Obsidian from Macauley Island: a New Zealand Connection
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www.aucklandmuseum.com Obsidian from Macauley Island: a New Zealand connection Louise Furey Auckland War Memorial Museum Callan Ross-Sheppard McGill University, Montreal Kath E. Prickett Auckland War Memorial Museum Abstract An obsidian flake collected from Macauley Island during the Kermadec Expedition has been analysed to determine the source. The result indicates a Mayor Island, New Zealand, origin, supporting previous results on obsidian from Raoul Island that Polynesians travelled back into the Pacific from New Zealand. Keywords obsidian; Pacific colonisation; Pacific voyaging; Macauley Island. INTRODUCTION The steep terrain meant there were only a few suitable habitation places confined to flat areas of limited size on The Kermadec Islands comprise Raoul Island, the largest the south and north coasts. The only landing places were of the group, the nearby Meyer Islands and Herald adjacent to these flats. Botanical surveys have recorded Islets, and 100–155 km to the south are Macauley, the presence of Polynesian tropical cultigens including Curtis and Cheeseman iIslands, and L’Esperence Rock. candlenut (Aleurites monuccana) and ti (Cordyline Raoul is approximately 1000 km to the northeast of fruticosa) (Sykes 1977) which are not endemic to the New Zealand. During the 2011 Kermadec Expedition, island and it is assumed they were transported there by samples of naturally occurring obsidian were obtained Polynesian settlers. Polynesian tuberous vegetables such from Raoul, the Meyer Islands, and from the sea floor off as taro (Colocasia esculenta) and kumara (Ipomoea Curtis Island. These are now in the Auckland Museum batatas) were also recorded but their introduction collection. More importantly however was the single attributed to later 19th century immigrants. obsidian flake from Macauley Island, found within a An archaeological expedition to Raoul in 1978 lichen sample collected by botanist Peter de Lange explored the few flat areas suitable for prehistoric (Figure 1). It is the first unequivocal evidence of a occupation (Anderson 1979, 1980). This was followed Polynesian presence on the island. This paper describes by a DOC-led expedition in 1990 (Johnson 1991, the sourcing study which attributes the obsidian to 1995). In Denham Bay there were historic settlement Mayor Island, a New Zealand source. remains but no exposed evidence of earlier Polynesian The archaeology of the Kermadec Islands was occupation. On the north coast at Farm Terrace unknown prior to 1978 although adzes collected by Polynesian occupation remains were found, but Low the Bell family, who lived on Raoul from 1878-1914 Flat had the most extensive occupation layer visible in (Johnson 1991:32), had been described. The eight adzes the eroding scarp fronting the beach and also in the walls were clearly Polynesian in style but stylistically they of gullies or ravines which intersected the flat. At least did not favour an origin from any one island group 1.5 m of dune sand or tephra from more recent eruptions over another (Duff 1968). The Kermadec Islands were covered the archaeological deposits. Investigations uninhabited when sighted by Captain Sever of the convict in 1978 revealed several earth ovens associated with transport Lady Penrhyn in 1788, but there was regular bones of a sea mammal, postholes, shell midden, basalt contact with Raoul Island by re-provisioning whaling flakes, two adzes and an imitation whale tooth pendant. vessels, and European occupation from the 1830s The layer appeared to represent a single occupation (Johnson 1991), so it could not be said conclusively that (Anderson 1980), an interpretation confirmed by the adzes hadn’t been brought to the island with later further investigation during the 1990 visit (Johnson settlers. Active volcanism made Raoul Island, at times, 1991, 1995). Only a small amount of shell midden and an unattractive and precarious place to live and settlers faunal material was present in the layer but a candlenut were evacuated on occasion due to the volcanic activity. found at the interface of the palaeosol (buried soil) and Bulletin of the Auckland Museum 20: 511–518 http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/research/pub/bulletin/20/24 512 Louise Furey, Callan Ross-Sheppard & Kath E. Prickett Figure 1. Macauley Island showing the locations of the obsidian find and other possible cultural material. Figure 2. (left) Find location in Northern Access Gully, Macauley Island. Photo: Peter de Lange. Figure 3. (above) Obsidian flake Macauley Island. Photo: Kath Prickett. Obsidian from Macauley Island 513 the cultural layer in 1990 may be highly relevant to found to contain an obsidian flake, green in transmitted discussions about Polynesian migration. light. No direct evidence of Polynesian occupation was Six flakes and one core of highly vitreous obsidian, found in exposed scarps at the rear of Sandy Bay during green in transmitted