ARCHAEOLOGY
Arborists – don’t forget the archaeology “Often historic trees are located on or close to archaeological sites – which is why arborists need to know about the archaeological provisions of the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act,” says Heritage New Zealand Archaeology Manager, Vanessa Tanner.
Arborists have to factor a lot of things into their work – from consents through to health and safety, and everything in between. It may feel that archaeology is just another thing to add to the list. “The good news is that Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga has offices around the country and a team of regional archaeologists and Māori Heritage Advisors who provide information and advice, and can guide people through the archaeological authority process,” says Vanessa. The Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act makes it illegal to modify or destroy the whole or part of an archaeological site without the prior authority of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. Archaeological sites are defined as places associated with pre-1900 human activity where there may be evidence relating to
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heritage.org.nz
the history of New Zealand – and are an irreplaceable part of our heritage. “It’s good for arborists to be ‘archaeologically aware’ when they’re thinking about work that they’re undertaking, as often it can impact areas below the ground. Because of the nature of archaeological sites, some of the work arborists undertake can potentially impact on sub-surface archaeological features,” she says. When trees are in and around archaeological sites they can become physically connected to archaeological remains. Tree roots can disturb sub-surface remains and bring them to the surface or create in-ground disturbance resulting in artefact deposits being caught up in the root plate. Tree roots will grow along looser soils – these soils may be archaeological features such as postholes of buildings or drains cut into a harder subsoil.
