island. The regionally extensive rhyolitic Kaharoa Tephra, which erupted from Okataina volcano between c. AD 1300–1390, is the critical “settlement layer” datum for dating prehistory in the North Island: no human artefacts are recorded beneath it and the earliest inferred environmental impacts by humans are dated to c. AD 1280, just prior to its deposition. This maximum date matches the earliest radiocarbon dates derived for both settlement and human impacts from archaeological and natural sites (c. AD 1250), and implies that the onset of deforestation was essentially contemporaneous with initial settlement. The widespread rhyolitic Taupo Tephra, which erupted from Taupo volcano c. AD 200, provides an isochronous benchmark well before earliest settlement. The tephra may coincide approximately with a putative earlier transient contact in New Zealand based on Pacific rat-bone (Rattus exulans) dates. More precise calendrical dates on the tephras—via dendrochronology or ice-core records or other dating methods—would help refine assessment of the timing of earliest ... Article in Journal/Newspaper ice core The University of Waikato: Research Commons Pacific New Zealand Hawke's Bay ENVELOPE(-57.165,-57.165,50.600,50.600) Journal of Archaeological Science 27 10 859 870 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
The University of Waikato: Research Commons |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwaikato |
language |
English |
topic |
tephrochronology prehistory archaeometry Polynesian colonisation early Maori landnám radiocarbon dating deforestation Kaharoa Tephra Taupo Tephra New Zealand |
spellingShingle |
tephrochronology prehistory archaeometry Polynesian colonisation early Maori landnám radiocarbon dating deforestation Kaharoa Tephra Taupo Tephra New Zealand Lowe, David J. Newnham, Rewi M. McFadgen, Bruce G. Higham, Thomas F.G. Tephras and New Zealand archaeology |
topic_facet |
tephrochronology prehistory archaeometry Polynesian colonisation early Maori landnám radiocarbon dating deforestation Kaharoa Tephra Taupo Tephra New Zealand |
description |
Establishing an accurate date for earliest Polynesian settlement in New Zealand is essential for understanding patterns of settlement and associated environmental impacts, and the processes and rates of cultural change in Eastern Polynesia. Tephra deposits from five volcanic centres, together with exotic sea-rafted pumice, provide isochronous constraints on the timing of earliest settlement and human impacts in northern New Zealand. A local basaltic tephra from Rangitoto Island (Auckland) and locally distributed andesitic tephras from Egmont volcano directly date human occupation to c. AD 1400–1450. Distal andesitic tephras (Tufa Trig Formation) from Mt Ruapehu, Tongariro volcanic centre, help constrain the timing of earliest anthropogenic deforestation signals in Hawke's Bay. Sea-rafted Loisels Pumice(s), although of uncertain stratigraphic reliability in places, overlies cultural remains that can be no younger than c. AD 1350 along the east coast, North Island. The regionally extensive rhyolitic Kaharoa Tephra, which erupted from Okataina volcano between c. AD 1300–1390, is the critical “settlement layer” datum for dating prehistory in the North Island: no human artefacts are recorded beneath it and the earliest inferred environmental impacts by humans are dated to c. AD 1280, just prior to its deposition. This maximum date matches the earliest radiocarbon dates derived for both settlement and human impacts from archaeological and natural sites (c. AD 1250), and implies that the onset of deforestation was essentially contemporaneous with initial settlement. The widespread rhyolitic Taupo Tephra, which erupted from Taupo volcano c. AD 200, provides an isochronous benchmark well before earliest settlement. The tephra may coincide approximately with a putative earlier transient contact in New Zealand based on Pacific rat-bone (Rattus exulans) dates. More precise calendrical dates on the tephras—via dendrochronology or ice-core records or other dating methods—would help refine assessment of the timing of earliest ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lowe, David J. Newnham, Rewi M. McFadgen, Bruce G. Higham, Thomas F.G. |
author_facet |
Lowe, David J. Newnham, Rewi M. McFadgen, Bruce G. Higham, Thomas F.G. |
author_sort |
Lowe, David J. |
title |
Tephras and New Zealand archaeology |
title_short |
Tephras and New Zealand archaeology |
title_full |
Tephras and New Zealand archaeology |
title_fullStr |
Tephras and New Zealand archaeology |
title_full_unstemmed |
Tephras and New Zealand archaeology |
title_sort |
tephras and new zealand archaeology |
publisher |
Academic Press |
publishDate |
2000 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10289/5246 https://doi.org/10.1006/jasc.1999.0614 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-57.165,-57.165,50.600,50.600) |
geographic |
Pacific New Zealand Hawke's Bay |
geographic_facet |
Pacific New Zealand Hawke's Bay |
genre |
ice core |
genre_facet |
ice core |
op_relation |
Journal of Archaeological Science Lowe, D.J., Newnham, R.M., McFadgen, B.G. & Higham, T.F.G. (2000). Tephras and New Zealand Archaeology. Journal of Archaeological Science, 27(10), 859-870. https://hdl.handle.net/10289/5246 doi:10.1006/jasc.1999.0614 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1006/jasc.1999.0614 |
container_title |
Journal of Archaeological Science |
container_volume |
27 |
container_issue |
10 |
container_start_page |
859 |
op_container_end_page |
870 |
_version_ |
1788697567959187456 |