New research shows one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s earliest archaeological sites is at risk of being submerged by climate change-induced rising sea levels.
Te Pokohiwi ō Kupe (also known as Wairau Bar) is an 8km long gravel bar located on the Cloudy Bay coastline in Marlborough on the South Island of New Zealand.
Credit: Kevin L. Jones.
It is one of the most historically significant sites, dating back to the early 1300s, and contains the earliest known graves in the country, some belonging to first-generation Polynesian settlers.
The area is also home to “taonga” – a Māori word loosely translating to treasure – and “wāhi tapu” which are both tangible and intangible culturally valuable objects.
A collaboration between Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau Trust and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research has outlined the implications of sea level rise for the archaeological site.
Modelling shows about 20% of the land at Te Pokohiwi ō Kupe is at risk of being flooded by a 100-year storm wave.
“Coastal zones, which are already ecologically sensitive and densely populated, are amongst the most vulnerable to these changes,” write the authors.
“Apart from the immediate threats of coastal erosion, infrastructure damage, resource pressures, human displacement and biodiversity loss, there is a less visible but equally significant impact: the loss of archaeological and cultural heritage.”
As part of the study, the research team investigated the five different climate change scenarios, known as Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, as defined in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report.
With 1 meter of sea-level rise likely to be reached between 2070 and 2130, the amount of heritage land at risk over the next 50–100 years rises to 75%.
Te Pokohiwi ō Kupe’s highest point is just 4–5m above average sea level.
“These results imply that heritage land on the northwest portion of Te Pokohiwi ō Kupe is already susceptible to inundation by significant storm waves and that these effects will become more prominent as sea level continues to rise over time,” write the authors.
Heritage sites often hold significant cultural significance for local communities. The authors hope the paper can “highlight the urgency of identifying adaptation and implementation options to preserve and/or rescue wāhi tapu and taonga within the heritage area.”
The team calls for further research, especially ones that incorporate the potential impact of earthquakes, which occur in the area, as significant quake movements can also contribute to erosion.
“The findings of this study highlight the importance of undertaking similar local-scale, site-specific analyses of sea-level rise implications on archaeological taonga in other parts of Aotearoa and in coastal environments across the Pacific region,” say the authors.
The study has been published in the MAI Journal, a journal dedicated to sharing indigenous knowledge and development in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand.