"Given that pa started appearing in New Zealand from about 1500, we can say that, logically speaking, it dates some time between 1500 and 1820, though it's probable it was later than earlier," Mr Edwards said.
Farmer Kevin Matthews, who lives adjacent to the pa, and whose family have lived near the site since 1835, remembers his grandfather walking some of the old paths that were associated with it, and nearby Rangaunu Harbour.
"The area would have been a great source of food, with the streams full of black duck, teal and weka," he said.
"It was also a place where kumara and taro were cultivated."
Swamps would not have been regarded as inferior 'real estate' back in pre-European times. If anything, they were seen as places rich in resources, and well worth defending.
"This site was perfectly located close to the harbour, which was known for its shark fishing and other kaimoana resources. From aerial photos you can see some of the early Maori drainage systems on the land that enabled gardening to take place," Mr Edwards said.
"The swampy land and the network of drains were perfect for eeling and canoe transportation. Other resources like raupo were also readily available, with shellfish and other fish located close by.
"Besides providing the perfect environment for eels and other food sources, like native waterfowl, raupo reeds had a multitude of uses. Long, light, and full of small air cells, they were ideal for thatching whare.
They were easy to cut and carry, and could be dried and tied in thick bundles, then fastened on to the roof and sides of a whare to make it cool in summer and warm in winter.
"Raupo was used in the making of poi, and its root could also be eaten."
Meanwhile the remains of the pa reflected a very different landscape around the Kaitaia-Awanui area, including the Tangonge lake, west of Kaitaia.
It was drained in the 19th Century so farm land could be developed and kauri gum extracted, but in its day it fed a network of 'deep raupo swamp[s]' recorded by early missionaries. The swamp pa was part of that wider landscape.
It was during the final stages of draining the lake that the carving known as the Kaitaia Lintel was discovered in 1920. Made of totara, Mr Edwards said it probably dates back to between the 14th and 16th centuries, its style suggesting a link to Polynesia rather than the intricate style of Maori carving that evolved later.
"This gives an indication of the length of time this area has been settled. The Kaitaia Lintel is early, probably within a few generations of the first Polynesian settlers arriving in the area, and that strongly suggests that settlement here is very long term," he said.
"What was once a commanding pa, almost completely encircled by its own swampy 'moat', became assimilated into the landscape as the swamp was drained and the waterway re-directed ... Today it is land-locked and only accessible from what is now the re-directed (Awanui River). In fact you could easily miss it altogether.
"The site was made a reserve in the late 1970s, which suggests that somebody may have had an idea about its history. It is still a public reserve today, and although not accessible over land, it is still there to be enjoyed."
- Mr Edwards (phone (09) 407-0471) would like to hear from anyone who had any knowledge of the pa's history.
