Story: Marlborough region

Wairau Bar: archaeological site (1st of 3)

Wairau Bar, at the mouth of the Wairau River in Marlborough, is one of the oldest archaeological sites in New Zealand. Artefacts have been radiocarbon dated to around 1300 CE. This view from the air gives an overall impression of the site. The pop-up image shows excavations being undertaken by the Canterbury Museum Archaeological Group in January 1964.

Using this item

Department of Conservation
Photograph by Kevin Jones

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:

Malcolm McKinnon, 'Marlborough region - Early Māori history', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/interactive/31749/wairau-bar-archaeological-site (accessed 19 March 2024)

Story by Malcolm McKinnon, updated 1 Nov 2016