What Lies Beneath

Secrets of the Gunfighter Pa

30 min

The Missing Miners

30 min

In the late 1800's thousands of Chinese gold seekers were lured to our shores, by the promise of easy pickings in the desolate claims of Central Otago. But today, there are very few physical signs of these pioneers and often it falls to archaeologists to uncover evidence that they were here at all. Join Simon Dallow as he delves into the mystery of the Missing Miners.

Searching for the First Coasters

30 min

At the mouth of the Buller River, archaeologist Richard Walter is excavating a site that dates from the archaic period of New Zealand's human history. This is a time when the artefacts they find still represent a Polynesian culture. The remarkable array of unearthed adzes and fishing lures suggest these early Coasters already knew much about the resources available to them in this newly settled land.

Under Wellington

30 min

Construction of Wellington's controversial Inner City Bypass will destroy an historic part of Te Aro. But first, the largest urban archaeology project ever undertaken in New Zealand will record and preserve as much of the past as possible. Join host Simon Dallow as he gets a rare glimpse of nineteenth century working class life.

In Search of the Good Keen Whalers

30 min

Simon Dallow joins a team of archaeologists who have converged on one of the best preserved whaling stations from the 1830's whaling boom. Beneath the sand and driftwood they have unearthed several trypot stations where the blubber was rendered down. It provides a remarkable picture of the harsh life endured in one of our first truly integrated communities.