Pre-European remnants found at Puhoi Cottage

Archaeologists uncovered pre-European foundations, middens and remnants of an 1860s building, at Puhoi Cottage, this month.

The excavations were carried out as part of a septic tank installation so the cottage could be made available to the public as part of Auckland Council’s Bach Escapes programme.

The cottage is located on the southern tip of Mahurangi Regional Park, with the easiest access by boat – this generally means a short row or paddle across the Puhoi River from Wenderholm Regional Park.

Auckland Council senior archaeologist Vanessa Tanner, who lead the excavation, says the dig uncovered 300 to 400 years of occupation by pre-European Maori, as well as evidence of early European settlers from the 1860s.

Of particular interest was a Maori cooking house constructed with stone foundations, a stone floor and a hearth.

“Pre-European Maori primarily used wood in the construction of buildings, so to find one built in stone was unexpected and rare,” Vanessa says. “In addition, there was evidence of early European boat-building that was reported to have taken place at the mouth of the Puhoi River – among other things, we found more than 1000 nails.”

The archaeological team also uncovered artefacts representing the Schischka family’s use of the place as a holiday house from the 1890s onwards including porcelain dolls, broken tea sets and bone game counters.

All archaeological sites are protected by the Historic Places Act, which makes it illegal to destroy, damage or modify an archaeological site without the written permission of the NZ Historic Places Trust.

Image: Archaeologists at work at the Puhoi Cottage site.