Reply to Barber: Marginal evidence for taro production in northern New Zealand between 1200 and 1500 CE

We welcome Barber’s (1) comments and are grateful for the opportunity to respond. Our study of wetland taro ( Colocasia esculenta ) gardens during the initial colonization period (ICP) (1200 to 1500 CE) in New Zealand did not overlook the evidence from the Aupouri Peninsula (2⇓–4). We agree that gardens were probably established on mainland New Zealand, within the climate envelope shown in figure 1 of our paper (4), but in areas that lacked large-statured forests at Polynesian arrival. However, the fossil evidence from Motutangi does not meet the 3 criteria for defining ICP taro gardens met in our study of Ahuahu and subtropical French Polynesia: [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: matthew.prebble{at}anu.edu.au. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1