Pollen and phytoliths in archaeological features from North Island, New Zealand, reveal landscape disturbance and cultivation of Polynesian-introduced Cordyline cf. fruticosa (ti)

Abstract

The study of pre-European Māori agriculture in New Zealand is hindered by a lack of direct evidence in the form of plant remains. Presented here are the results of pollen and phytolith analyses of three archaeological excavations at Auckland Isthmus, Cambridge, and northern Taranaki. All sites show landscape disturbance by people, and the discovery of pollen of the Māori-introduced cultigen Cordyline cf. fruticosa (ti), suggesting that this species had a wide geographic range, well beyond that considered climatically limited by early ethnographic accounts. The pollen of C. fruticosa can be identified in the Pacific Islands, including New Zealand which has several endemic Cordyline species. The study describes this pollen type and reviews the locations and types of both macro- and microfossils of C. fruticosa previously reported in the Pacific Island region.

Keywords:

• Plant microfossils
• Pacific Islands
• Māori
• ancient agriculture
• introduced plants

Acknowledgements

The Waikato River Ride cycleway project involved liaison and support from Ngāti Koroki Kahukura and Ngāti Hauā. Two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their helpful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

The Taranaki work was funded by Todd Energy Ltd and supported by several hapu of Te Ati Awa. The Auckland work was funded by Kainga Ora and supported by Piritahi and several iwi with interests in the Oranga area. The Waikato River Ride cycleway project was funded by Waipa District Council.