Ministry searching for origin of beach-find

A Maori treasure has been found on the beach at Bob's Bay in Picton.

Mystery surrounds the 11cm by 5cm pounamu (greenstone) adze which had been washed up or emerged through erosion on the popular beach.

It was found in July by visitors from the North Island, who handed it to Te Papa museum in Wellington and passed on to the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, which is searching for its owner.

The adze is made of a dark variety of kawakawa (nephrite) pounamu, a common type found in Westland.

Ministry senior adviser Liz Cotton said the adze was in good condition with a sharp cutting edge. Analysis by experts at Te Papa confirmed it was a genuine item, not a modern replica, she said.

On the black market the adze would be worth only about $100, she said.

"As soon as things are taken out of their archaeological context, they lose a lot of their value.

"To the relevant iwi it has so much more value then the monetary value."

The adze most likely washed up on the beach rather than being left there, she said.

If the pounamu adze is not claimed it will remain in Crown ownership, probably in the custody of a museum, as research into a possible owner continues.

The ministry dealt with about 50 such cases a year, Ms Cotton said, which increased with large archaeological digs such as the Pegasus Town development north of Christchurch which brought up 400 items.

Finds often included adzes from all over New Zealand but the pounamu find was "more significant than usual".

All Maori artefacts are covered by the Protected Objects Act, so anyone who finds a taonga (treasure) like an adze should report it within 28 days. The maximum penalty for illegally keeping a taonga is $10,000 for each item.

"We recommend people take it to the nearest museum with the expertise to identify objects," Ms Cotton said.

- The Marlborough Express

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