Pipi shell may lead to ancient village site

A pipi shell midden at Karamea may conceal an early Polynesian village occupied for at least a century about 700 years ago, according to an initial finding by archaeologists.

"We believe the midden may be part of a site that is several hectares in size - it's a big site, a very big site," Otago University archaeology senior lecturer Richard Walter said yesterday.

The site, on the edge of Karamea township and the Karamea River estuary, 100km north of Westport, is under pasture and was an exciting find because of its age.

It suggested the coast had more people early in the history of New Zealand's settlement than first thought.

The site was also interesting because of its relationship to other known early settlements at Westport, 100km south, and at the Heaphy River mouth, about 25km north. Both were about 700 years old.