Archaeological avifauna of Harataonga, Great Barrier Island, New Zealand: implications for avian palaeontology, Maori prehistory, and archaeofaunal recovery techniques

Abstract

A recent analysis of archaeological bird remains from Harataonga Bay, Great Barrier Island is reported and compared with a prior study conducted in the 1960s. The assemblages come from two Maori occupations, one dating to ca. fourteenth century AD and the other to late prehistory. The new study identifies several previously unreported species for Harataonga, and the first record of prehistoric Maori use of Black Petrel or Taiko (Procellaria parkinsoni), and possibly Pycroft's Petrel (Pterodroma pycrofti). The assemblages are dominated by seabirds, a common pattern for the South Island but unusual for more northern areas, where forest birds are typically better represented. The limited forest birds are concentrated in the early occupation. Combining the two studies broadens our understanding of past species distributions on Great Barrier Island, and Maori use of these resources over time. Analytically, comparison of the two studies, one conducted some time ago, demonstrates the impact of fine-mesh sieves and in-lab processing on the observed assemblage size, composition, and diversity.