Renovations stalled by bones discovery set to resume

The bones, including a skull, were found beneath Long Bay Restaurant last July. Photo / HOS

Work is due to resume on stalled restaurant renovations after the discovery of ancient bones last winter.

The bones, including a skull, were found beneath Long Bay Restaurant last July. They were koiwi or pre-European remains of a child. The child was aged about 6.

Teeth, a shoulder blade and toe bones were among the remains. The teeth were worn down, with enamel removed and dentine exposed. "This shows that they had a tough diet ... as is typically seen in prehistoric human remains," a Historic Places Trust study found.

The child's cause of death was unconfirmed, yet the study suggested the child experienced blunt force trauma to the head.

Documents released to the Herald on Sunday showed members of Ngati Whatua o Kaipara iwi suggested a nearby dolphin stranding last year was a "tohu" or omen predicting the koiwi find.

Soon after the discovery, builder Rishi Singh was told to expect an eight-week delay, but work stalled all summer as the significance of the find from a Maori cultural perspective was assessed.

Auckland Council parks manager Mace Ward said an archaeological assessment had been completed.

The restaurant's voicemail message said it was hoping to re-open in November.