How did early Māori society develop? New research reveals a clearer timeline

Key points

• New research has produced a clearer timeline for the development of early Māori society in Aotearoa New Zealand. Using high-precision radiocarbon dating and detailed archaeological evidence from two sites, researchers found some economic changes began earlier than previously believed.
• At Waihemo on the South Island's east coast, the site was used repeatedly between 1320 and 1440, rather than for a short single period. By around 1410, food sources had shifted towards shellfish, fish, dogs and birds.
• At Kokohuia in Northland, dating pointed to shellfish and fish bone accumulation around 1600, with ovens from an earlier period around 1440.