Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga

The authors examined pollen and spores from soil samples from old garden sites to uncover evidence of what plants were grown or consumed by early Māori. At Pouerua, inland Bay of Islands, gourd pollen was discovered. At Harataonga Bay, Great Barrier Island, coprolites (preserved excrement) were examined and found to contain both gourd pollen and spores tenatively identified as being from a truffle fungus.