TANE 30, 1984

AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE CHICKENS ISLANDS (MAROTERE),

by Nigel Prickett Institute and Museum, Private Bag, Auckland, 1 SUMMARY

A total of 67 archaeological sites of Maori origin are recorded on the Chickens Islands. They include pa, terraces, pits, midden, stone walls and heaps and a cultivation site. While some larger sites suggest a degree of permanent occupation, the comparative lack of evidence for cultivation compared with nearby Hen Island, the abundance in middens of soft shore shellfish brought from the mainland, and the generally small sites suggest occasional, perhaps seasonal, occupation is responsible for most archaeological remains.

INTRODUCTION

The Chickens Islands are part of the Hen and Chickens Group which stands off Bream Bay on the east coast of the Northland peninsula. Their Maori name is Marotere. They are separated from Bream Head by the 10 km wide Parry Channel. Forty kilometres northward are the Poor Knights Islands, 30 km east are the Mokohinaus, while a little more than 40 km south-east is Little Barrier Island (Hauturu). Hen Island (Taranga) lies 6 km south. The Chickens Islands consist of three large and several small islands and stacks strung out east-west over some 8-9 km of ocean (Fig. 1). The main islands are commonly known as Lady Alice, Whatupuke and Coppermine Islands. Pickmere (Watkins 1974: Map 29) gives several alternative names: Motumuka and Mauimua for Lady Alice Island, Motunukuhau and Mauiroto for Whatupuke Island, and Huarewa and Mauipae for Coppermine Island. Among the Western Chickens the larger islands are Tawatawa (otherwise Mauitaha, Watkins 1974), Araara (Mauitikitiki-o-taranga), , Wareware and Pupuha. Motumuka was named Lady Alice Island in 1930 following a 1928 visit by Lady Alice Fergusson, wife of the then Governor-General. Coppermine Island is so called after nineteenth century exploration for payable copper ore. Lady Alice is 2 km long, never more than 1 km across and rises to 169 m above sea level. Whatupuke is 1.5 x 1 km and is the highest of the islands, rising to 240 m above sea level. Coppermine Island rises to 189 m above sea level and is a little less than 2 km long, averaging 0.5 km wide. The main island of the Western Chickens is Mauitaha, 1 km long

177 and 2-300 m across. The islands are mostly bound by precipitous cliffs with occasional small rocky beaches at their feet. Only Lady Alice has sandy beaches backed by small valleys with permanent water - notably at West Bay and South Cove. Above the cliffs and steep hillsides all three main islands have areas of plateau - most extensive on Lady Alice, but most important archaeologically on Whatupuke. The islands are now under regenerating coastal forest, much of it under a kanuka (Leptospermum ericoides) canopy, but elsewhere dominated by broadleafed species such as kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile), puriri (Vitex lucens) and, locally, the native puka (Meryta sinclairi). Native forest birds are abundant including species now extinct or rare on the mainland such as saddlebacks (transferred from Hen Island), red- crowned parakeets, (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) kakas (Nestor meridionalis) and tuis (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae). Nesting sea birds include grey-faced petrels (Pterodroma macroptera, the northern 'muttonbird'), Pycroft's petrels (P. pycrofti) and flesh-footed shearwaters. Tuataras (Sphenoden punctatus) are common on the forest floor.

Fig. 1. The Chickens Islands, showing the island group (above) and their location (below). The distribution of sites on islands other than Lady Alice (see Fig. 2) and Whatupuke (see Fig. 6) is marked by field record numbers. The Hen and Chickens were so named by Captain Cook on 25 November 1769 (Cook 1955: 211). The Frenchman Dumont d'Urville

178 sailed by the Chickens Islands on 21 February 1827 seeing no sign of occupation (Wright 1950: 144). There have been some archaeological observations previously made on the islands. Lady Alice Fergusson's party which camped at West Bay, Lady Alice Island, noted 'remains of ancient native village' at West Bay and 'earthworks of ancient village' at South Cove, also an 'old burial cave of the Maoris' approximately mid-way between Koputotara Point and West Bay ('Plan of Lady Alice Island New Zealand', Auckland Institute and Museum 832.114a). The terraces at the South Cove camp site, a number of pits and the three pa on Lady Alice are shown on a map drawn in 1964 by Rewi Moynihan based on a 1955 visit of the Auckland University Field Club. Lady Alice was also visited by Rudy and Pat Sunde who briefly explored the area about South Cove in October 1971 (Sunde and Sunde 1971). In December 1968 Karel Peters of the Department of Anthropology, University of Auckland, visited Coppermine and Whatupuke Islands as a result of renewed interest in copper mining on the former island. Terraces, 'man-made soils' and scattered midden were found on Coppermine Island. A day and a half was spent on Whatupuke with terraces, stone mounds and a fortified pa found, mostly on the western half of the island (Peters 1968). During the same visit Wendy Rogers, also of the Department of Anthropology, University of Auckland, collected stone material from terraces on Coppermine Island which included quartz, chert and greywacke thought to have been imported from elsewhere (Thompson 1968).

