Unearthed Napier bones about 200 years old

Hastings Street, Napier where human remains were found during the building process. Photo / Warren Buckland

Bones unearthed at a Napier property last week by builders preparing foundations for a fence have been identified as those of an adolescent female Maori.

Police investigating the discovery of the remains at the Hastings St section last Thursday received the results of initial examinations by a forensic anthropologist and Environmental Science and Research staff yesterday.

Detective Sergeant Emmet Lynch of the Napier CIB said, while the exact age of the remains could not be established with certainty, they were believed to be "extremely historic''.

The find had been passed over to the Historic Places trust.

The results backed up what local archaeologist Elizabeth Pishief had suspected after she visited the site, and she said today there would almost certainly be other such sites of Maori habitation from two centuries ago along the Marine Parade stretch - much of which had been a wide shingle spit.

She believed the remains to be about 200 years old and that the young woman had died and been buried "naturally''.

The remains appeared to have been placed in a traditional foetal position.

There was also evidence of "large'' animal bones in the same spot, and indications of cooking sites.

The bones were likely to have come from a large sea mammal, she said.

"It is very important that we become aware of these sites so that if people do come across them they do the right thing - don't assume buried bones are probably just animal bones.''

Similar finds had been made over the past few years during foundation work under the Department of Conservation building on Marine Parade and near the Te Pania Hotel.

She said anyone excavating and coming across such a find should contact the police and the Historic Places Trust.

Ms Pishief had spoken to Simkin Construction boss Terry Simkin and he had assured her that if any other items were unearthed at the site (although most of the area had now been excavated) she would be notified.