Skip to main content

Kōrero: When was New Zealand first settled?

Ngā momo taunakitanga hei whakatau i te wā nōhia ai a Aotearoa

Types of evidence for dating New Zealand settlement

Ka kitea ngā pārongo kei te ripanga e tohu ana ki te tau 1300 AD. E whakaae katoa ana ngā taunakitanga rerekē mō te wā tau ai te noho a te tangata ki Aotearoa. Kitea ai i te taha mauī ngā rā turuturu ai te pungarehu mai i ngā hū. Kei te taha matau ngā rā i wānangatia mai i ngā radiocarbon me ngā kai timotimo a te kiore i ngā anga me ngā kākano. Kei te taha matau rawa kitea ai te korahi me te iti o te hae i roto i ngā tau – he tohu ki te whakawāteatanga o te whenua. Ka miramira te tū mai o ētahi rā radiocarbon mō ngā kōiwi kiore (Pacific rat), i te mea he moata ēnei rā (kei te take o te ripanga). Tērā kei te hē ēnei rā, he tohu rānei ki te taenga tōmuatanga o tētahi waka i te wā 50–150 AD – me kī, e 1000 tau i mua i te wā e whakaaetia ana whānuitia ana i tae te tangata ki Aotearoa. Mēnā i tae tētahi waka ki Aotearoa i te wā 50–150 AD, tērā pea he waka mai i Kanaky, Whītī, Poronihia ki te uru rānei i tūpono te pae ki Aotearoa.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

David J. Lowe

Reference: Lowe, D. J. and R. M. Newnham, ‘Role of tephra in dating Polynesian settlement and impact, New Zealand.’ PAGES (Past Global Changes) News 12, no. 3 (2004): 5–7.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Geoff Irwin rāua ko Carl Walrond, When was New Zealand first settled? – The date debate, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/diagram/3610/nga-momo-taunakitanga-hei-whakatau-i-te-wa-nohia-ai-a-aotearoa (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Geoff Irwin rāua ko Carl Walrond, i tāngia i te 4 March 2009, updated 1 May 2016.

Comments

Te Ara
03 March 2014
Thank you for your comment. As the story suggests there is no documented scientifically verified evidence that any human beings were present in New Zealand before 1250-1300. There have been many suggestions of earlier habitation; but nothing that has been reliably established. Māori mated with early Europeans from the time of Cook's arrival onwards, so there was ample opportunity for non-Māori features to be present among the Māori population from at least 1800.
Suzanne Aldred
03 March 2014
I have always believed that white skinned, fair or red haired people lived here long before the Maori arrived. I have seen documented evidence showing the history. The Maori came from Polynesia according to their traditions. Their earliest ancestors would have met with and probably mated with these early white folks. Is that why every now and then one can see a Maori child born with bright red hair????? And surely if this evidence is not put out there for public debate, are we not disenfranchising the Maori again? Their oldest histories, dances religions, beliefs, carvings etc must all stem from this early meeting. Why is this not common knowledge please?