Fig. 2. Lady Alice Island. Field record numbers mark the location of sites. The dashed line indicates search route. (Informal names are in inverted commas; contour lines are in feet).

179 The present report results from an Offshore Islands Research Group expedition to the Chickens Islands, 30 December 1981 — 8 January 1982.The writer spent five days site surveying on Lady Alice, two days on Whatupuke and one day on Coppermine Island. Fifty-nine archaeological sites were recorded which included 29 on Lady Alice, 23 on Whatupuke, and 4 Maori and three European mining sites on Coppermine Island. In addition, Phil Moore recorded two Maori sites (on Whatupuke and Coppermine Islands), Bruce Hayward recorded 6 sites in the Western Chicken islets and on a stack offshore of Whatupuke, and Anthony Wright recorded three sites, on a small islet off Muriwhenua, an islet off Whatupuke and on Whatupuke Island itself. Thus, a total of 67 Maori sites were recorded on the island group. Archaeological evidence of European mining activity on Coppermine Island is being reported separately by Moore (1984, this issue). All the Chickens Islands are covered in more or less dense vegetation. In places this made searching for sites extremely time-consuming; elsewhere, clearly defined spurs under a high canopy of broadleafed forest allowed easy location and recording of archaeological remains. Nonetheless in the few days available it was clearly not possible to go everywhere. The south faces of Whatupuke Island (above Starfish Bay), in particular, demonstrated just how numerous small terrace sites can be. The number of sites discovered on the search route must be indicative of many more on untraversed spurs nearby (see Fig. 6). ANNOTATED LIST OF SITES

Lying somewhat offshore, the Chickens Islands are not mapped on the NZMS1 inch-to-the-mile series, nor is the metric NZMS260 series map (R07) yet prepared. The following map references are to the NZMS270 Topo Plot sheet R07. When the NZMS260 sheet is published and the Northland site record file metricated, recorded sites on the Chickens Islands will be incorporated within the New Zealand Archaeological Association site record scheme. Until then these records have for reference the Topo Plot reference and field record number. Informal place names are in quotation marks.

Lady Alice Island (Motumuka, Fig. 2) 1. 662882 PA (Fig. 3). C. 80 m above sea level at Koputotara Point. An area c. 35 x 60 m is defended by a transverse ditch across the spur. A second ditch defends an inner area 23 x 16 m. 2. 663883 TERRACES and MIDDEN. C. 100 m up spur from pa at Koputotara Point. Three terraces and possible pit. Shell midden includes pipis, Nerita, Place-stylus, Turbo, Charonia, limpets, Cookia, pauas and dog bones, also obsidian and a two-piece fishhook fragment. 3. 664835 PIT. Three to four hundred metres up spur from Koputotara Point. Single pit 2.5 x 1.5 m on top of spur. 4. 662888 PIT and TERRACES. C. 100 m above sea level at the rear of the West Bay stream catchment. One pit 3 x 2 m on top of ridge; 6 terraces close by on top of the steep northerly face.

180 Fig. 3. Sketch plan of pa above Koputotara Point, Lady Alice Island (Site 1). Insets give ditch cross-sections. 5. 661887 PIT. On ridge, south side of West Bay valley. One pit 2 x 2 m. 6. 660886 PIT. On ridge, south side of West Bay. Three pits in centre of broad, flat ridge: two are 1.5 x 1.5 m, one is 2 x 2 m. 7. 658888 OCCUPATION and MIDDEN. On low-lying ground in valley floor immediately behind West Bay. Extensive area of black sandy soil and fragmentary shell. Badly disturbed by petrel and tuatara burrows. 8. 658890 TERRACES. On top of spur 5-15 m south of ridge above cliff (to north). Three or 4 terraces 2-3 x 8-12 m are in poor condition. 9. 660889 PITS and TERRACES. On top of cliff north of West Bay. Two (three?) pits 2 x 2 m and 2.5 x 2 m; two terraces.

