Abstract:
Most studies of Māori socio-economy have claimed there was a major shift in the subsistence strategy, mobility degree and settlement pattern over time but have not been explicit in how these changes are visible in stone artefact assemblages. This thesis investigates how use-wear and a technological analysis of obsidian artefacts can be used as a proxy for detecting change or a lack of change in mobility degree and settlement systems at one site. A range of experiments were conducted to demonstrate how use-wear appears and to provide examples to compare with archaeological flakes. A sample of flakes from a Māori site in the Waitapu area, located on Great Mercury Island off the coast of the North Island, New Zealand was technologically analysed and examined for use-wear. The site has two periods of occupation and obsidian artefacts from both contexts were analysed to allow for a comparison. When compared, the results from the two temporal contexts show there was no significant difference in the average extent of use-wear nor the proportion of used artefacts. Flake selection is indicated with used flakes significantly larger than those that lack use-wear. The results from this thesis are not able to support the suggestions of substantial shifts in Māori socio-economy in the Waitapu area and so provides an example for future use-wear studies in New Zealand.
