Historic find at Pipiriki?

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 20, 8 October 1985, Page 1

Historic find at Pipiriki?

Two large adzed panels in good condition have been found by a Winstone forestry contractor's gang in a clearing in the Ngaporo area about 5 kilometres north of Pipiriki. The panels are about 4.7 metres long, 700 millimetres wide and 70 millimetres thick. Mr Matt Mareikura, speculated that they may have been prepared as part of a canoe. It had been reported previously that part of a canoe had been seen up there.

The panels were uplifted by a helicopter arranged by Winstones last Wednesday and taken-to Pipiriki where they will be stored at the marae. It is hoped that carbon dating of a small piece will give an idea of their age. They were treated as tapu until last Tuesday when the tapu was lifted with prayers in an ancient ceremony. The panels were found on land owned by the NgaporoWaimarino Forest Trust which is being clear-felled for planting in pines. Senior Archaeologist with

the Historic Places Trust, Mr J. McKinlay, said the find was interesting. He thought the panels were probably Maori but pointed out that bushmen used adzes until early this century. If the panels were more than 60 years old they should be reported to the Department of Internal Affairs under the Antiquities Act, he said. He cautioned that care needed to be taken with the panels. He said that once they began to dry out they would warp and crack.