New discoveries from the early Māori village at Shag River Mouth, New Zealand, reveal intestinal parasites
- Author
- Horrocks, M; Presswell, B.; Smith, I.W.G.
- Year
- 2024
- Journal / Source
- Archaeology in Oceania
- Volume
- 59
- Pages
- 149-153
- Summary
- Presented here are the results of archaeoparasitological analysis of habitation layers at Shag River Mouth, Otago coast. Two types ofhelminth eggs were identified: The first type is Toxocara canis, associated with the introduced kur¯ı dog (Canis familiaris), which could haveadversely affected local people and their dogs. The other type very closely resembles that of Stringopotaenia psittacea, associated with thecritically endangered endemic k¯ak¯ap¯o (Strigops habroptilus) parrot. The results represent the first South Island archaeo parasitologicalidentifications. There was no starch or associated material in the samples, such as introduced Polynesian crops and indigenous starchyM¯aori food plants. This lack is consistent with the interpretation of the site as that of a transient village focused on big game hunting.