Dig unearths 700-year-old adze

The Wairau Bar continues to give up its secrets, with the discovery of a 700-year-old adze made of basalt from hundreds of kilometres away.

The historic site near Blenheim is being pored over by archaeologists and the stone adze is the first intact artefact found at the dig.

The well-used tool was found buried in the foundations of a building, probably for luck, or spiritual protection.

On a blog detailing progress of digging at the site, Quinn Berentson said Otago University archaeologist Richard Walter could tell the adze was made from Tahanga basalt a dark, dense rock found only on the Coromandel Peninsula.

The find showed that Maori who lived on the bar had widely explored New Zealand.

The adze was probably used for smoothing planks of timber.

"Rather than repair or rework it, they decided to bury it in the foundations of a new building for spiritual protection, where it lay for 700 years." Mr Berentson said.

Last week, the dig had unearthed the bones of a Haast's eagle the largest that lived.

- © Fairfax NZ News