181 10. 662889 TERRACE. On top of 100 m cliff to sea at corner of ridge above Muritai Point. A single 4 x 15 m terrace in a very exposed situation. 16. 668883 TERRACES and MIDDEN. On the seaward spur, true right of 'Ruatuna Creek'. Eight terraces extend down spur and adjacent face. Plentiful midden on one terrace including abundant Nerita, common Turbo and Haustrum, and rare pipis. 17. 669880 TERRACES (and PITS?) C. 70 m above sea level at top of steep sea face above Moki Rock. Three terraces and two possible pits. 18. 670881 PITS (and TERRACE?). Two hundred metres up ridges from Site 17, c. 100 m above sea level. On a narrow rocky section of ridge top. Three pits 6 x 6 m, 1.5 x 1.5 m and 3 x 2 m. One possible terrace. 19. 674880 PA (Fig. 4). C. 80 m above sea level at end of ridge above 'Kerr Point'. A single ditch cuts a narrow part of the ridge beyond which the ridge continues level or reasonably level for 150 m, 10-40 m wide. Outside the ditch are two terraces and a second, part-cut ditch. 20. 666887 PA (Fig. 5). In the centre of the island, north of South Cove on a prominent high point in the main ridge. An area 130 x 40-45 m is defended by transverse ditches at both ends. Two (three?) pits and scattered shell midden are situated at the edge of a large natural slump on the north side. 25. 668885 TERRACES. C. 100 m above sea level up the spur between 'Kereru' and 'Nikau' Creeks, South Cove. Nine terraces mostly on south side of spur, located just as spur dips sharply down. 26. 667885 TERRACES. C. 80 m above sea level up the spur between 'Kereru' and 'Nikau' Creeks, South Cove, 100 m from Site 25. Three terraces on top of spur. 27. 667884 TERRACES. C. 60 m above sea level up the spur between 'Kereru' and 'Nikau' Creeks, South Cove. Three terraces are situated just where the spur drops off sharply into the valley. 28. 669885 TERRACES and PITS. C. 100 m above sea level up the spur between 'Kereru' and 'Ruatuna' Creeks, South Cove. Two terraces, each with a small pit on it. 49. 661883 TERRACES and MIDDEN. Fifteen to thirty-five metres above sea level on seaward spur down left of gully immediately west of Koputotara Point. Four (6?) terraces on steep face. Shell midden spilling down slope includes abundant Nerita, common pipis and Haustrum, rare Cookia, Thais, Turbo and Charonia 50. 660884 TERRACES and MIDDEN. Two terraces, 20-30 m up from bottom of spur true right of gully immediately west of Koputotara Point. Charonia, Cookia and pipi fragments. 51. 660885 PITS and TERRACES. C. 70 m above sea level, 200 m up spur from Site 50.Two terraces, and two pits 2.5 x 1.5 m and 1.2 x 1.2 m. 52. 660886 TERRACE. C. 95 m above sea level near top of spur which rises true right of gully west of Koputotara Point. One terrace 25 x 3.5-5 m occupies top of spur. 53. 661884 TERRACES and MIDDEN. On subsidiary spur in gully west of Koputotara Point, c. 40 m above sea level. Three terraces at break of slope. Shell midden includes common Nerita and rare pipis, Haustrum, Turbo and Cookia 54. 662885 TERRACE. One hundred and twenty metres up spur from Site 53. One 6 x 3 m terrace. 55. 669882 TERRACES and MIDDEN. C. 20-40 m above sea level east side of South Cove. On broad spur above sea face are two terraces, the upper well-defined 4 x 10 m. A possible pit is at the very edge of the scarp to the sea. Midden includes Nerita, pipis and Haustrum Twenty-five to thirty metres up the spur are two more terraces, each c. 12 x 4 m. 182 Fig. 4. 'Kerr Point', Lady Alice Island, showing strong natural defences of the pa (Site 19) which takes up the end of the ridge. Whatupuke Island behind.

183 56. 669883 TERRACES. C. 70 m above sea level on spur between 'Ruatuna' Creek and tributary gully east, South Cove. Single terrace 10 x 3 m is 3 m below break of slope. Ten to fifteen metres above are two more possible terraces. 57. 666884 TERRACES and MIDDEN. Ten to twenty metres above sea level on spur above beach, true right of main stream, South Cove. Nine terraces, some massive. Shell midden throughout though nowhere abundant. 58. 667884 TERRACES and MIDDEN. Six to twenty metres above sea level on spur above beach true left of main stream. South Cove. Ten to twelve well-defined terraces. Plentiful midden includes abundant Nerita, common Turbo, uncommon Thais, oysters, Haustrum, pipis, Cellana, Cookia, pauas, cockles and mussels. Rare bird bones may be natural.

