Kahukura: Faunal Exploitation in a Southern New Zealand Context

Abstract

Kahukura lies near the cusp of two distinct but connected regions - Foveaux Strait and the Catlins. The following research examines Kahukura’s site function and faunal exploitation. It explores how Kahukura relates to and compares with other sites in the Catlins and Foveaux Strait, its role in the broader settlement network and how environmental factors have influenced the region’s archaeology. This study uses information from excavations and previous studies at Kahukura. A dense, stratified midden was analysed to establish the faunal resources that were utilised, the practices employed during exploitation and possible chronological changes. Shellfish, particularly hard shore taxa, was the most abundant faunal class and was probably a relatively accessible and stable resource. Fishing was probably the main activity; coastal, demersal fish, commonly caught using baited hooks, were the most abundant, followed by fish commonly caught using lures. Dog, whale and fur seal were exploited, although pinnipeds were less abundant than in earlier Catlins’ sites. Of birds, colonial nesting birds were most commonly caught, while coastal and forest taxa were found in low numbers. Some coastal birds may have been preserved and then consumed elsewhere. Taxa present at Kahukura tended to be most abundant during the warmer months. Few chronological changes were noted. Kahukura’s faunal assemblage was comparable to that at nearby Tokanui, whichwas occupied during a similar period. Rigorous analyses of other large middens in Foveaux Strait and Catlins are scarce. While fish taxa were generally similar to many middens in Foveaux Strait, shallow water taxa were less abundant. Findings from Kahukura are consistent with current theories of settlement and chronology in southern New Zealand. Kahukura’s main occupation phase was relatively brief - sometime during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Like many other sites in the region, it is interpreted as a temporary camp associated with larger sites further north. Occupation was focused on the exploitation of local resources - in this case, coastal fauna. Population depression of valuable taxa eventually forced the abandonment of the region.