ロドニータイムズ原文

A full-length Maori waka was unearthed at Muriwai Beach after a member of the public spotted it sticking out from the sand.

A canoe used for fishing and river travel, the waka tikai was discovered at the southern end of the beach.

It took a couple of days to plan its excavation so that the seven-metre waka would not be damaged.

Finding the whole length of a waka is fairly rare, as usually only sections are found, such as the prow or stern.

Auckland Regional Council parks staff and locals carefully moved the waka on to a truck, which took it to a temporary home at the regional council depot.

“It’s difficult to date the waka because it may have been created from a tree many hundreds of years old, and there is no surrounding material that we can date,” says ARC historic heritage specialist Robert Brassey.

“Everyone involved did a brilliant job moving the waka in a way that minimised damage, and they showed great commitment during the long hours we spent on site.”

Although the waka has parts of its sides missing, it can potentially be preserved through treatment.

Conserving the waka is the first priority and its future will be decided after consultation with local iwi.

7月、Keowee川で遊んでいた子供たちが一部土に埋まったカヌーを発見しました。何日かして、近所の友達にもその発見を見せたそうです。なんと、その中のひとりが、以前すぐ近くの川で発見されたカヌーのニュースを覚えていたそうです。そのため、貴重な遺物であると思い、また、空気に触れると劣化が始まることを聞いていたので水の中につけておいたそうです。

その後、政府機関などに連絡をいれ、先日無事に引き上げが行われたそうです。カヌーの分析はまだこれからですが、引き上げなども地域のボランティアによって行われました。

地域の子供によって発見、一時保存、そして住民が一緒になって遺物を守る。そんなすばらしい例が実際に行われた良いニュースですね。

こちらが以前に発見されたカヌーのニュースです。

http://www.chattoogariver.org/index.php?req=canoe1&quart=Su2004

OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. — A rare canoe that was found in the Keowee River by three young boys has made its way to the Oconee Heritage Center.

Boys Discover Ancient Canoe

David and Brandon Kwietniewski and their friend, Andrew Sauls, found the canoe while swimming in the river in early July.

The boys told their neighbors, Mike and Diana Stafford, about their discovery.

The Staffords remembered reading about another ancient canoe that had been found a few years earlier.

From reading about the Chattooga Canoe, the Staffords knew that the canoe needed to remain in the water because keeping the wood wet would help to preserve the artifact. The Chattooga Canoe was discovered in 2002, and after a preservation process, it was put on display at the Heritage Center.

Eventually, the Staffords called the Army Corps of Engineers in an effort to figure out the next step.

With the current drought conditions, the surrounding waters were quickly receding from around the canoe, which needed to stay wet.

After several agencies examined the second canoe, which is believed to be hundreds of years old, it was determined that it would be moved to the Heritage Center to join the Chattooga Canoe.

Within 24 hours, the Keowee Canoe was moved to a preservation tank in Walhalla where it will be kept until polyethylene glycol can begin to preserve the wood and eventually dry out. The Chattooga Canoe is ready to begin drying out after nearly four and a half years of soaking in its tank.

Now that the canoe is safely housed at the museum, archaeologists will be able to take a closer look at the wood and hopefully be able to determine an approximate age and possible origin of the artifact.

The Keowee Canoe measures approximately 21 feet in length, over 2 feet wide and has an overall height of 16 inches.

The Keowee Canoe, like the Chattooga Canoe, is owned by the state of South Carolina.