Midden Analysis

Anderson (1966) took samples from beach middens in an attempt to document diet and economic strategies. This work lacked the sophistication he was to develop later in this field during research at the Black Rocks middens in Palliser Bay, Wairarapa (1973). Millar's (1971) report on the Tahunanui site (S20/2) gives a list of identifications of faunal material identified by Ron Scarlett. Butts (1978) has published the results of the faunal analysis of the Rotokura material. For the first time a full range of fish and bird species as well as sea mammal was published for the Tasman Bay area. Human material was also analysed. This type of analysis would not have been possible without the facilities of the Anthropology Department and Medical School of the University of Otago and the expertise of staff and students. It is obvious then why such analysis has not been forthcoming in the past. If Tahunanui and Rotokura are any indication of the richness of other archaeological sites in Tasman Bay, then the Maori exploitation of his environment in that area has been extremely wide ranging and complex in its strategies.

To date no analysis has been made of floral material from archaeological sites in Tasman Bay.