Raw Material Economisation in Aotearoa New Zealand

Evidence for Manufacture and Recycling of Adzes on Ahuahu Great Mercury Island

Bibliographic Data

ID6038193
AuthorsRebecca Phillipps (0000-0003-1192-5618, Anthropology in the School of Social Sciences University of Auckland New Zealand), Joshua Emmitt (0000-0003-1224-200X, Auckland War Memorial Museum New Zealand), Middleton (0000-0003-1196-887X, Auckland Council), Stacey Middleton (Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Council New Zealand), Simon Holdaway (0000-0002-9948-3182, Office of Research Strategy and Integrity University of Auckland New Zealand)
Year2025
Volume60
Issue3
Pages220-233
Publication date2025-09-10
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueArchaeology in Oceania/Archæology & physical anthropology in Oceania (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0728-4896 • E-ISSN: 1834-4453
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/arco.70008
OpenAlexW4414100029
LanguageEN
References cited25

Raw materials are used to characterise the early settlement of Aotearoa Te Wai Pounamu New Zealand by Māori. Current models suggest change in raw material use over time occurred in response to changing social organisation and reduced resource availability. However, few studies have examined spatial variation in raw material use. Here we examine four basalt artefact assemblages from Ahuahu Great Mercury Island to examine potential spatial variation and test the assumption of a lack of material economising in the earliest occupation. We explore this through the concept of adze recycling. Results suggest conservative use of basalt from the earliest occupation on Ahuahu through the recycling of adzes, with differences in resource use among adjacent locations. We suggest basalt use may have involved the bulk procurement of stone resources, provisioning of place and the recycling of material

Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies