How did early Māori society develop? New research reveals a clearer timeline

Steve Clancy Photography/Getty Images When the first Polynesian settlers arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand some 750 years ago, they found an environment very different to the lands they left behind.

Over the centuries that followed, their descendants developed new ways of obtaining food and forging communities.

But there has long been uncertainty around when – and how quickly – these shifts occurred.

Archaeologists have traditionally divided early Māori history into three broad periods .

The first, from around 1250 to 1400, was marked by the establishment of settlements and hunting of moa and other native wildlife.

A less understood “transitional” period followed, before the emergence of “classic” Māori society around 1600, with more intensive food production, fortified settlements and distinctive cultural traditions.

Terms such as the “ Māori Middle Ages ” highlight the frustrating unknowns that still cloud this picture.

Our new research now offers a more precise timeline.

By combining high-precision radiocarbon dating with detailed archaeological evidence from two sites, we have found that some economic changes began earlier than previously thought. ‘Wiggle-matching’ points to a longer history Radiocarbon dating allows archaeologists to estimate the age of ancient remains by measuring a form of carbon that gradually decays over time.

But turning these measurements into precise calendar dates can be tricky.

The amount of radiocarbon in the atmosphere has fluctuated over the centuries, meaning remains from different periods can produce similar results.

This is particularly problematic for the years between 1290 and 1400, making it hard to pinpoint when early settlements were occupied.

As a result, archaeologists have often grouped sites within a broad 14th-century settlement period.

A different problem arises between 1480 and 1640, when radiocarbon levels in the atmosphere changed very little.