At any one time in New Zealand, there are as many as half a dozen archaeological excavations being undertaken. Approximately 95% of all the excavations undertaken are in response to a consent to modify or damage the sites, rather than for research purposes. This does not make them any less interesting!
Visit current archaeological projects - with live video feeds (in either QuickTime or MediaPlayer), background text and still photographs - by selecting a trowel on the map.
New Zealand excavations
The archaeological excavation at Cook's Cove will salvage information from a site that is threatened by coastal erosion. It is an early site, probably dating to the 14th or early 15th century AD, based on the types of artefacts and midden material visible along the exposed edge.
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The Dunedin City Council's plans to develop its new "Wall Street" shopping complex in George Street unveiled a fascinating piece of early Dunedin history. During archaeological monitoring of developments in June 2008, a wooden causeway was uncovered by site archaeologist, Peter Petchey.
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Kawatiri is an archaic Maori site located on the West Coast of the South Island at the mouth of the Kawatiri (Buller) River, just south of Westport. Covering about 1.2 ha, the site was first discovered in the 1920s after being cleared of timber and lightly cultivated. This revealed many artefacts, some of which were taken into private collections.
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Archaeological investigation of two historic European farmstead sites near New Plymouth was undertaken over summer 2007-08 as the fieldwork component of PhD research. Many European farmstead sites that were destroyed during the first Taranaki land war are largely undocumented. This weblog covers the investigation of the Autridge farmstead.
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Archaeological investigation of two historic European farmstead sites near New Plymouth was undertaken over summer 2007-08 as the fieldwork component of PhD research. Many European farmstead sites that were destroyed during the first Taranaki land war are largely undocumented. This weblog covers the investigation of the Jury farmstead.
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Excavations Overseas
Find out more about excavations happening outside New Zealand:
Heinlenville & Nihonmachi (San Jose, California)
Heinlenville was one of six San Jose (California) Chinatowns. Archaeologists from the Anthropological Studies Center, Sonoma State University and local San Jose historians are working with the Redevelopment Agency, City of San Jose to unearth selected areas of Heinlenville and early Japantown (Nihonmachi).
Follow the excavation's progress 11-20 March 2008.
Mill Point (Queensland, Australia)
Mill Point (or Elanda Point) in the Cooloola Section of Great Sandy National Park is the site of one of the earliest timber settlements in Queensland. In 2004, a project to map the site, clear vegetation, define the boundary and allow for nomination to the Queensland Heritage Register commenced as a joint project developed by Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service/Environmental Protection Agency and the University of Queensland.
Find out more about this site, including field diaries for four seasons of archaeological work.