25 Jun 2013

Excavating the site of the first European settlement in NZ

From Nine To Noon, 9:25 am on 25 June 2013

Marsden Cross Historic Reserve and beads
Left: One of the areas excavated in February 2013. Right: Glass beads were given to school children as rewards.

2014 will marks 200 years since the establishment of the first European settlement in New Zealand – a missionary station at the Marsden Cross Reserve in the Bay of Islands. Recent excavations of the site have revealed some fascinating things about the way the first missionaries lived their lives two centuries ago.

Ian Smith is an Otago University Archaeologist leading a team that is excavating the site of the first European settlement in New Zealand.

Gallery: excavations at Marsden Cross Historic Reserve