Whatupuke Island (Fig. 6) 11. 682886 TERRACE (see Fig. 7). Two hundred by twenty to thirty metres flat top of steep sided ridge at isolated west end of island has been occupied. On the northern margins of this area Peters recorded 13 terraces in 1968, these are now very unclear. Beach boulders and fragmentary shell in places. 12. 684884 TERRACES and PITS (see Fig. 7). Sixty metres above sea level on ridge rising from saddle to main part of island. Four terraces and two pits straddle top of spur. Six large boulders have been transported up from the beach below. 13. 684884 TERRACE and MIDDEN (see Fig. 7). Sixty metres up ridge from Site 12. Single terrace 6 x 2 m with rare pipis, Cookia and other shells, plus two water-rolled beach boulders. 14. 686887 TERRACE (See Fig. 7). C. 50 m south-east down from the main ridge crest of island, c. 100 m above sea level. One well formed terrace 9 x 4.5 m. 15. 686888 PITS (see Fig. 7). C. 120 m above sea level on level area at top of main island ridge. Two 3 x 1 m pits close together. 30. 683884 TERRACES and MIDDEN. Twenty to twenty five metres above sea level on a steep face above Boulder Bay are 2-3 small terraces. A midden scatter below includes common Nerita, also pipis, cockles, Turbo, Haustrum, Cellana, Cookia, pauas, Thais, fishbones (and seal?) (recorded P.R. Moore). 31. 689884 TERRACES. C. 30 m above sea level east side of Starfish Bay. At the point the precipitous sea face eases off are two possible terraces. 32. 689885 TERRACES. Sixty metres above Site 31 above Starfish Bay are two possible terraces on eroding spur. 33. 690885 TERRACES. Seventy-five to eighty metres above sea level, 50 m from Site 32 above east side of Starfish Bay. Two (three?) terraces. 34. 690886 TERRACE. C. 120 m above sea level, above Starfish Bay. Distinct 12 x 5 m terrace. 35. 691881 TERRACE. C. 200 m above sea level, close to top of island. Single terrace 12 x 5 m. 36. 693888 TERRACES (see Fig. 8). On northern edge of spur which leads down to pa (Site 37) on 'Point Perpendicular', c. 130 m above sea level. Two well defined terraces. 37. 693890 PA (Fig. 9, and see Fig. 8). Situated at the end of a narrow spur with precipitous sides which juts out from the north side of the island to 'Point Perpendicular'. A single ditch cuts the narrow spur; 20 m beyond is the first of 6 terraces, 5 of which occupy an area just below (west) of the narrow summit of the spur, and the other the end of the spur itself. 184 0

0

Fig. 6. Whatupuke Island. Field record numbers mark the location of sites. The dashed line indicates search route. (Informal names are in inverted commas, contour lines are in feet).

38. 691887 STONE WALLS and MOUNDS (see Fig. 8). Covering the extensive plateau area on top of the island from c. 691888 to 692885 with a smaller area above 'Point Perpendicular' at 693888. 39. 690888 PIT and TERRACE (see Fig. 8). At summit of island 240 m above sea level. At old trig are two adjacent terraces directly above cliff to sea north. Forty metres east are two (three?) pits and one (+?) terrace. 40. 692884 TERRACES with STONE WALLS and MOUND (Fig. 10, and see Fig. 8). C. 200 m above sea level on the south-east end of the high main ridge of the island just as it dips rapidly to the sea. Two stone revetted terraces straddle the top of the ridge, with one stone mound immediately uphill. 41. 692883 TERRACE. On main ridge, east side of Starfish Bay where broad spur narrows and dips sharply to sea, c. 170 m above sea level. Single terrace; two water-worn boulders confirm difficult topographical indications. 42. 692882 TERRACE. On top of main ridge east side of Starfish Bay, c. 150 m above sea level. Single small terrace. 43. 692881 PIT. On spur end east side of Starfish Bay, c. 50 m above sea level. Single pit 2.5 x 1.5 m. 44. 690881 TERRACES and MIDDEN. On end of spur south of extreme east gully, Starfish Bay, c. 50 m above sea level. Four terraces extend down 50 m of spur. Eroding midden includes Nerita, pipis, Turbo and Cookia. 45. 690883 TERRACE with STONE WALL. East side of Starfish Bay, c. 60 m above sea level. Single terrace with difficult indications of stone revetting at front. 185 46. 689884 TERRACE. East side of Starfish Bay, c. 50 m above sea level. Single terrace on top of spin*. 47. 688885 TERRACES. C. 50 m above sea level, true left of main stream gully at north corner of Starfish Bay. Where spur drops abruptly to beach. Two terraces. 48. 686885 TERRACE. C. 20 m above sea level, true left of main stream gully at north corner of Starfish Bay. Single terrace with rare fragmentary shells. 70. 694885 PA. Busby Point (south-eastern headland of island). A summit platform and terraces below to the south with a suggestion of a stone wall on the east side. Narrow gap which cuts the point off from the mainland may be man-made (recorded A.E. Wright).

Coppermine Island (Fig. 1) 21. 711887 TERRACE and STONE WALLS (see Fig. 11). C. 50 m above sea level in the small hanging valley immediately east of the landing. About half of the group of 10-12 terraces are revetted at the front (rarely at the rear also) by stone walls. 22. 709888 PITS (see Fig. 11). Eighty metres above sea level on point above the cliff east side of Mokomoko Bay. Four pits: 5.5 x 3 m, 2.5 x 2 m, 3 x 1.5 m, c. 2 x 2 m. 23. 702885 TERRACES and MIDDEN. On the main island ridge, a few metres west of summit (Huarewa), c. 200 m above sea level. As many as 7 terraces occupy the ridgetop and extend down the north side. One pipi and two paua fragments found. 24. 705886 TERRACES. At western end of high part of ridge, immediately east of slight saddle before the main island ridge climbs to Huarewa. Two poorly defined terraces on south side of ridge.

