Skip to main content

Story: Kūmara

Distribution of Māori agricultural modifications

  • Borrow pits

    Borrow pits
  • Modified soils

    Modified soils
  • Stone structures

    Stone structures
  • Slope trenches

    Slope trenches
  • Wetland ditches

    Wetland ditches

This map shows the distribution of key aspects of Māori agriculture – modified soils, borrow pits, stone formations (rows, mounds, heaps and alignments), slope trenches and wetland trenches. Māori modified soils for improved warmth and drainage by adding gravel or sand – borrow pits are the hollows from which the gravel was taken. Stone formations are found where the land was cleared of stones for gardening, or where stones were lined up to mark garden boundaries. Crops may have been grown in some of the rows.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Peter Adds, Kūmara – Introducing kūmara to New Zealand, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/17353/distribution-of-maori-agricultural-modifications (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Peter Adds, published 1 March 2009.