With the support of the National Science Foundation, Dr. Lisa Nagaoka, will conduct an analysis of faunal remains from two archaeological sites on the North Island of New Zealand to examine the role of human-induced resource depletion on prehistoric subsistence. As with many other island situations, the arrival of people to New Zealand marked the beginning of dramatic changes to the abundance and distribution of native fauna. One of the best examples of the effects of human colonization is the decline and extinction of the moas in New Zealand. Moas were an order of large wingless birds endemic to New Zealand that became extinct after the arrival of Polynesian colonists between 1000 to 500 years ago. The abundance of moa remains in archaeological sites suggests that moas were an integral part of the diet for the prehistoric human foragers of New Zealand. Dr. Nagaoka's previous research on the South Island of New Zealand has shown that the hunting and gathering economy of the prehistoric inhabitants was dramatically affected by the depletion of moas and other fauna. The diet of the human foragers shifted from mainly seals and moas to a very generalized diet that included up to 70 taxa of fish, birds, and mammals. To harvest this wider range of resources, people also began exploiting areas that were less productive than those previously exploited.
The research funded by this grant continues to examine prehistoric subsistence change resulting from resource depletion, but on the North Island where horticultural crops were an important part of the diet by European contact. Using foraging theory models hypotheses were generated that examine changes in 1) the number and kinds of resources exploited; 2) the number and kinds of habitats utilized; and 3) the pattern of butchery and transport of moa and seal carcasses. To test these expectations, two faunal assemblages from the Northland region of the North Island are analyzed. These assemblages were selected because they are from relatively well-stratified sites with large samples of faunal and artifactual material that date to the period just after Polynesian colonization. In addition, they are from the same region as the well-known and well-studied Houhora (Mt. Camel) site, which will provide an excellent complement and comparison to these assemblages.
In addition to increasing archaeological knowledge of North Island subsistence change, this research is of interest to researchers studying in both prehistoric and modern examples of human-induced environmental change and its consequences for faunal populations and humans. In addition to the intellectual interest, this research will also have broader impacts on two different populations: Maori iwi (native tribes) and students. The results of this analysis will be available to the iwi through the New Zealand institutions that house the collections, and who are committed to bicultural representation in its public displays as well as in research. The results will be further disseminated to the public through the undergraduate courses taught to elementary and middle school children.
