Mangahawea Bay Revisited: a reconsideration of the stratigraphy and chronology of site Q05/682

The Mangahawea Bay Site (Q05/682) on Moturua Island in the Bay of Islands was excavated in 1981. Limited radiocarbon dating suggested occupation in the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century AD, but the site analysis has never been fully reported. New excavations at Mangahawea Bay in 2017 have clarified the stratigraphy and provided a more reliable set of radiocarbon determinations. The site was first occupied for a short period in the early to mid-fourteenth century AD. Following abandonment there is evidence for ongoing, intermittent, activities in the Bay until historic times, but no further occupation at the site. These results provide a foundation for future analysis of the substantial body of excavation material from the 1981 and 2017 excavations.