site record form - otorohanga district · site record form recorded features bank, terrace, pit -...

SITE COORDINATES (NZTM) Easting: Northing:1805260 5779310 Source: Handheld GPS

Finding aids to the location of the site

9 km south of Kihikihi along Otorohanga Road. On the crest of a hill adjacent to the north east of the pa S15/217. On Lot 2 DPS 89595.

IMPERIAL SITE NUMBER: METRIC SITE NUMBER:N74/167 S15/218

Brief description

PA

S15/218NZAA SITE NUMBER:

SITE TYPE:

SITE NAME(s):

Pa

DATE RECORDED:

Site Record Form

Recorded features

Bank, Terrace, Pit - rectangular

Other sites associated with this site

S15/217, S15/319

26/02/2015Printed by: malcolmhutchinson

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NEW ZEALAND ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

Update summaryUpdated by Hutchinson, M. G.

Update

type

visit

Visited Feb. 13, 2015 byHutchinson, M. G.

Status Submitted

Your

status

Completed

Site type Pa /Ridge pa

Coords 1805260e 5779310n

Associated

sites

S15/217, S15/319

Update 1

Filed by M. G. Hutchinson following a site visit in February2015, on behalf of the operators of Osterns Quarry. In additionto data and photographs collected during the site visit, thisupdate includes documents scanned from the NZAA regionalfile.The site was visited by Hutchinson on 13 February 2013.

Full finder aid9 km south of Kihikihi along Otorohanga Road. On the crest ofa hill adjacent to the north east of the pa S15/217. On Lot 2 DPS89595

Site descriptionHilltop pa consisting of terraces, banks and pits.The coordinates for S15/218 held in the national database have been updated to reflect alocation derived from GPS data captured during the field visit, and checked against ortho-rectified aerial imagery flown in 2012. The NZTM coordinate values are rounded to thenearest 10 m.

NZAA archaeological site record S15/218

Copyright © NZ Archaeological Association

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Figure 1: Aerial photography from 2012 showing the corrected locations of the three pa.Figure 1 shows the three pa in proximity to Osterns Quarry. The red symbols are thelocations as listed in the national database and the corrected locatations are indicated. Thecoordinates for S15/218 have been moved by 66 m to the north east.



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Figure 2: Large-scale view of the pa on 2012 aerial imagery.Figure 2 is presented on WRAPS aerial imagery acquired in 2012.



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Figure 3: Aerial photo SN266/845/50 flown in July 1943.Figure 3 is a detail from the aerial photographic survey undertaken by NZ Aerial Mappingin 1943. It is presented at the same scale and aspect as in Figure 2, above. The site appearsto be under scrub, and archaeological features are difficult to pick out. Some of the grossfeatures of the pa are visible, however, including terracing and embankments.

PhotographyThe following photographs were all captured during the site visit in February 2015.



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Figure 4: S15/218 seen from the summit of S15/217 to the south.

Figure 5: The southern terrace and scarp, looking east.



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Figure 6: Looking down the western spur.

Figure 7: Looking east up the western spur.



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Figure 8: Looking east along the southern side, from near the end of the western spur.

Figure 9: S15/218 as seen from the south, below S15/319.

Contents of the NZAA regional file



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The following image files are scans of the contents of the NZAA regional file for S15/218,not previously included in the national database. The file is now held in the Department ofConservation office in Hamilton and is curated by Neville Ritchie.

Figure 10: S15-218_Cox_1990_plan. Sketch plan of the Three Sisters.



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Figure 11: Near-vertical colour aerial photo by K. L. Jones, 24-25 July 2004.

Figure 12: Near-vertical black & white aerial photo by K. L. Jones, 24-25 July 2004.



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Figure 13: Photos by Fin Phillips c. 1980s.



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Figure 14: Oblique colour aerial photos by Fin Phillips, c. 1980s.



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Figure 15: Plan by C. & L. Storey, V. Eilchrist, R. Porter, B. Wilsher and P. Vennell. (Scanof) ink on tracing film.



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Figure 16: Letter by N. Ritchie, Regional Archaeologist, NZHPT (undated).



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Figure 17: Letter to M. D. & D.C. Booker, from NZHPT, 10 June 1991.



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Figure 18: Profiles of S15/218, probably drawn by Wilkes and Simmons, 1996.

Statement of conditionThe pa is now covered in very long (> 1 m) grass. Surface features smaller than the largeditch embankments are not easily visible.The fence which used to cross the pa, shown in the plan by Storey, Eilchrist, Porter,Wilsher and Vennell and in photographs taken by Wilkes has now been removed.In his site survey report from 1996, Owen Wilkes mentions that the land owner was keento avoid detrimental effects to the pa, and it seems that the farming practices discussed byWilkes have continued. It is apparent that stock have been excluded for some considerabletime, judging by the length of the grass now covering the site.



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Figure 19: The southern terrace, looking west.Figure 19 shows the southern side of the pa. A similar photograph was taken by Wilkes in1996 when the pa was under short grass. Wilkes' photo clearly shows ditches, banks and asort of ramp or causeway between them in this area. Not much is now visible under thelong grass.Two small trees are growing inside the pa boundary, and a water tank has been establishedon an excavated platform just outside the south western boundary fence.Wilkes also mentions damage done to the north eastern spur by the construction of a farmtrack. In the intervening period, this track has been upgraded by surfacing to farm racestandard, but there was no sign of additional cutting in the embankment below the pa.

ReferencesWilkes, O (1996) Archaeological survey of the three sisters at Tokanui, northern KingCountry. Unpublished report to the NZ Historic Places Trust.WRAPS (2012) Waikato Regional Aerial Photographic Service.Copyright © MG Hutchinson 2015,http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/



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Update summaryUpdated 31 Jan 2015 by None

Update

type

legacy

Status Approved

Site type Pa

Coords 1805209e 5779268n

Associated

sites

Update 0

Record downloaded from ArchSite, 2015-01-31 17:08:00

Full finder aid

Site descriptionPA

Statement of condition

ReferencesNZ Archaeological Association Site Recording Scheme (2015-01-31 17:08:00)

Unreferenced figures



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