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The Pa Maori

Bay of Islands District

Bay of Islands District

It will be seen that in this far northern part of the island are found two types of fortified positions. We encounter here the terraced volcanic cones showing no exterior defensive earth-works except scarped faces, resembling those of Mt. Eden, One Tree Hill, Mangere, etc., and also others somewhat similar to the forts seen in the Taranaki and Bay of Plenty districts. In those of the latter type are noted such exterior defences as escarpments, parapets and fosses. It appears to be a fact that more terracing occurs in the pa of this district than is generally observable in the Bay of Plenty series, which causes the northern series to more closely resemble those of Taranaki. This remark applies to those of the second type as above mentioned.

About a mile N.W. by W. from the township of Kawakawa is a very well preserved ridge fort situated on a long spur extending from a high range down to the river flat. The neolithic engineers who selected the site were assuredly no mean exponents of the art of fortification. They chose a knoll of the spur having a low saddle at the upper end, and thus possessing the advantages of a hill-top or isolated hill. The two flanks present extremely steep slopes down to a ravine on the south side and a valley on the north side. The spur is but a narrow topped one, and hut sites were obtained by excavating the upper part so as to form flat areas of differing levels, thus there are fifteen such areas along the summit, besides several longitudinal terraces. The cross defences consisted of scarps, fosses and stockades; the longitudinal defences of scarps and stockades. Parapets or ramparts are but little in evidence. Roughly the spur extends eastward from the range. See Fig. 64, p. 240.

Proceeding up the spur from the road junction the first part of the works met with is the trench cut across the spur top at A with an inner scarp of 8 ft. This fosse extends about 10 yds. down the steep slope on the northern side. The reason of this extension is by no means clear, though it may have been held in order to prevent an page 240 Fig. 64—An Old Pa at Kawakawa, Bay of Islands district. (See p. 239.) Miss. E. Richardson page 241enemy gaining access to the upper part of the fosse, or to render a flank attack more difficult. We shall encounter other examples of such fosse extension further on.

Ascending the scarp at A lands us on a small artificially levelled area 12 yds. long and 6 yds. in width, with a low parapet 2 ft. high along its northern edge, below which is a steep scarp of 9 ft. Lower down the hill side are several very small terrace formations, probably hut sites. The soil is a stiff clay. The whole southern side of the pa from A to L overlooks a steep slope down to a deep gully. Such a face would have its upper part scarped as steeply as the material would permit of, and be surmounted by a stockade.

C area is some 18 inches below the level of B area and is a small flat space about 6 yds. square. On its north side is a steep scarp of 10 ft. below which is a small terrace only 7 ft. in width, being partially blocked with debris resulting from the erosion of the scarp.

The eastern end of D area is below the level of C and the defences between them consist of a steep 6 ft. scarp, at the base of which is a trench about 6 ft. wide. Along the western brow of the trench is a parapet, now only 18 inches in height. Areas C and D apparently occupy what was a slight dip in the original surface of the ridge summit, or the ridge was so narrow here that it had to be excavated to a greater depth in order to acquire the desired width. Under the northern end of the C, D fosse a singular excavation has been made in the form of a huge trench 16 ft. wide, extending from the base of the scarp down the hillside for 6 yds. or 8 yds. to end at the brow of a precipitous descent. These unusual lateral defences are a feature of this pa. If held by the garrison then any force endeavouring to deliver a flank attack would be compelled to advance straight up a precipitous hill side, a proceeding that might be easily discouraged.

D area is 30 yds. long and 6 yds. to 8 yds. wide. At its western end a sub-area 6 yds. in length is 18 inches higher. The hillside to the south shows a steep slope, while the northern side still shows signs of a 10 ft. scarp.

To gain access to E area from D it is necessary to ascend a scarped face of nearly 10 ft. in height, originally almost perpendicular, apparently. This E area is but 15 yds. in length and 6 to 14 yds. in width, but presents some very unusual and somewhat puzzling features. The western end of the area is about 18 inches higher than the eastern half. The latter is level, while the former slopes upward to the west. Now in the middle of this part a block of the original formation has been left standing. See N on plan. It is about 11 ft. by 9 ft. in size and of considerable height. It has been a rectangular block and shows clay overlying stone rubble. From the S.W. corner page 242of this N block a wall of the original formation some 3 ft. in thickness has been left standing and extends across to the scarp at Fo. Presumably this was a causeway to enable persons to pass from the summit area of F to the outstanding block. This block, marked N on the plan, was probably for defensive purposes, or it may possibly have been the means of access from E to F by means of using a ladder to ascend to the top of N.

Between the block N and the high scarp at Fo is a fosse 12 ft. wide and 3 ft. to 4 ft. deep. This extends from the wall like causeway to the northern side of the area. This northern side is much broken away, but the southern face still shows signs of having been scarped steeply for 10 ft. or so. The scarp on the western side of the fosse is about 16 ft. in height but it has been higher. At its summit is the Fo terrace.

Fo to F6 area is the highest part of the fortified position and is divided into seven flattened sub-areas of different levels, thus much resembling the Tapa-huarau fort at Ohaeawai. F6 is the actual summit, from which one descends to G, H, I and J.

The narrow terrace marked Fo is but about two yards wide and continues round the northern side of the hill below the summit to connect with H terrace.

Fl is about 2 ft. higher and 5 yds wide. It continues in a narrow form round the south side of the summit area for some distance. The hillside to the south is very steep.