15,

67

Fig. 7. Whatupuke Island, west end looking north. Sites are marked by field record numbers. Visible from left are "Middle Stack", "Gunsight Rock", "Starfish Rock" and "Starfish Bay". Photo: D.L. Homer, N.Z. Geological Survey.

186 Fig. 8. Whatupuke Island, east end looking south with Hen (Taranga) Island beyond. Sites are marked by field record numbers. Photo: D.L. Homer, N.Z. Geological Survey. 71. 713888 STONE WALL, possible PA. The precipitous knoll may have been defended; a stone wall indicates occupation (recorded P.R. Moore).

Western Chicken Islands (Fig. 1) 62. 639882 Mauitaha. TERRACES, PITS and MIDDEN. Extending over 100 m of main island ridge are 6 or more terraces and 5 pits. Scattered shell midden includes Cookia, Thais and Nerita (recorded B.W. Hayward). 63. 638882 Mauitaha. PITS, TERRACES and MIDDEN. On main island ridge c. 100 m east of trig. Two terraces, three pits (2.5 x 1.5 m, 2 x 1.5 m and 4 x 2 m), scattered shells include Thais, Nerita, Cookia and Cellana radians (recorded B.W. Hayward). 64. 641881 Mauitaha. TERRACES, PIT and MIDDEN. East end of island on ridge crest. Several terraces with scattered shells (Cookia, Nerita and pipis); one pit 4 x 3 m (recorded B.W. Hayward). 65. 642890 Pupuha. TERRACES. Several indistinct terraces at the top of the island (recorded B.W. Hayward). 66. 639893 Muriwhenua. OCCUPATION. On the flat island top is no obvious terracing. Scattered pebbles and cobbles have been transported to the site (recorded B.W. Hayward). 69. 637893 Islet south of tombolo between Wareware and Muriwhenua Islands. PA. Four small well-preserved terraces are cut into rock on steep sides island summit. Just below summit platform are three other terraces (recorded A.E. Wright). Offshore islets (Fig. 1) 67. 681879 "Gunsight Rock", off south-west point of Whatupuke Island. STONE WALL and TERRACE (Fig. 12 and 13, and see Fig. 8). A 1.5 m high stone wall is built across the top of a narrow gut to form a 2.5 x 2 m terrace. Other possible terraces are on north and north-west sides of islet (recorded B.W. Hayward). 187 68. 684883 "Starfish Rock", off south-west point of Whatupuke Island (See Fig. 8). Several indistinct TERRACES on top of steep sided islet (recorded A.E. Wright).

Fig. 9. Sketch plan of pa above 'Point Perpendicular', Whatupuke Island (Site 37). Inset gives ditch cross-section.

SITE TYPES

Pa Whereas some pa are easy to define by their clear use of artificial defences, others which rely on natural defences only are less certain. In the course of the survey 4 pa were recorded which were defended by man-made ditches and banks, three on Lady Alice Island (Sites 1, 19 and 20) and one on Whatupuke (37). At all these sites ditches with banks on their inner rim cut the ridge or spurs (see Fig. 3, 5 and 9). Lateral defence was left to precipitous natural topography (see Fig. 4 and 8), aided in places by terrace and scarp defence as at Sites 1 and 20. Other sites on abrupt and rocky offshore islets (65, 67, 68 and 69), or isolated promontory (70), were almost certainly located for defence. Thus the total number of recorded pa is 9 (with a possible further defended site (71) noted by Moore at the east end of Coppermine Island). Artificially defended pa are much the largest. Site number 20 on Lady Alice Island extends for 130 m along a ridge and may defend an area of 5 000 m3. The two ridge end pa on the same island defend areas of c. 3 000 m3 (Site 19) and c. 1 800 m3 (Site 1) respectively. The

188 Fig. 10. Site 40, Whatupuke Island. Section of stone revetted TERRACE, from the front: the wall is c. 1 m high. spectacularly sited pa above 'Point Perpendicular' on Whatupuke Island comprises 6 terraces making use of all available ground at the end of a narrow rocky spur; the total occupation area might be 300 m2. Even the latter, however, is large in comparison with the top of tiny offshore islets or stacks where perhaps 100 m2 or less is available as living space. The effort put into making more room is well illustrated at 'Gunsight Rock' where a 1.5 m high stone wall is built across the top of a narrow 'chimney' to form a terrace only 2.5 x 2 m (Fig. 12 and 13). Behind the defences there is commonly considerable modification of the natural topography to provide living space. Ground is extensively levelled, as at Site 1, or individual pits and terraces increase available space on rocky spurs or islets. In general there are few pits on the sites, which thus have little apparent food storage capacity. Site 20, with perhaps 5 000 m2 defended area, has only three pits in evidence; Sites 1 and 19, also on Lady Alice, have none. On Whatupuke Island, Site 37 has no pits, nor indeed have any of the small island pa with the possible exception of Site 69. Terraces, however, are very much in evidence on the island pa where available space is at a premium. On the larger Lady Alice Island pa additional living space in the form of artificial terraces is most in evidence at Site 1.

