Story: Te Whakatōhea

Midden at Waiōtahe

Midden at Waiōtahe

In 1988 an archaeologist found whale bone at the bottom of this midden on Waiōtahe River, just east of Ōhiwa Harbour. This appeared to date from about 500 years earlier. The majority of the other shells were pipi, which people still collect from the estuary. This suggests a continuous use of the shellfish for half a millennium.

Using this item

Heritage New Zealand – Pouhere Taonga
Photograph by Rick McGovern-Wilson

Permission of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Ranginui Walker, 'Te Whakatōhea - Lands and resources', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/3695/midden-at-waiotahe (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Ranginui Walker, published 8 Feb 2005, updated 1 Mar 2017