F2 is 9 yds. long, i.e., E. and W. and 5 to 6 yds. wide, and runs round the northern side of the hill as a terrace above that of Fo, widening as it goes. The lower terrace seems to have been reduced in width in order to accommodate the upper terrace. The lower terrace has been 3 yds. wide and probably more, but shows the effects of erosion, as is usual in such formations when not protected by a growth of vegetation.

Ascending a scarp of 4 ft. brings us on to F3 sub-area which is but 6 yds. in length and somewhat less in width. The terrace on the south side from Fl ends here.

Another rise of 2½ ft. lands us on area F4 which is the same length as the preceding one, but somewhat wider.

F5 lies 2 ft. higher and is 7 yds. in length. On its northern side is a perpendicular 8 ft. scarp down to the terrace. The two terraces become one below the east end of F5, and that one is about 4 yds. wide.

A rise of 4 ft. now brings us to F6 the highest part of the pa. It is 22 yds. long, but 8 yds. of the western end is at a lower level by about 2 ft. Width from 6 yds. to 16 yds. Some of the original scarping page 243is discernible at the S.W. corner near L. The western end is marked by a high scarp falling into a fosse. At G a sloping way leads down to H terrace, here 18 to 20 ft. wide. The inner scarp of H terrace is here 13 ft. high, while on the outer side the hillside falls away steeply to a deep gully. At this western end of H terrace there seems to have been a subterranean store pit, the only one seen throughout the fortified area.

Area I is a small terrace 10 ft. below the level of H, and cut out of the sloping spur descending to the low saddle. Its N.E. face presents a steep scarp, and a sloping causeway leads up to terrace H. A low parapet runs along the brow overlooking the fosse J. Shell refuse on the slopes show that a part of the food products utilised was obtained from the coast.

We now come to the outermost defence on the main ridge of the spur. This is a deep wide fosse at J. The spur falls somewhat steeply from G to J and from J is a more gradual slope for 16 yds. to a low saddle, from which the ridge rises again towards the west. J is a fosse 12 ft. wide at the bottom, its inner scarp being from 12 ft. to 16 ft. in height, originally much higher, and counterscarp 4 ft. This fosse does not carry a level floor but slopes downward and is continued for some distance down the hill side as shown on the plan, presumably as a defence against a flank attack, as also seen at A, M and L.

From the end of the J fosse to K runs a steeply scarped face still 10 ft. to 12 ft. in height. The sloping ground between J and K has been excavated to a depth of from 2 ft. to 4 ft., and this excavation has been carried 10 yds. down the hillside. The purport of this work is by no means clear. If the intention had been simply to increase the height of the scarp then a somewhat narrow excavation, triangular in cross section, would have served the purpose. The high and steep scarp continues on to the corner of F area opposite L. This excavation crosses a side spur that falls to the valley below Across this spur, at the base of the scarp a fosse extends and is continued down the steep hillside for about 30 yds. beyond the pa defences. This fosse commences at K with a depth of about 3 ft. and has seemingly been about 8 ft. wide but is now much filled with debris; inner scarp 16 ft high. That part of the fosse extending outside the limits of the pa is exceedingly well preserved, is 10 ft. wide at the bottom, and 6 ft to 7 ft. deep, with steeply scarped sides. It is apparent that all scarps in this stiff soil have originally been steep.

The extension of the deep moat down the hillside described above is a peculiarity that has been noted by Major H. Godwin-Austen in page 244India. In an account of certain megalithic monuments seen in the Khasi hills (published in vol. V. Journal of the Anthropological Institute), he writes:—"Nougshai must formerly have been a large and powerful village; it stands on a naturally very strong position, and old lines of fortifications are to be traced on many sides. … These old lines of defence are on a curious system: a ditch and bank have been carried forward from the main defences from 200 to 300 yards down the ridge of the spurs, thus effectually preventing an enemy working round the hillsides below the villages."

This fortified position of Kawakawa is situated far above the valleys on either side of it, and where the cultivation grounds of its inhabitants must have been. There seems to have been a modern hamlet on the lower part of the spur, now covered with a growth of scrub and fern, as shown by a number of rose bushes and agave.

A much smaller ridge fort was seen on a spur about half a mile S.W. by W., the defences of which include two fosses formed across the ridge and carried down the side for some distance. Possibly this fosse extension outside the fort limits was a local custom. About a mile south of the last mentioned fort is yet another ridge pa showing a rectangular fortified area of high steep scarps, a deep fosse across the ridge on the upper side, with a parapet on the inner or true scarp. This is a common type in the Bay of Plenty district.

The illustrations given of this fort serve to show how the Maori utilised ridge summits in his practice of the art of fortification, and how he caused the plans of such art to conform to the natural features of the ridge top. The uppermost area Fo to F6 illustrates how the whole of an area was formed into level ground suitable for hut sites without doing any unnecessary work in the way of excavation. The sloping summit was cut into small sub-areas, no one of which called for any great amount of labour. The heavy defences at either end of this tihi or uppermost area, as noted near Fo and at the western end of F6, made it the strongest part of the fortified village home, as indeed was ever the aim of the Maori. It must be borne in mind that all scarps would be crowned with lines of stockades. This pa resembles in position, form and defences that of Te Potiki a Rehua at Wai-totara. Its peculiarities are its extreme length as compared to its breadth, the prolongation of certain fosses beyond the bounds of the fort, and the singular bastion like form N connected with the Fo scarp by a narrow causeway. One fails to see how the trenches extending downhill outside the pa could prevent an enemy force approaching the fortified village.