Story: Ngā tupu mai i Hawaiki – plants from Polynesia

Rua kūmara

Rua kūmara

This rectangular rua kūmara (kūmara storage pit) has a thatched roof and an external drain to the right of the roof. Some pits also had an internal drain which exited through a short tunnel. The kete (baskets) of kūmara are stored on shelves inside.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Reference: Helen Leach, 1,000 years of gardening in New Zealand. Wellington: Reed Publishing, 1984, p. 36
Drawing by Nancy Tichborne

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How to cite this page:

Louise Furey, 'Ngā tupu mai i Hawaiki – plants from Polynesia - Kūmara, hue and aute', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/17501/rua-kumara (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Louise Furey, published 24 Nov 2008