189 Sites such as those recorded on tiny rock islets among the Chickens Islands may be compared with those recorded by Hayward and Wright (1980) in the eastern Group. Hayward and Wright (1980) argue for these sites being pa - no other use making up for their inconvenience - and they make a comparison with Cook's Mercury Bay records of a defended rock of much the same scale (see Cook 1955: 199- 200). An assertion that they are not pa is based on the argument that the definition of pa depends on form rather than on function. Such pa would provide room for perhaps 10-30 people. The larger pa display a much greater investment in defence and must argue for a population of some numbers to require such space and to effectively man the perimeter.

Fig. 11. Coppermine Island, east end looking north. Sites are marked by field record numbers. The Landing can be seen at the extreme left, the navigation light is on the flat highest point. Photo: D.L. Homer, N.Z. Geological Survey. Terraces Fifty-eight of the 67 sites recorded on the Chickens Islands include terraces among their features. Of this number 8 are pa (4 small island pa, and two pa each on Lady Alice and Whatupuke Islands). The small island pa are characteristically defined by terracing which creates living space on top of the tiny rocks. The pa above Koputotara Point on Lady Alice Island has 4 terraces which add living space where narrowing spurs dip towards the sea. The other pa on Lady Alice (Site 19) has two terraces actually outside the main defensive ditch. The Whatupuke Island Site 37 has 6 terraces cut into its rocky spine providing the total available living space. Of the 50 sites other than pa which have terraces, three (or 4) include pits, terraces and middens, 12 include terraces and middens and 6 (or 8] include pits and terraces. A total of 22 sites are made up of terraces only, with an additional 4 having terraces revetted by stone walls - this 190 last group may or may not include other stone features such as mounds. There are marked differences in the size of terrace sites throughout the Chickens Islands. Twenty-two sites on Lady Alice have an average of 4 terraces each whereas 21 on Whatupuke Island average only 1.5 terraces. The three Coppermine Island sites average 7 terraces. The Whatupuke group is dominated by a large number of sites on the steep spurs above Starfish Bay, none of which has more than 4 terraces and most of which have only one. On Lady Alice, on the other hand, an important group of 4 sites, which average 9 terraces each, are located low on seaward spurs above stream mouths. On the small islets such as 'Gunsight Rock' and Pupuha all that can be said is that 'several' often severely eroded terraces exist beneath low and dense vegetation. Throughout the islands, 13 sites have only one terrace, 11 have two and 8 have three terraces. At the other end of the scale, two sites have 7 terraces, two have 9 and two have as many as 12. Terraces themselves are of a great variety of shapes and sizes. Commonly they are set across a slope with the greater length at right angles to it. Among those recorded one is as small as 2.5 x 2 m; others are 20 x 4 m, 20 x 5 m, 18 x 6 m, 20 x 10 m, 25 x 3.5-5 m and 25 x 5 m. Of a sample of 89 measures terraces, 56 are between 8 and 12 m long, and 78 are 3-5 m wide. A small group of 9 terraces is 15-16 m long while another 7 at the lower end of the scale are 6 m long. The small group of terrace sites which are characterised by stone revetting include three on Whatupuke, one on Coppermine Island and the revetted terrace on 'Gunsight Rock'. Among these sites, that on Coppermine Island has 10-12 terraces, about half of which are revetted at the front (some at the rear also) by loose, 1.5 m high walls of rounded boulders. This site occupies a south-east facing slope, c. 30 m above sea level, near the lip of a small hanging valley. On Whatupuke Island, one site is part of a large complex of stone walls and mounds and levelled areas which occupies much of the high summit plateau. Rarely, as with Site 40 (Fig. 10), the stone revetted terraces are clearly of the size and shape of more typical terraces elsewhere. The stone-revetted terrace on 'Gunsight Rock' is unusual in that angular rocks are piled 1.5 m high into the top of a steep chimney or gut to make a terrace only 2 x 2.5 m. Among 15 or 16 sites where terraces are associated with midden, the midden can be scattered throughout or concentrated on one or two terraces. Examples of the latter are Site 2 (Lady Alice Island) where one of three terraces has shell midden on it, and Site 16, also on Lady Alice Island, where one of 8 terraces is covered in shell midden. Elsewhere shell midden spills down steep slopes below eroding terraces. On upwards of 6 sites were found large water-rolled boulders, clearly transported up from the beach below. Such boulders are thought to have provided 'anvils' for beating fern root to prepare it for eating. Terraces are characteristically located on spurs. On the steep faces