light, were recovered in 1978. a visit in 1990, but a possible blade flake or cutter of Flakes similar to the naturally occurring obsidian local stone material was found above the cliffs at Sandy were also present, but this material is greyish-black Bay (site KE/17) and small water-rolled cobbles found in transmitted light, dense, of poor flaking quality and approximately 40 m above sea level (site KE/18, Southern easily distinguished from the green obsidian. During the Access Gully) were in a situation that suggested they had 1990 excavations on Low Flat, several hundred flakes been transported there (Johnson 1995). Peter de Lange of Raoul Island obsidian were excavated but no further has advised that the location of KE/17 has since eroded flakes of green obsidian were found. and slumped onto Sandy Bay. The obsidian flake reported Obsidian which is green in transmitted light has few here, now in the Archaeology collection at Auckland known eastern Pacific sources. The flakes were twice Museum, is also out of context (and was probably washed subjected to sourcing studies using X-ray Fluorescence into the Northern Access Gully after being ejected with (XRF) and PIXE-PIGME analysis which compared soil from a petrel burrow in the near vicinity). The the chemical signature of the flaked obsidian against a occupation evidence, if any surviving cultural layer is to range of sources in New Zealand and elsewhere in the be found, is probably sparse and highly disturbed. The Pacific (Anderson and McFadgen 1990, Leach et al. physical conditions on the island, and the lack of safe 1986). Results confirmed the source as Mayor Island in canoe haul-out areas, make it unlikely Macauley Island the Bay of Plenty and raised the possibility of two-way was occupied but the obsidian flake, added to the more voyaging between islands in Eastern Polynesia and New ephemeral evidence of a possible tool and water rolled Zealand. The find of an imitation whale tooth pendant, pebbles found near or on access routes into the interior stylistically similar to the form found in New Zealand plateau from the sea, and the presence of the Polynesian and East Polynesia around the time New Zealand was rat (Rattus exulans), confirm Polynesian visitation. colonised, confirmed an East Polynesian rather than a The Macauley Island obsidian flake (Auckland West Polynesian cultural origin although the island is Museum number 2012.10.1) was collected on 22 closer to Ata in Tonga than it is to the Maori/Polynesian May 2011 from map ref. NZMS Topographic map 50 homeland islands in Central to East Polynesia. Kermadec Islands 589 544 ± 40 m. Maximum dimensions are 25 mm (length), 33 mm (width), 3 mm (depth), with a MACAULEY ISLAND weight of 4.8 g (Figure 3). The flake is black in reflected light and olive green in transmitted light, has a vitreous The island of 300 ha is the second largest in the lustre, very good (clear and glassy) translucency and Kermadec Group, and is about 110 km from Raoul there are two micro phenocrysts present. The flake has Island. In good weather conditions Raoul can be seen fractured choncoidally and has pronounced choncoidal from Macauley Island, but the reverse does not apply bands. Although it appears to be a classic flake there is as Macauley Island is smaller and of lower elevation. no striking platform and the bulbar scar is absent. The Cliffs surround the island with the only suitable land flake has a hinge termination. There is no unequivocal access from a canoe at Sandy Bay on the eastern end. edge modification resulting from use or retouch but Unwelded ignimbrite to a depth of many metres overlies under x10 magnification short lengths of nibbled edge basalt exposed at sea level (Lloyd et al. 1996). Narrow are visible which may indicate use or trampling. steep-sided ravines dissect the interior plateau and in some places allow access to the coast which is strewn METHODS with large basalt boulders. The sides of the ravines erode easily in heavy rain events and tropical cyclones. Previous studies of New Zealand obsidian using In addition the island is subject to regular earthquakes PXRF instruments have been used to characterise and which also affect the stability of the ravine walls. differentiate all known New Zealand geological sources There is no running or standing water on the island. (see Sheppard et al. 2011). This would suggest that such an All of these factors make it an unfavourable place for analysis would be sufficient to characterise and determine occupation. The dominant vegetation now is Hypolepis the origin of the Macauley Island flake, as well as confirm dicksonioides, a fern which grows to 2 m in height the attribution of the material from the Low Flat site on and obscures the ground surface. This fern has thrived Raoul Island. after removal of goats from the island in 1970 but there The Macauley Island flake and eight of the obsidian are indications that woody species such as Kermadec flakes excavated from the Low Flat site on Raoul in ngaio (Myoporum rapense subsp.