Archaeological Site Survey on Ponui Island, Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand
TANK 25, 1979 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE SURVEY ON PONUI ISLAND, HAURAKI GULF, NEW ZEALAND by Peter J. Matthews 3 Sadgrove Terrace, Mount Albert, Auckland 3 SUMMARY Thirty four archaeological sites were recorded on Ponui Island in August 1978. These include pits, terraces, middens (10), pa (3) and an oven. Thirty three of these sites have not been previously recorded, bringing to sixty six the number of sites now known on Ponui. The present survey indicates that there is a considerable density of sites on the island. In this respect the island is similar to others in the Hauraki Gulf. INTRODUCTION During the week of Saturday, August 26, to Friday, September 1, 1978, descriptions were made of archaeological sites found on the western arm of Ponui Island, between Oranga Bay and Green Bay, and inland to the highest point (170m A.S.L.) on the island. The survey covered about 397 hectares, a fifth of the islands' total area of 1770 hectares (Fig. 1). Ponui Island is the most eastern of the Inner Gulf islands, and lies between Waiheke Island and the mainland. The coastal settlement of Kawakawa is 5.4km away on the mainland coast while Waiheke I. is a little over 1km to the northwest. From north to south the island is 8km long and at Kauri Point is 3.7km across. The topography is generally hilly, rolling in parts. Most of Ponui Island has been cleared for livestock farming, but there are remnants of kauri (Agathis australis) and broadleaf forest. These rem• nants are mainly west and south of the trig.
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