Types of Fortified Positions

The great majority of old native fortified places can be placed under two headings, viz., hill forts and fortified positions on flat land, the former embracing four sub-types so far as site is concerned. There are also two other forms that occur but rarely:—

1.	Fortified positions on flat land.page 19
2.	Hill forts: A. Fortified positions on ridges and spurs. B. Fortified isolated hills, peaks, and hillocks. C. Headland or promontory forts. D. Cliff forts, often having few artificial defences.
3.	Island forts or refuges, including swamp strongholds.

With regard to the forts situated on flat land it may be explained that, in nearly all cases, one face at least impinges upon a river, stream, hollow or bluff, in very few instances was a pa constructed on flat ground with a level unbroken area all around it. Thus a fort may contain and be almost surrounded by level land and yet have on one face a perpendicular cliff, or more or less abrupt slope to a river, gulch, or lower flat. Some of the headland forts, as those on points projecting from a terrace or plateau, enclose level land that is merely a continuation of the terrace. The Manu-korihi pa, described in the following pages, is a good example of a flat land fort though it impinges upon a precipitous cliff.

Of the hill forts those coming under sub-division A are of several forms, for the summit of the ridge may be level or it may be irregular, consisting of alternate knolls and hollows or saddles. In some cases such a ridge summit had several of such rounded hills strongly fortified, while the intervening hollows were occupied as residential areas, but were abandoned in the event of a strongly pressed attack. The Tapa-huarau pa at Ohaeawai, herein described, is of this type. Te Poroa at Opouri-ao is another picturesque example of these fortified ridges, the earthworks extending for a considerable distance. Again we encounter many fortified places situated on downward trending spurs. Some of these side spurs so utilised have quite a sharp fall to valley or flat, but in all cases the Maori engineer has sought a place thereon where the spur crest formed a knoll with a low saddle on the upper side, whereat strong defences might be constructed at this up hill end of the fort. When such a knoll and saddle were not available, then the upper defences were located at a place where the spur summit was level for some distance, and across this part fosses were excavated and supplemented by ramparts, scarped faces and stockades. The Tunu-haere pa at Whanganui belongs to this type.

The B type of hill forts may be isolated hills or buttes surrounded by flat or rolling land, high lying peaks of ridges, or small hillocks on level land such as are seen in numbers on the Taranaki coast. Again, in some cases, the lower end of a spur develops into a small hill with a very low saddle on the upper side, thus bringing it under the aspect of an isolated hill. The pa at Te Koru, hereinafter described, is an illustration of this type. Pohokura and Pahi-tere are page 20examples of the hillock or mound forts; the volcanic cone forts of the north show us large isolated hill forts; while Nga Puke-pango and Tapa-huarau present different forms of fortified ridge peaks. Of the fortified isolated hills some present the form of short ridges, such as Urenui, others are of rounded or conical form, as Tirohanga, near Opotiki.

In sub-division C we have promontories almost surrounded by water, such as Mawe at Omapere, and Maori Head at Napier, while others are situated on points projecting from plateau, such as Parihamore and Te Kawa, without any water front. This latter type is liable to impinge upon that of sub-division A.

Sub-division D gives us some remarkably picturesque strongholds of the Maori, such as Paritutu, Moturoa, Pohatu-roa and Taratara. There are other such places of imposing aspect of which illustrations are not available. Some of these cliff forts, such as Waimate, were defended by earthworks, etc., on the one accessible side; others, such as Paritutu, Pohatu-roa and Taratara were isolated cliff bound peaks or mesa that called for little in the way of artificial defences.

Regarding island forts and refuges it may be explained that in some cases islands were fortified, while in others they simply served as refuges from raiding enemies unprovided with canoes, and were not fortified, such as Tapu-te-ranga at Island Bay, Wellington. In troublous times islands were favoured places of residence, for many of the war expeditions of the Maori were made by land and thus island dwellers were safe from such raiders. Hence Mokoia, Motutaiko, Whale Island, Tuhua, Kapiti, Mana, Somes, Ward, and a great many more isles were occupied for long centuries, though not continuously so in all cases.

An interesting feature in this division is the construction of artificial islands in lakes and lagoons, such as those of Horo-whenua and Muhunoa, of which more anon. Again islands or elevated ground surrounded by swamps were occasionally fortified and in one case we examined an artificial island that had been constructed in a swamp and enclosed by a stockade.