Bones buried after being found on Northland beach

Paradise Bay, where the bones of an adult woman were found. PHOTO/Danielle Collings

Human bones were found on a Northland beach yesterday.

Police got a call about 9am that human remains had been found in an eroding area of sand at a beach in Motukahakaha (Paradise Bay).

Police conducted an initial scene examination and secured the area.

At first light this morning police revisited the scene with local kaumatua Dave Henare and archaeologist James Robinson from Heritage New Zealand.

Henare blessed the bones before they were taken to be examined in detail.Initial determination is that the remains are from a pre-Christian burial and are likely to be several hundred years old.

The complete skeleton appears to be that of an adult woman who died from natural causes.

Henare confirmed that there have been similar discoveries in this area before.

The remains have since been laid to rest in a wahitapu (urupa) called Patau in Waimahana Bay.