CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND—The New Zealand Herald reports that a 600-year-old moa-hunter occupation site was disturbed in 2011 during work to clear and rebuild an earthquake-damaged home. “The site has played a crucial role in developing ideas about the origins of Maori culture and the relationship between moa hunters and classical Maori,” Heritage New Zealand summarized for Christchurch District Court. The two companies involved in the work had not submitted their plans to Heritage New Zealand, which is in charge of monitoring construction and minimizing damage to the historical record. “Although it is not possible to determine the exact extent of damage caused by the excavations for the foundations of a new dwelling, it is clear from the test trenches that the excavations for the gravel and concrete pad have cut through the in situ layer, disturbing at least one feature in the process,” the report concluded.
