November 6, 2013
An archaeology tour of ‘Watermark’, the first section of Te Papa Ōtākaro/Avon River Precinct to be constructed following the Canterbury earthquakes, was organised by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT) to coincide with Christchurch City Council’s heritage weekend “Reconnect: experience heritage” and International Archaeology Day. The tour was hosted on October 19th, with 30 participants. During the tour participants had the chance to learn from experts about the history associated with the Avon River and recent archaeological work conducted under an archaeological authority granted by the NZHPT. Joseph Hullen, Whakapapa Registration Advisor for Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, shared why Ōtākaro holds great significance for Ngāi Tahu and Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga. Nick Cable, Senior Archaeologist at OPUS International Consultants Ltd, described the many artifacts recovered which reflected occupation of the river banks.
International Archaeology Day Blog
