84 
The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. 
[Mar. 
SHELL-MIDDENS OF THE WELLINGTON DISTRICT. 
By Elsdon Best, Dominion Museum, Wellington. 
The old Maori sliell-middens of this district have never been conspicuous 
objects since the European occupation, and have attracted but little atten¬ 
tion, save in the case of a few enthusiasts, such as Messrs. H. N. McLeod, 
H. M. Christie, and Beckett. These “ remains of former scarcity," as they 
were styled by the Rev. R. Taylor, or “ remains of former plenty,” as they 
were called by Mr. Colenso, were probably never prominent features, inas¬ 
much as this district must always have been somewhat scantily peopled 
in pre-European times. A numerous native population could exist only 
in such regions as provided facilities for extensive cultivation of the humara 
(I'pomoea Batatas), and such conditions were assuredly not found in the 
Land of Tara. Hence we do not here meet with the great mounds of shell 
refuse that may be seen in some other districts. 
Not only are the middens of this district of small dimensions, but in 
many cases they have become wholly or partially concealed by debris, 
more especially since the advent of Europeans. As many of the hamlets 
of the neolithic Maori were situated on high-lying slopes, spur-tops, and 
cliff-heads in the vicinity of the sea-beach, it follows that we have many 
talus middens in this area. Nothing pleased the Maori housewife more 
than to have a cliff-liead or steep slope handy to her home over which she 
could throw all refuse. This, then, was in many cases the rukenga Tcainga 
of the hamlet, where all refuse was thrown, and the clatter of a basket of 
shell refuse down a rocky cliff-face has passed into a proverbial saying 
concerning noise. 
In course of time a fan-shaped shell-midden would develop below such 
a hamlet or pa, but as all such high-lying villages were abandoned nearly 
a hundred years ago such shell deposits have since become covered with 
detritus from cliffs and steep slopes, or in some cases with a sward of 
grass. Local formations commonly lend themselves to disintegration by 
erosion and frittering processes, which have been much accelerated by our 
well-known mania for burning and otherwise destroying the native flora, 
even on land utterly useless for grazing purposes. The creep of such 
debris has in many cases covered and quite concealed old shell-middens 
of past centuries. The road-maker and the house-builder occasionally 
open up one of these old relics of the stone age, but a second obliteration 
speedily follows. 
An examination of this district many years ago showed that native 
occupation in the past was principally confined to the Miramar Peninsula, 
the outer coast-line, and that part of the harbour-shores lying between 
Muritai and the mouth of the Heretaunga or Hutt River. The apparently 
desirable situation on the terrace-like formation at Thorndon did not appeal 
to the Maori, for some reason. The small amount of shell refuse seen by 
early European settlers from Nga Pakoko (south end of Mulgrave Street) 
to the foot of Tinakori Road showed that no considerable population 
ever resided there, though the beach known as the One i Haukawakawa 
(sand beach at Haukawakawa) was well stocked with cockles ( Chione ), as 
the writer remembers full well. This beach now lies somewhere below 
the Thorndon railway-station and its environs. Prior to the upheaval of 
these lands that transformed Motukairangi Island into Miramar Peninsula 