191 Fig. 12. Stone terrace on "Gunsight Rock" (Site 67>, view looks west.

192 Fig. 13. Stone terrace on "Gunsight Rock". Photo B.W. Hayward. above Starfish Bay, Whatupuke Island, are 14 terrace sites on steeply ascending spurs with shallow gullies (but no water) between them. On Lady Alice Island the more pronounced ridge system provides for many terrace sites. Here, they commonly occupy positions just below a break

193 of slope, for examples between 'Nikau' and 'Kereru' Creeks where three sites (25, 26 and 27) are to be found at each break of slope in the spur, from below the top of the island to the steep face into the stream bed. The stream mouth terrace sites of Lady Alice Island have already been mentioned on account of their size. They extend from close to sea level, 20-30 m up the landward side of the spurs. These sites are clearly among the most important of the island group: their size, varied midden remains, proximity to fresh water and sea beach, and ready access to higher island ridges, indicate an importance far exceeding that of the small, relatively inaccessible sites higher on the islands.

Pits Eighteen sites have pits, 7 of them consisting of pits only. Ten of the sites with pits are on Lady Alice, 4 on Whatupuke and one on Coppermine Island. The remainder are on Mauitaha, the largest of the Western Chickens. The sites are generally small in terms of numbers of pits, with the pits themselves generally small. Of 24 measured pits, 15 have a maximum dimension of 2.5 m or less. Most sites with these small pits have one or two only. The largest recorded pit is 6 x 6 m (Site 18, Lady Alice). The site with the largest apparent pit capacity is again Site 18, which has three pits of a total area of 44 m2. Site 22 on Coppermine Island has 4 pits with a total area of 30 m2. (Pits were all infilled to a large degree, making a volume measure from field evidence virtually impossible). Pit sites, or those which include pits, are overwhelmingly located on top of main island ridges, high above the sea. This may be argued to be a location close by the gardens which provided the produce requiring pit storage. An argument against this is that the very large area of cultivations on top of Whatupuke has little related storage capacity. Alternatively the location of pit sites may relate to security from raids, ease of construction (on relatively level ground) or insurance against surface water getting into pits as might occur if they were located down the generally steep spurs off main island ridges.

Stonework Stonework is rare on the Chickens Islands when compared with neighbouring Hen Island (Hayward et al 1978). On the Chickens it includes stone revetted terraces, and clearance mounds in cultivation areas. Stone revetted terraces are discussed under 'terraces' (and see Fig. 10,12 and 13). The cultivation area on top of Whatupuke Island (recorded as Site 38) includes stone walls up to 10 m long which front sloping garden areas, and stone heaps. The cultivation terraces are mostly on the north-east facing slope which, below, narrows and dips down to the pa (Site 37). On the extensive island summit above are stone heaps of two basic kinds,

194 consisting of small numbers (perhaps 6-12) of large boulders roughly- thrown together, and larger heaps up to c. 2.5 m diameter, faced with boulders but filled with fist-sized cobbles in the manner of a 'consumption dyke'. Isolated stone heaps occur along the broad summit ridge as far as Site 40 (see Fig. 6). Stone heaps are presumably the evidence of clearing ground preparatory to cultivation. Midden Midden consisting almost entirely of shell was found at 22 sites - among leaf litter and spilling down slopes below occupation areas. Nowhere was it abundant. Very rarely fish and bird bones were found among the shell. Dog bones were found at Site 2 (Lady Alice Island) and, possibly seal bone at Site 30 (Whatupuke Island). Shell midden includes mostly rocky shore species, with the notable exception of pipis (Paphies australis) which were found at 16 sites, sometimes the most abundant, even the only species present. The frequently distorted shells indicate densely packed beds where they were obtained. Common rocky shore species were black neritas (Nerita atramentosa), found at 12 sites, cats eyes (Turbo smaragdus), 11 sites, and Cook's turbans (Cookia sulcata), 16 sites. Also occurring in many sites, though less abundantly, were pauas (from fragmentary remains, mostly Haliotis iris), 8 sites, white rock shells (Thais orbita), 10 sites, and dark rock shells (Haustrum haustorium), 9 sites. Cockles (Chione stutchburyi ), 4 sites, and limpets (Cellana radians), 5 sites, were less common. Rarely found, mostly at only one or two sites, were flax snails (Placostylus hongii), dog cockles (Glycymeris laticostata), dark top shells (Melagraphia aethiops), oysters (Crassostrea glomerata), Dosinia anus and mussels (Perna canaliculus). Trumpet shells (Charonia capax) were rare, although found at three sites.

Artefacts Artefacts consisted entirely of obsidian flakes, which were occasionally found on sites (and rarely elsewhere on the islands), and a fragment of a two-piece bone fishhook. The latter is a 29 mm long basal part of a two-piece fishhook point. It has three notches for side-by-side attachment to the shank. Among c. 30 flakes of obsidian noted (most of which were found at Sites 2 and 58) there are three distinctive obsidians. Approximately half the material is very good quality green obsidian, likely to be from Mayor Island; most of the remainder is poor quality vesicular grey obsidian, with a few pieces of good quality grey material, at least some of which is banded.

