Archaeologists uncover 'untouched' Maori settlement: 27-05-2008
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a Maori settlement underneath the undergrowth of the Poor Knights' northern island, Tawhiti Rahi.
Reports from the New Zealand Herald say that the site has been untouched for almost 200 years.
It is believed that a raiding party from Northland's Hikutu hapu settlement reached the landing site when the island's defenders were away on a different raid leaving a massacre and an empty island.
It has not been fully investigated because of its remote location and restricted access but researchers from Otago University have spent 12 weeks searching through the area.
James Robinson, one of the archaeologists who worked on the project, said it was exactly what Captain Cook would have seen when he arrived in New Zealand.
"The island is covered with archaeological features. There's very few areas that don't have something," he added.
The research will be presented at a conference in Dublin on June 4th.