POOR HILL 47 
the whole plan of the structure, and especially its interior arrangements, makes further 
interpretation in detail difficult. Because of its size it could represent an important 
structure, but its low position does not conform to the historical interpretation for 
siting the main wharepuni of an open settlement and there is little flat ground around 
it which could be interpreted as an open space or marae. 
The testing of two other terraces indicated that they were for living and had small 
flimsy houses on them. There was only one phase of occupation on each terrace, 
The lack of any European artefacts, in spite of considerable soil disturbance from 
farm discing and the excavations, together with the traditional evidence, suggest that 
the site was pre-European and probably of late 18th century origin, 
There appears to be no obvious focus to the set of amphitheatre terraces unless 
the main or ceremonial position was on the top of the ridge or within the pa. Still, if 
one takes the large house on the largest and lowest amphitheatre terrace as the most 
important late building on the site and accepts that these terraces are later than the 
ridge pa, it could be postulated that access to the undefended settlement was up the 
gully making the house the focal point for groups approaching that part of the site. 
The structure could then be seen as a reception or visitors’ house but this would 
indicate the concept of a village type very different from the traditional view of a 
Maori settlement. 
There also remains the possibility that the structure may not have been a house 
at all but an unroofed, strongly built, rectangular enclosure serving some unknown 
function, 
Acknowledgements. | would like to thank the following. The owners of the site, Mr W. and Mrs 
D. Paterson, for access to and information about the site and its recent history; the Toia family, 
Waimate North, for their interest and help while visiting the area; Bob and Betty Lawn for 
lending me their records and photographs taken at the time of the excavations; Janet Davidson 
for comments on her excavation at the site and for reading and discussing the manuscript with 
me; Aiden Challis and Fenwick Barrett for helpful information about the site and some of the 
local history. Figures 1,2,3,5 were prepared for publication by Caroline Phillips. 
REFERENCES 
BEST, E. 
1927 The Pa Maori. Dominion Mus. Bull. 6:1-339. 
LEE, J. 
1983 J have named it the Bay of Islands. Auckland, Hodder and Stoughton, 328p, 
MS. The Historical Maps of the Bay of Islands, September 1972. Auckland Institute and 
Museum Library. 
SISSONS, J., W. WIHONGA and P. HOHEPA. 
1987 The Puriri Trees are Laughing. A political history of Nga Puhi in the inland Bay of 
Islands, Polynes. Soc. Mem. No. 6: 1-165. 
TURTON, H.H. 
1882 Maori deeds of old private land purchases in New Zealand. Compiled from year 
1815 with pre-emptive and other claims. Wellington, George Didsbury, Govt, 
Printer. 