195 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The Chickens Islands archaeological landscape may be characterised as having a large number of small sites of which living sites, with little evidence for economic support, make up the greatest number. Shell midden is rarely more than can be accounted for by a few meals for a small group of people. Only on Whatupuke Island is there evidence of gardening. Few pits indicate a modest capacity for food storage. The site pattern is in marked contrast to that of neighbouring Hen (Taranga) Island and the Poor Knights Islands. Hayward et al (1978) report extensive areas of walls, mounds, platforms and other stone features on Hen Island and suggest that most of this evidence relates to gardening. Leahy and Nicholls (1964) report similar evidence on the Poor Knights Islands. At least part of the reason for the lack of stone features on the Chickens Islands is to be found in the underlying geology. Lady Alice Island, the Western Chickens and the western half of Whatupuke Island are made up of Waipapa Group sediments of which the major rock type is greywacke (Small 1969). This has left little in the way of outcrops or surface rocks which would require shifting in garden preparation, or which would provide the raw material for revetting occupation terraces. The area of walls and mounds on the summit of Whatupuke Island falls within the 'intermediate plutonics' (thorites, quartz-diorites and tonalites) mapped by Small (1969: Maps 1 and 2) on eastern Whatupuke and western Coppermine Islands. Thus, with its rocky outcrops and plentiful surface rocks, the area resembles Hen and the Poor Knights Islands, which are both of volcanic origin. In addition to outcropping volcanic material providing raw material for stone work, volcanically derived soils are generally more suited to cultivation than are soils based on sedimentary materials. The area of cultivation on Whatupuke Island provides some evidence for more than transient occupation of the Chickens Islands. The larger terrace sites, especially those on the south side of Lady Alice Island, along with the few pa, also suggest more than just brief visits. Nonetheless, the predominant archaeological evidence suggests brief occupation. Small terrace sites, with shell midden often dominated by pipis from the mainland, strongly suggest only short visits by people who possibly lived in the districts about Whangarei Harbour. It is nonetheless, not possible without a great deal of further work to make more than tentative suggestions concerning the nature of Maori occupation of the Chickens Islands. The islands could not have supported many people on a permanent basis. The gardens, larger terrace sites and pa suggest that for some time during the many centuries the Maori knew the islands people made their home there. In years of peace, when a group as small as must be inferred would have

196 been safe in such exposed isolation, the Chickens Islands may have been host to perhaps not more than 50 permanent inhabitants. If it did not happen before, the warfare of the early nineteenth century ensured that no one remained. Characteristic archaeological evidence indicates brief visits to the islands from the mainland. This was perhaps seasonal, the attractions being fishing and the availability of mutton birds, the fledgling of the grey-faced petrels, in November—January each year. If more permanent occupation did occur in earlier centuries, the small size of the islands and their comparative lack of economic resources even then would have required close links with the nearby mainland and its people.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am grateful to the Offshore Islands Research Group and the Maritime Park Board for the opportunity to do field work on the Chickens Islands. The archaeological records made by Bruce Hayward, Phil Moore and Anthony Wright are much appreciated. Thanks are also due to Lloyd Homer and Bruce Hayward for photographs and Ann Walker for the drawings.

REFERENCES

Cook, J. 1955: 'The Voyage of the Endeavour 1768—1771'. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. (Ed. Beaglehole, J.C.). Hayward, B.W.; Moore, P.R. & Newman, M. 1978: Archaeological site survey of Hen Island (Taranga). Tane 28:137-157. Hayward, B.W. & Wright, A.E. 1980: Archaeological sites on small islands in the eastern Bay of Islands, Northland. Tane 26:151-159. Leahy, A. & Nicholls, E.M. 1964: The Poor Knights Islands. New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter 7:99-109. Moore, P.R. 1984: Mineral exploration on Coppermine Island 1849—1969: an historical review. Tane 30:165-175. Peters, K.M. 1968: Archaeological survey of Coppermine and Whatupuke Island. Unpublished report, Department of Anthropology, University of Auckland. 5 p. Small, A.K. 1969: The geology of the Chicken Islands. Unpublished M.Sc thesis, Department of Geology, University of Auckland. Sunde, R. & Sunde, P. 1971: Archaeological survey of Motumuka (Lady Alice Island). New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter 15: 51-53. Thompson, B.N. 1968: Rocks from pits excavated on Coppermine Island. Unpublished report, N.Z. Geological Survey, D.S.I.R., Auckland. 4 p. Watkins, J.M. 1974: 'The Pickmere Atlas of Northland's East Coast'. Privately published. Wright, 0.1950: 'New Zealand 1826-1827'. Wingfield Press.

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