Thirst for Knowledge: the Kōrero and Archaeology of Māori Pā

Whānau and hapū Māori began fortifying strategic positions in the landscape to form “pā” at least as early as 1500 CE, or around 18 generations ago. Pā in Aotearoa are much more common than similar places fortified places elsewhere in Polynesia. Zac McIvor of the University of Otago's Archaeology Programme introduces how we may weave kōrero (oral histories) and archaeology (the study of physical remains left behind by past peoples) to generate new knowledge about the development of these places and how descendants relate to them today with a case study in Waikato.