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Archaeological investigation of sites T12/172 and T12/173, Pt Whakatete No 3 Block, Ngarimu Heights, Thames Coast report to The New Zealand Historic Places Trust and Ngarimu Heights Ltd. Andrew Hoffmann CFG Heritage Ltd. 7 Plunket Terrace Hamilton ph. (07) 856 4877 [email protected] Archaeological investigation of sites T12/172 and T12/173, Pt Whakatete No 3 Block, Ngarimu Heights, Thames Coast report to The New Zealand Historic Places Trust and Ngarimu Heights Ltd. Prepared by: Andrew Hoff mann Reviewed by: Date: 26 February 2008 Matthew Campbell Reference: 2008/24 © CFG Heritage Ltd. 2008 CFG Heritage Ltd. 7 Plunket Terrace Hamilton ph. (07) 856 4877 [email protected] Archaeological investigation of sites T12/172 and T12/173, Pt Whakatete No 3 Block, Ngarimu Heights, Thames Coast Andrew Hoff mann Th e excavation of sites T12/172 and T12/173 at the Ngarimu developed bays, harbours and estuaries are present along Heights subdivision, Th ames, Pt Whakatete No 3 Block, with expanses of fl at to moderately sloping coastal land. was carried out over seven days between 28 June and 4 July At Ngarimu Bay a minor coastal platform has devel- 2007. Th is investigation was carried out under authority oped and the coastal relief across the seaward portion of No.2006/190 issued by New Zealand Historic Places Trust the block is more moderate than over most of the adjacent under section 14 of the Historic Places Act 1993. coastline. From State Highway 25 the terrain of the north Both sites were initially recorded by Larryn Diamond west portion of the block rises moderately in an easterly in 1977 as part of a larger archaeological survey of the direction until reaching the toes of two ridges. Manuka Th ames−Manaia Coast (Diamond 1981). Th ey were and kowhai cover the slopes of both ridgelines. Th e major- identifi ed as exposures of midden deposits on the slopes ity of No 3 Block has been cleared in the past and was of the two spur ridges located in this block. Along with under long grass at the time of this investigation. A minor these midden deposits Gumbley (2005) identifi ed terraces ephemeral creek runs through a steep gully in approxi- at T12/172. Much of that site, however, spans the No 3 mately the centre of the block separating the two ridges. Block’s southern boundary and only the low terrace por- Th e Pupurakau Stream is a perennial watercourse and tion of this site was subject to the current investigation. marks the eastern boundary of No 3 Block. Large stream At T12/173 Gumbley (2005) also identifi ed a rectangular boulders and quantities of smaller rubble are present in pit on the spur crest and a large fl at natural slip terrace the topsoil adjacent the stream, indicating this lower lying forming the terminus of the spur was thought to preserve area has been subject to fl ood events in the past. Evidence other archaeological features. Th e entirety of site T12/173 of slips are also visible above the toes of the two ridges. is within the Pt Whakatete No 3 Block and was investi- T12/172 gated in whole. As a result, the bulk of this report relates to the investigation of T12/173. Diamond identifi ed two Th e toe of the ridge line on which T12/172 was located further midden sites in No 3 Block, T12/171 and T12/174. rises from the south west corner of No 3 Block, south of Th e former was described as a midden deposit damaged the ephemeral creek line (see Figure 2). Th e slopes of this by tree root growth in 1977. Th is site was not re-located by ridge rise to the south east and the majority of the terraces Gumbley in 2005. T12/174, located on the south bank of and possible pit features associated with this site lie above the Pupurakau Stream, was identifi ed by Gumbley but was 20 m ASL, on the crest of the ridge beyond the block’s considered to be a part of T12/173 (Gumbley 2005) and is southern boundary line. Th e part of T12/172 that was reported as such here. investigated lay between 10 and 15 m ASL, just above the Middens, oft en associated with pits and terraces as toe of the ridge. Two terraced areas were investigated, des- at T12/172 and T12/173, are the most common class of ignated Areas F1 and F2 (note these terraces were labelled archaeological site along the Th ames Coast, and are also H and I respectively in Gumbley 2005). Area F2 is a terrace a common site type across Coromandel Peninsula. Th e approximately 15 x 7 m, while Area F1 is a smaller terrace, investigation of T12/173 provided an opportunity to com- approximately 8 x 9 m, which lay immediately