Human remains found in Hillcrest, Hamilton, determined to be pre-European

The remains unearthed by construction work at a Hamilton residential property are human and pre-European, a police forensic examination has revealed.

In a statement released today, Detective Senior Sergeant Scott Neilson said forensic examination of the human remains had determined they are “pre-European”.

“Police will not be investigating the matter further and the remains will be exhumed in consultation with local iwi.”

The remains were discovered on Tuesday when an excavator began work to install a pool at a property in the Hillcrest suburb.

Police were called to the address and a scene guard was in place at the site overnight.

Since the discovery, police have been conducting an investigation at the property with an increased police presence in the area.

The remains unearthed by construction work at a Hamilton residential property are human and pre-European, a police forensic examination has revealed. Photo / Maryana Garcia

Yesterday, Neilson said the owners of the property continued to assist police as they examined the scene.

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish age, gender and identity of the remains.”

On Wednesday, one resident who has lived in the area for 20 years said he had seen the digger on the property but wasn’t aware of any police involvement until asked by the media.

“It’s been a good neighbourhood,” the man said.

“We’ve had good relationships with people here.”

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said her child had come home from school yesterday to see three or four police cars parked in the street.

Hillcrest’s history

Ngāti Wairere historian Wiremu Puke said the area of Hillcrest was once densely covered in native trees such as Totara.

“There was a walking track that extended along Hillcrest road.”

The nearest pā, Te Tatua o Wairere, was located closer to the river.

According to Puke, there were no signs of fortifications on the hill.

“There were two parts of the ridge there. One part of the ridge was called Te Puutikitiki, which means the ‘top knot’. That’s the man bun of the chief, where the feathers were adorned because the huia and other types of native birds used to be caught on that ridge.”

Te Puutikitiki, Puke said, was one of the ancestral names for Hillcrest. The other was Waipahihi.

“Ngāti Parekirangi were the hapū that had mana whenua over that land prior to 1864,” Puke said.

“So the descendants of Ngāti Parekirangi should be involved with the remains.”

Puke said he wanted to thank the contractor who had the foresight to contact police about the remains.

Ngāti Wairere historian Wiremu Puke says the land is one of five pā sites in Kirikiriroa. Photo / Andrew McRae, RNZ

“It would have been good to have an archeologist called in immediately,” Puke said.

“There might have been other artefacts buried nearby. Often with pre-European burials the body was buried in a foetal position facing the east.”

Puke said it would be important to ensure all of the bone fragments were collected and DNA identification might be possible from the enamel of the teeth or bone of the jaw.

“Dating a skeleton isn’t exactly easy but it can be done and that’s usually done at Auckland University.”

Wiremu Puke has served as a visiting lecturer to Auckland University of Technology, University of Auckland, University of Waikato and Victoria University of Wellington in Māori traditions, pre-steel material culture and in professional museum studies.

Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based multimedia reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.