28 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Rare waka unearthed from New Zealand River, after being hidden for 153 years

A waka -the traditional canoe of the Maori people- believed to be over 150 years old has been salvaged from the Pātea River in the Taranaki region of western New Zealand.

The rare find is being described as a valuable link to the heritage of local iwi, Te Pakakohi, Ngāti Ruanui, and Ngā Rauru.

Local people have speculated that waka was intentionally hidden by their Maori ancestors to prevent it from being confiscated by the British colonial government in the 19th century.

The waka was discovered last week by contractors for Manawa Energy, which owns the Pātea hydro scheme, who were walking along the riverbanks to monitor eels in the river below the dam.

The waka, which is 8 meters, long lifted out on Wednesday by helicopter, accompanied by waiata and karakia. It was stuck in the mud at the river’s edge, easily identifiable because of its long, curved shape.

Photo: ZEN FEM/STUFF

Darren Ngarewa, a South Taranaki Māori historian said that to identify that it was tawhito (ancient) Māori, told Te Ao Maori News “was to see that it was made of tōtara. Very lucky because I worked in the native nursery for 10 years so I could identify the tōtara and tōtara trees that have been missing from this area for a long long time.

“I knew as soon as I saw it was tōtara that it was from a much older era but I also noticed that it was across from our old pā site of Kuranui.

Kuranui Pā settlement was almost wiped out by land confiscation and the imprisonment of its men during the New Zealand wars.

Archaeologist Ivan Bruce of New Plymouth described it as a miracle find. “It’s a hugely important find for them, Kuranui is a very important site, and it’s a very sad story.”

“This is not the standard fishing canoe, we have just found the hull, it would have had carvings and barge boards too.”

It would have been made from a single piece of totara, and taken a huge amount of energy to create, he said.

Conversations about the waka’s future were yet to be had, but “the hope is that it will end up in Aotea Utanganui, the South Taranaki museum”.

Related Articles

70,000-Year-Old Paleolithic Neanderthal Workshop Found

17 August 2025

17 August 2025

Archaeologists in Poland have uncovered a remarkable 70,000-year-old Neanderthal workshop in the Zwoleńka River Valley, offering unprecedented insight into the...

The Roman Imperial period, There was Less Waste in the Production of Marble Slabs than Today

17 May 2021

17 May 2021

When talking about the architecture of the ancient Roman Empire, most people usually think of the mental image of white...

An engraving on an almost 2,000-year-old knife believed to be the oldest runes ever found in Denmark has been discovered by archaeologists

22 January 2024

22 January 2024

Archaeologists have found a small knife with a completely unique runic inscription that can be dated almost 2000 years ago....

Unique Ancient Bronze Miniature Portrait Of Alexander The Great Found In Ringsted On The Island Of Zealand, Denmark

12 April 2024

12 April 2024

Two amateur archaeologists have made a unique find near Ringsted in the Danish island of Zealand. A sign that one...

Archaeologists in Peru discover a mummy tied with 800-year-old ropes

28 November 2021

28 November 2021

On Peru’s central coast, archaeologists discovered a mummy estimated to be at least 800 years old. The mummy’s body was...

World-first recreation of ancient Egyptian garden open

20 May 2022

20 May 2022

Have you ever wondered what an ancient Egyptian garden was like?  This is your opportunity to find out! The first...

25 Qing Dynasty tombs found in China’s Hunan

25 May 2022

25 May 2022

25 graves dating from the Qing Dynasty (A.D. 1644–1912) have been uncovered in the Houbeishan tomb complex in southern China,...

The Discovery of nobleman Khuwy could rewrite Egypt history

25 October 2021

25 October 2021

The mummified corpse of an ancient Egyptian nobleman named Khuwy, discovered in 2019, showed the ancient Egyptians were carrying out...

Polish researchers reveal what ancient Egyptian faience has to do with gold

31 December 2022

31 December 2022

Powdered quartz used to make faience vessels discovered by Polish archaeologists during excavations in the ancient city of Athribis in...

Well-Preserved Hittite “Bird Omen Text” Discovered at Kayalıpınar–Samuha, a Key Religious Hub of the Ancient Empire

24 July 2025

24 July 2025

Archaeologists working at the ancient Hittite settlement of Kayalıpınar, located in Türkiye’s Sivas province, have uncovered a remarkably well-preserved clay...

The researchers unearthed the earliest evidence of warfare and organized arming in the Southern Levant

28 November 2023

28 November 2023

Israel Antiquities Authority researchers have unearthed the earliest evidence of warfare and organized arming in the Southern Levant, dating back...

Underwater Researchers Found Temples to Ancient Gods in Sunken City

20 September 2023

20 September 2023

Two temples belonging to the Egyptian god Amun and the Greek goddess Aphrodite were found in the sunken city off...

Luxurious Ancient Roman Home With Magnificent Mosaic Wall uncovered between the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill

14 December 2023

14 December 2023

Archaeologists have uncovered a luxurious Roman home between Rome’s Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, boasting an “unparalleled” mosaic featuring...

Traces of a 3,600-year-old settlement have been discovered in Qatar’s desert

8 February 2022

8 February 2022

Researchers looking for underground water sources on the Eastern Arabian Peninsula have accidentally uncovered the outlines of a settlement that...

10 Ancient Shipwrecks and Finds from Prehistoric to Ottoman Periods Discovered οff Kasos Island in Greece

14 March 2024

14 March 2024

The research team of the National Hellenic Research Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, has identified ten shipwrecks...