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 E-Mail IMAGE: A closeup from a section of the main pit. The joining, closed pipi shells in the centre (right of the 550mm tape increment) were radiocarbon dated to the period 1430-1460. view more  Credit: University of Otago The discovery of ancient kumara pits just north of Dunedin dating back to the 15th century have shone a light on how scientific evidence can complement mātauranga Maori around how and where the taonga were stored hundreds of years ago. A new study published in the science journal PLOS ONE reports that early Polynesians once stored kumara - American sweet potato - in pits dug into sand dunes at Purākaunui, eastern Otago, less than 30km north of Dunedin. The pits were first discovered in 2001 and are found over 200km south of the currently accepted South Island limit of cooler-climate Māori kumara storage.

South islandNew zealand generalNew zealandUnited statesTom highamNicola taylorChristopher columbuSuzanne ellisonArchaeology programmeBlock incOxford universityAssociate professor ian barberProfessor tom highamHuirapa runakaNorth otago huriawa peninsulaBlock incorporation