Reassessing the radiocarbon chronology of the Maioro Site (R13/1): Northern Waikato, New Zealand

Abstract

As the two previously reported 12-13th century dates for the founding of the Maioro site have been controversial, residual charcoal from three previously dated samples was obtained and identified. Short lived material from one supplied a new AMS date so that there are now a total of five dates for Phases 2 and 3 whose overlapping ranges centre on the 16th century AD. We suggest the two unexpectedly early dates attributed to Phase 1 are unreliable as they were run on unidentified charcoal that may have incorporated significant inbuilt ages. We argue occupations at this site may have begun no earlier than the late 15th century AD and ended by the early 17th century AD. This analysis illustrates how the growth habitats and ecology of wood species used for dating can contribute to chronological interpretations and has implications for the practice of “chronometric hygiene”.