Archaeological Sites

Legal Protection of Archaeological Sites Management and Care of Archaeological Sites Archaeological Investigations Archaeology Brochures Archaeological Guidelines Archaeological Reports Digital Library

Archaeological Remains of
Early Towns & Cities

What is urban archaeology?

Albert Barracks wall, Auckland. Picture: NZHPT

Urban archaeology is the field of study that examines the archaeological evidence of our early towns and cities. Many aspects of New Zealand's history can be revealed by archaeological studies, including social and economic status and the changing fortunes of early residents. Studies of early buildings and changes in technology and materials can provide information on building continuity and adaptation in New Zealand in the 1800s. Studies of imported vs locally produced goods and early industries can tell us about the process of independence and self-sufficiency as New Zealand's European settlements grew.

Why not just read books & study history?

The lives of the early European settlers have been documented in written records, such as books, maps and diaries. So what can archaeological studies tell us that we don't already know?

Albert Barracks excavation. Picture: Rod Clough

Archaeology and history are different types of study that deal with different kinds of information. Archaeologists look at the physical evidence of the past, such as artefacts, building materials and structures and the connections between them; while historians look at written accounts. Archaeological studies provide a way of looking inside at what was actually happening, while historical studies can reveal the prevailing views and attitudes of the time. The results of archaeological and historical studies can complement each other and provide a much fuller understanding of the past.

New Zealand's first towns & cities

NZ Company emigration billboard, London, 1848. Picture: Hocken Library F178/5

One of the first towns in New Zealand was established at Kororareka (now Russell) in the Bay of Islands. Kororareka was a Maori settlement which during the early 1800s became an important provisioning port for the American and European whalers. It was one of the main places of European activity in New Zealand until the capital was established in Auckland in 1840.

Some of New Zealand's present-day towns and cities grew from settlements planned by the New Zealand Company which was responsible for bringing many of the early European settlers to New Zealand. By the early 1840s the Company had established town centres in Auckland, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Wellington and Nelson, followed by Christchurch in 1850. Other towns soon developed in Central Otago and the West Coast following the discovery of gold there in the 1860s.

The growth of towns & cities

Often beneath the towns and cities of today lie traces of earlier times. There may be archaeological remains of buildings, such as foundations, cellars, and rubbish pits, as well as roads, paths and tracks, wells, and sometimes graves. Sometimes there might be archaeological evidence of Maori settlements in the same place.

Wellington from the beach showing the Inconstant (Plimmers Ark) on right 1854 William H Holmes. Picture: Alexander Turnbull Library D-018-003-a*

Archaeologists may study a particular site or building to understand what life was like for the people that lived there, or sometimes study a whole block or wider area to understand how the communities worked and lived, and the differences and similarities between families and groups of people living in the same neighbourhood.

Ghost towns

Ah Lum's Store, Arrowtown. Picture: Jane Phare

While some towns grew and flourished, others did not. Often archaeological evidence is all that survives of such places. In many instances these "ghost towns" were associated with extractive industries, such as whaling, gold mining and timber milling. They grew and were abandoned depending on the success of these enterprises. At Globe Hill, near Reefton on the West Coast, terraces cut into the hillside, chimneys in the bush and daffodils in spring are the only remains of the once thriving gold mining settlement.

Law & order

Courts of Justice, Wellington 1843. Samuel C Brees. Picture: Alexander Turnbull Library B-031-009*

Law and order played an important role in New Zealand's first towns. Many early North Island towns had redoubts and fortifications constructed for defensive purposes. Gaols were usually built as part of the civic infrastructure necessary for the new towns. Some urban archaeological sites that include early fortifications include Marsland Hill Historic Reserve in New Plymouth, Queens Park in Wanganui and the Albert Barracks Wall in Auckland. In central Auckland archaeological excavations have also revealed the first gaol and courthouse, which stood from 1840 to the mid 1860s.

Wharves, harbours & reclamations.

Remains of the Inconstant being installed at Wellington waterfront. Picture: Wellington City Archives

Many of New Zealand's early towns and cities were built near harbours, as shipping was a vital mode of transport. As populations grew the pressure for flat land for building sites increased, so land was sometimes reclaimed from the harbour. Archaeological evidence of reclamations can show the sequence of reclamation and the nature of the activities along the changing waterline. In Wellington, during the renovations of the old BNZ building, the remains of the ship the Inconstant were uncovered beneath the building, where they had formed part of the reclamation. Excavations for the Britomart development in Auckland have also revealed old wharves and reclamations.

* Photo: Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand / Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image

Click cover to download a pdf file (1392kb)