Archaeological Research on Fishing
The study of ancient fishing activities is an important part of the Bridge and
Barrier research programme. Fish bone recovered from archaeological sites can
provide information about a range of topics such as fishing practices, the
importance of fish in the diet, and possible human impact on the environment.
Various research methods to address these topics have been developed at the Archaeozoology
Laboratory of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Some areas of special interest are:
How do we study ancient fishing ?
Economically important fish species during the
prehistoric and early historic period
Ongoing analysis of fish bone from archaeological sites in the Cook Strait region
has enabled us to identify several fish species which were of particular economic significance
to Maori people. However, there is some variability between sites in the range of species caught
and the proportions of different fish in the catch. Some of the important
fish species are blue cod, labrids and snapper.
Natural changes in fish through time
Human induced changes in fish through time