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Kōrero: Otago region

Silcrete blade

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Silcrete blade
Silcrete, a rock that is suitable for making cutting tools, is found in a number of places in Central Otago. The early Polynesian inhabitants developed a technique to craft it into blades, which were later found at moa-butchering sites in Otago. This blade was found at the mouth of the Waitaki River.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Otago Museum

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Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Malcolm McKinnon, Otago region – Māori history and whaling, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/object/22627/silcrete-blade (accessed 24 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Malcolm McKinnon, i tāngia i te 18 August 2009, updated 1 May 2015.