People visiting Taranaki's cultural heritage sites are being urged to only take photographs and leave only footprints.
Department of Conservation (DoC) staff have found four unusual holes at Pukerangiora Pā in North Taranaki.
Situated high above the Waitara River, Pukerangiora Pā is a site of both local and national importance. The historic reserve is in the rōhe of Pukerangiora hapū of Te Atiawa, and co-managed in partnership with the Department of Conservation.
It's thought the small spade holes, found by a DoC staff member at the entrance of the pā, were dug by people using metal detectors to fossick for colonial items due to the site's history as a battlefield during the Taranaki Wars.
It is likely the visitor was looking for artefacts such as musket balls and military buttons, says DoC senior ranger Dave Rogers.