Optical and radiocarbon dating of loessic hillslope sediments in New Zealand's South Island is used to constrain the timing of prehistoric rockfalls and associated seismic events, quantify spatial and temporal patterns of landscape evolution, and examine hillslope responses to climatic and anthropogenic forcing. Exploratory trenches adjacent to prehistoric boulders enable stratigraphic analysis of loess and loesscolluvium pre-and post-boulder emplacement sediments. Luminescence ages from colluvial sediments constrain timing of boulder emplacement to between ~3.0 and ~12.5 ka, well before the arrival of Polynesians (c. AD 1280) and Europeans (c. AD 1800) in New Zealand. Three phases of colluviation are revealed at the Rapaki study site, reflecting natural and anthropogenic-driven shifts in sedimentation and landscape evolution. Sediment accumulation rates increased considerably (>15 factor increase) following human arrival and associated anthropogenic burning of hillslope vegetation. Phytolith results suggest paleo-vegetation at Rapaki was compositionally variable and persisted under a predominantly cool temperature environment with warm-temperate elements. Palm phytolith abundances imply maximum climate warming during early (~12-11 ka) and late (~3-2 ka) Holocene phases. This study provides insights into the spatial and temporal patterns of hillslope evolution, highlighting the roles of climate change, earthquakes, and humans on surface processes.Keywords: rockfall, paleoseismicity, hillslope response, OSL, radiocarbon 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 2 patterns of hillslope evolution, highlighting the roles of climate change, earthquakes, and humans on surface processes.