Work to install power cables to the city centre is on hold after contractors uncovered human bones buried at Robbins Park.
The human bone fragments were discovered by Northpower contractors laying power cable recently in the park end of Monmouth Street next to the new police station.
The Robbins Park site where koiwi bone fragments were dug up.
The fragments have since been analysed as koiwi, or human bone, and placed in the care of the Ngai Tamarawaho iwi.
Work has been postponed while archaeologists continue to sift through the dirt for further remains and attempt to establish how long the fragments have been buried there.
Ngai Tamarawaho kaumatua Peri Kohu is unsure how long the bones have been buried there but is hopeful the continuing investigation will offer more information.
Historically, the area has been used as a burial ground along as a dump for domestic waste, says Peri.
Once the investigation concludes the bones will be blessed and returned to the site.
'They will be marked with a GPS location on them, so we can safeguard them from future digging in the area.”
CFG Heritage Ltd archaeologist Peter Holmes could not comment on the find.
8 comments
Human?
Posted on 26-06-2013 14:36 | By YOGI BEAR
Possible the left overs of a meal of some unlucky hapless neighbouring tribe that stumbled into the wrong hole ... or maybe it is from a couple a thousand years ago?
Are you certain
Posted on 26-06-2013 22:41 | By Bop man
That the bone is of Maori decent, could it not have been from the early Europeans...just a thought. Remains could have been given to the wrong people.
Bones
Posted on 27-06-2013 07:02 | By Reeff
These bones could even be of the "original" descendents of nz the moriori, what terrible thing giving these bones to Maori without proof that they are Maori bones, as if they are moriori then isn't it possible the reason they are there is "because" of Maori......?
for goodness sake....
Posted on 27-06-2013 11:51 | By mumof4
The bones have not been GIVEN to anyone. They have been placed in the care of iwi. Once the investigation is over, they will be returned to the site. No one is claiming them. Calm down..
.
Posted on 27-06-2013 14:36 | By Hmmmm
Truely are some dillys around hahahaha!!! mumof4 you are right, they havent been claimed by anyone. If you read it properly it says its to be blessed and returned to the site. hahahaha!
@hmmm
Posted on 28-06-2013 01:33 | By Crash test dummies
Its reasonable to say that the bones could be any one of perhaps 7-8 original indigenous ethnic groups or later Priori or even Maori. So from that the odds are that to bless that bones maybe considered offensive most likely by the real ethnic group. I am sure that the pope would not be asked or appreciated to have blessed the Atolla Hamani' remains.
Koiwi more from the exploding maori dictionary
Posted on 28-06-2013 08:55 | By CONDOR
Human bones should remain with the Police or some other appropriate government authority until all investigations and examinations completed not given to some local iwi 'minders'for safekeeping.
Dem Bones
Posted on 28-06-2013 17:04 | By peecee09
Hey there are quite a few unmarked graves in the 17th Ave area lets give them to the maoris too NOT. Get over this nonsense. If I recall a so called Kaumatua is paid about $500 per day to "study" this and make a spellbinding decision to put them back where they were found.
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