downhill pare the nature and chronology of the settlement of this from Area F2. ridge top site with similar excavated sites on the Peninsula T12/173 (Crosby et al. 1987; Furey 1987a, 1987b; Gumbley 1998; Leahy 1970, 1972; Phillips 1997). Site T12/173 is located on the crest of the ridge north of the ephemeral creek and south of the Pupurakau Stream. Environment and landscape Four areas were excavated, Areas A−D. Areas A, B and Th e sites were located at Ngarimu Bay approximately 7.5 C are located along the ridge crest between 35 and 50 m km north of Th ames, approximately halfway between ASL (see Figure 2). Area A is the uppermost part of the Tararu and Te Puru townships (Figure 1). Along this part site and lies along the fl at crest of the ridge. A single pit, of the Firth of Th ames the land generally slopes steeply measuring approximately 5 x 3 m prior to excavation, was down to the sea with little development of a coastal plat- visible on the ground at the northern end of Area A prior form. Th e largest areas of coastal fl ats are at Tararu and to excavation. Testing with a screw-type soil auger indi- Te Puru, where signifi cant alluvial fans have developed at cated the pit had 550 mm of fi ll in it. Th is was the only the mouths of the streams of the same names. Th is coastal visible surface feature, other than shell midden, visible environment contrasts with that present on the northern across the entire site prior to excavation. Area B was an and eastern side of the Coromandal Peninsula, where well approximately 15 m wide band of midden deposit covering Pt Whakatete No.3 Block Figure 1. Location of Pt Whakatete No 3 Block at Ngarimu Bay, Thames Coast. the slopes of the ridge below Area A. Area C was the fl at Area F2 and the fl at portion of Area F1 was completely slip terrace, approximately 10 m wide by 16 m long, situ- exposed. ated below Areas A and B. Th e Area D midden deposit is A self-tracking robotic total station (Leica 1205) was at approximately 15 m ASL at the toe of the ridge, adjacent used to plot the relative positions of each designated area the Pupurakau Stream fl ood plain. Th is was the part origi- and of the archaeological features identifi ed and excavated nally recorded by Diamond. Th e midden there was probed within them. A separate paper record of the dimensions and estimated to cover approximately 300 m2. and attributes of each feature was also kept. Th e locations of each stone fl ake were individually plotted on the survey Excavation method plan. Single obsidian fl akes were bagged and numbered A mechanical excavator was used to strip the turf from individually, while associated groups of fl akes were num- the excavated areas. Following topsoil stripping from bered and bagged as a group. Features were photographed each area the exposed surfaces were cleaned down using with a digital camera before, during and aft er excavation. hand tools (shovel and trowel). All potential features were Samples of the midden deposits in T12/173 Areas B marked and subsequently excavated by hand. Th e spatial and D were taken. In Area B, three 1 m squares were exca- extent of Areas A, B and C were chosen such that they cov- vated and a 10 litre sample was retained from each square. ered the terminal end crest of this ridge line, equating to In Area D, a single 1 m square was excavated and one 10 all land surfaces potentially suited to pre-European Maori litre sample was retained. During the excavation of these occupation. A 2 x 10 m trench was stripped across a por- sample squares, identifi able charcoal pieces were retained tion of Area D. A similar sized trench was stripped across and bagged separately. Th e 10 litre midden samples were wet sieved through 5 mm mesh and analysed and recorded. 2 Ngarimu Heights Pupurakau Stream ephemeral creek Figure 2. Investigated areas of T12/172 and T12/173 overlaid on topographic plan of Pt Whakatete No 3 Block. Shell and charcoal from the fl oor of the larger pit feature dence of any associated occupation across the slip terrace. in Area A were also retained. Th e charcoal samples were Area D was disturbed by recent dumping activities and analysed by Dr Rod Wallace (Anthropology Department, past river bank fl ood events. A single obsidian waste fl ake University of Auckland). A selection of the shells from the was recovered from T12/172 Area F1, and the investiga- 10 litre midden samples and from the pit feature were proc- tion of Areas F1 and F2 revealed no features related to pre- essed and radiocarbon dated by the Waikato Radiocarbon European occupation.