For the past few years, Bluff resident Aaron Fowler has been finding precious stone artefacts created by some of the earliest Māori settlers in the area.
Keen to see them find their way to the right place, he sought advice from Te Rūnaka o Awarua at Te Rau Aroha Marae, in Bluff.
Coincidentally, Tūhura Otago Museum curator Dr Gerard O’Regan was there, visiting for other business, and Mr Fowler showed him some of the items he had collected.
He later brought in his entire collection of more than 270 taoka.
When Dr O’Regan saw how much there was, he thought it would be a great idea to bring together a team to study the items at the marae, rather than in the museum basement.
"Increasingly we are trying to keep taoka where they are found, and there’s strong recognition in the wider community about keeping things local" he said.
"So, keeping it in the area and on the marae was really important.’’
With support from the Southern Regional Heritage Fund, Te Rūnaka o Awarua brought together archaeologists and curators from Tūhura Otago Museum, Southland Museum & Art Gallery, and University of Otago Southern Pacific Archaeological Research (SPAR) for a "locally styled antiques roadshow’’ at the marae.
For five days in October, the public were welcomed along to see the collection and the team at work.
Dr O’Regan said the public response was beyond the team’s expectations, with more than 200 people, including local school groups and people from across the Southland region, joining them.
SPAR senior archaeologist Dr Chris Jennings said during the five days, another Bluff resident came in with a comparable collection he had found along the coast, another brought in taoka from a historical collection found on her family’s farm, and more artefacts came in with other retired farmers from central Southland.
He was particularly impressed with Mr Fowler’s eye for the items.
"Aaron has a remarkable ability to identify these items as taoka.
"Many people would just walk past them, thinking they were rocks.’’
Dr Jennings said it was wonderful to be able to study such a large collection and learn from it.
"Most people aren’t aware of the detailed story we can read from the stone and design, so it was lovely to help them with that.
"Everywhere these taoka have been found is an archaeological site that is deteriorating or destroyed as a result of coastal erosion.
"So this is helping build our understanding and picture of those places.
"This was a valuable experience on so many fronts — archaeological research, supporting an iwi in their objectives, community objectives, public outreach, having time to have all these conversations, and so many learning opportunities.’’
Dr O’Regan said many people did not realise taoka tūturu were meant to be registered with The Ministry of Culture and Heritage, under the Protected Objects Act.
"These taoka tūturu are of the time of our tūpuna [ancestors], so they still belong to our tūpuna.
"We have a kaitiaki [guardianship role], rather than ownership.’’
He said if anyone had an object that may be taoka tūturu, they should contact their local museum or the University of Otago’s Mātai Whaipara Takata Archaeology department to help get it identified and registered.
