There are a growing number of “alternative histories” in Aotearoa. Some are new and… creative…, while others are recycled over and over from the nineteenth century despite repeated debunking.
A common theme of these conspiracies is that there was another ethnicity of people on these islands before the Polynesian voyagers successfully navigated the great expanse of Te Moananui-a-Kiwa (Oceania), and reached Aotearoa/Te Ika-a-Māui (North Island), Te Waipounamu (South Island), Rakiura (Stewart Island) and Rēkohu (Chatham Islands).
These theories may be driven by innocent curiosity, the thrill of trolling, a general resistance to authoritative narratives, or a political desire to undermine tangata whenua Indigeneity.
Whatever the case, they can lead to the disrespect and desecration of wāhi tapu (sacred or restricted places), marginalisation of tangata whenua knowledge perspectives and values, and the potential denigration of race relations in contemporary society.
Today’s focus is the “Kaimanawa Wall”. For those of you thinking, hasn’t this story already been debunked? Yes, it has… over a quarter-century ago (I refer you to Neville Ritchie’s brief but comprehensive report on the “New Age Myth” for more detail than I include in this blog post).
That being said, alternative theories still clog up internet chat rooms and comment sections, so here is a bit more fodder to add to your sceptical musket.
Where are we?
Tuatahi, ka nui te mihi ki ngā tangata whenua ko Ngāti Tūwharetoa o te pae maunga ko Kamanawa. First, I acknowledge the mana of Ngāti Tūwharetoa – the tangata whenua (Indigenous people of the land) around the country’s largest lake, Taupō-nui-a-Tia and the Kaimanawa Range.
Deep within the Kaimanawa Forest Park is a “stack” of stone “blocks” that appear to have been placed there as a wall.
Although the “Kaimanawa Wall” is not actually a wall made by people, the area is significant to Ngāti Tūwharetoa, which should be respected.
The claim
The claim is that the rock slabs were shaped and assembled to form a wall for an unknown purpose. The joints between the slabs resemble walls at Machu Pichu in Peru, Rapanui (Easter Island) and elsewhere.
If the wall was indeed constructed by people, it surely must have been associated with pre-Māori culture… Surely… Right?… Guys?
Before we get carried away, the below image is an example image of a stone wall at Machi Pichu, Peru, and is not the Kaimanawa Wall.
How did the claim arise?
In a 1996 article in The Listener, the historian Barry Brailsford argued that the “Kaimanawa Wall” was evidence of the “Waitaha” tribes, who he claimed arrived in Aotearoa some 2000 years ago but were defeated by the arrival of Polynesians whose descendants became tangata whenua (iwi and hapū Māori) today.
His theories about Waitaha have been discredited and I may explore the problems behind Brailsford’s claims at a later date with you. But, for now, just understand that Brailsford considered the “Kaimanawa Wall” to be “the best (physical) evidence so far” of the pre-Māori “Waitaha”.
The “wall” was dismissed as too early for Europeans and Māori, not to mention it being unlike other evidence of tangata whenua building practices.
Ever since then, the wall has been periodically returned to by curious people, and their findings have been posted to YouTube or blogs online. So, what are those findings?
Okay, you have waited long enough here is the “Kaimanawa Wall” below.
Evidence to support the claim
Brailsford’s central claims were laid in 1996. Bloggers and YouTubers have since elaborated on these. Let’s break the evidence for this claim down, leaving no stone unturned (Dad jokes for the win).
- The central area of the “wall” has received the most attention due to the rocks within it having generally flat surfaces, straight sides, and uniform joins between slabs. This uniformity is claimed to be too perfect to be made naturally, and the slabs were shaped and placed there.
- There are further buried flat rock surfaces that may be overlapping with one another that are suggested to indicate that the rocks have been designed and placed to interlock with one another.
- There are buried “blocks” beneath the ground surface in front of the “wall” that were detected in 2019 by ground penetrating radar, some of which have been exposed in the past few years by unauthorised excavation.
- Some rocks have similar angled faces, which are claimed to resemble a “bevel” and, therefore, are claimed to have been designed as such.
- East-west alignment are implied to follow the cultural values of the “builders”.
- Authorities or “experts” are not willing to do an exploratory excavation of the area, suggesting a cover up.
- Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Te Papa Atawahi/Department of Conservation have put a moratorium on the site now making it illegal to excavate there. This hasn’t stopped several YouTubers digging down along the wall.
Thoughts of a geologist
Geologist Dr Peter Wood visited the site shortly after Brailsford’s publication in 1996 and concluded that it was indeed a natural formation.
But what about the smooth surfaces and semi-regular joins in the rocks? Let’s take a closer look.
Dr Wood identified the rock as ignimbrite, which is geology-speak for rock formed from condensed pumice and other bits of volcanic rock after an eruption.
In Wood’s 1996 report, he concluded that the Kaimanawa “Wall” is a natural outcrop of the locally formed 330,000 year old Rangitaiki ignimbrite.
The apparently regular “block” edges are produced naturally by fractures in the rock after the hot ignimbrite cooled and contracted after the first deposition.
Later changes in the environment like erosion, tree root growth, land movements and earthquakes since wore down and opened the fissures to appear like they do today.
The joins are not, in fact, all that straight and square, and there are a great number of very irregular shaped boulders and cobbles in the surrounding area.
Small irregularities on either side of “joins” in the main “wall” suggest they were once part of larger slabs that had been split.
Straight lines in nature?
There is a misleading but relevant quote from Logan Marshall-Green’s character in the 2012 film, Prometheus, saying “God does not build in straight lines“.
Believe it or not, this is actually a useful rule of thumb in archaeology. However, it isn’t a fool-proof rule. In reality, there are a whole lot of examples of naturally occurring right angles, straight edges and stacked slabs.
Let’s take a look at a few:
“Giant’s Causeway”, Scotland-Ireland”.
Vedauwoo, Wyoming
Andalusia, Spain
Gornaya Shoria, Russia
Gornaya Shoria, Russia
“Organ pipes” just north of Ōtepōti, Dunedin
Summary
In the fine words of Mr Ritchie (1996), “Brailsford’s original contention that the formation is a wall (part of a structure) built by the Waitaha (pre-Maori settlers) is wishful thinking based on surmise and spurious extrapolation of the physical, if not the historical, evidence” (p.182).
Despite the closing of the book, cyclical fringe interests about the origin of the kōhatu tapu of Ngāti Tūwharetoa continue.
In the past few years, there have been several documented excursions and documented evidence of small excavations and sampling of the rock by members of the public.
No new evidence has been presented to demonstrate the rock “wall” was made by people – let alone by a pre-Māori culture. The worst part about this is that the activities (which I denounce) appear to be in direct breach of Ngāti Tūwharetoa tikanga.
Consider yourself armed for the next time you get caught between the lemon tree and the barbecue by that guy your Dad once worked with claiming to know Māori are not Indigenous to Aotearoa.
If you would like to dive further into the detail, I recommend Neville Ritchie’s article in the Archaeology in New Zealand journal: A new age myth – the Kaimanawa wall – NZ Archaeological Association (nzarchaeology.org).
