Southern Pacific Archaeological Research

12/06/2025

Another interview with Monica Tromp on Waatea News this week.

12/06/2025

University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka researchers have helped bring clarity to the great migration of early Pacific pioneers, considered to be ancestors of many Pacific people including Māori.

06/06/2025

Our Senior Laboratory Analyst, Dr Monica Tromp, was interviewed on Pacific Mornings today to talk about an exciting new paper that has just been published this week with several collaborators, led by Dr. Kathrin Nägele and Professor Johannes Krause at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and Dr Rebecca Kinaston of BioArch South.

The original paper can be found here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-025-02710-x

The ground-breaking research challenges the idea of a single ancestral culture and sheds light on the social dynamics of the region’s ancient people.

19/02/2025

SPAR have been working with Rangitāne o Wairau for almost 2 decades. We are still coming up with new questions and avenues of research together - the more we learn the more questions come up. We feel truly privileged to be working alongside this rūnanga.

27/01/2025

A paper involving SPAR researchers has just been published and is getting some good media attention. It's an excellent example of archaeological data being used to inform current issues. For the "raw" data, please see the open-access publication here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.70038

When did things turn bad for the Hauraki Gulf’s snapper?

An international team of scientists have reconstructed their centuries-long decline — with a critical new tipping point identified. They say their insights could help restore snapper stocks — but will we do anything about it? Jamie Morton reports on the discovery.

20/03/2024

This morning Dr Amber Aranui was interviewed on Paakiwaha by Dale Husband. A fantastic interview, ka rawe Amber! It's really exciting to see the interest in Amber and Monica's Marsden project!

Dr Amber Aranui is a curator of Matauranga Māori at Te Papa and Monica Tromp is manager of Southern Pacific Archaeological Research’s laboratory at the University of Otago. They are exploring the intertwining path of whales and dolphins with our ancestors in a project backed by an $870,000 Marsde...

14/03/2024

Our Senior Laboratory Analyst, Dr Monica Tromp and her co-PI Dr Amber Aranui were interviewed about their new Marsden project "Reconnecting communities and cetaceans using Mātauranga Māori and archaeological science" on Nine to Noon. Have a listen to hear more about their upcoming mahi!

Despite their presence in whakapapa, and purakau (oral traditions), very little is on record showing early Māori interactions with dolphins and whales.

20/11/2023

Our Senior Archaeologist Dr. Chris Jennings was recently involved in a successful community open day at Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff, undertaken to raise awareness about taoka tūturu. Read more here:

One keen-eyed beach walker’s finds have inspired a successful community-based initiative to identify and register taoka tūturu in Southland.

06/11/2023

More on Monica's magnificent Marsden success last week ...

Exploring the sacred relationship between Oceanic peoples and whales and dolphins will be the focus of a newly-funded research project based primarily at Otago.

02/11/2023

Hot on the heels of an MBIE Endeavour Fund grant earlier this year, our amazing Senior Laboratory Analyst Dr. Monica Tromp can now add a successful Marsden Fund application to her CV! The successful project is titled 'Reconnecting communities and cetaceans using mātauranga Māori and archaeological science'

Project Abstract: The relationship between Oceanic peoples and cetaceans (whales and dolphins) is a sacred one that has persisted for centuries. These relationships are culturally significant and expressed in whakapapa (genealogies) and pūrākau (oral traditions). Despite this, we know very little about human interactions with cetaceans in the past in Aotearoa. Cetaceans include the largest animals on earth, but they are largely invisible in the archaeological record as their size prevents the transport of whole and/or diagnostic bones. Additionally, processes of colonialism have severed people from mātauranga ngā ika moana (Māori knowledge of whales). This research will use mātauranga Māori and the bimolecular methods ZooMS (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry), and ancient DNA, to analyse archaeological taonga and bone fragments from unknown cetacean species. The development of minimally invasive or non-destructive sampling techniques allows us to use biomolecular methods to examine taonga in a culturally appropriate manner without causing visible damage to or affecting the mana of precious objects. Our team of expert consultants from mana whenua, biomolecular archaeologists, museum specialists and marine conservationists will examine the changing relationship, use, abundance, and diversity of cetaceans from the first arrival of people to Aotearoa through to the present.

https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/funds-and-opportunities/marsden/awarded-grants/marsden-fund-awards-2023/?fbclid=IwAR1zeBSjzFTGcwzvjlv6EFdf2gaLiCErqJBS1fyNIG1gYarCeKwJPRK5vq8

Published on 2 Whiringa-ā-rangi November 2023     The definitions of the 10 Marsden Fund panels can be found here You can download an Excel spreadsheet of these results, including abstracts of all projects, here: 2023-Marsden-Fund-announcements   Project ID Panel Funding (ex GST) Project Inve...

12/10/2023

Our Senior archaeologist Dr. Chris Jennings will be in one of his happy places (talking about stone tools!) at the Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff this weekend. Read more here:

Experts are at hand for those wanting to learn more about the south's ancient stone tools.

06/10/2023

Issue 2 of the SPAR Bulletin (September 2023)