2022 ASHA Conference

View of Urupukapuka Island, Bay of Islands, Aotearoa New Zealand, photo by Jessie Garland.

2022 Conference – 26 to 30 September

The archaeology of interaction

Duke of Marlborough Hotel, Russell, Bay of Islands, Aotearoa New Zealand

(View from Urupukapuka Island, Bay of Islands, Aotearoa New Zealand, photo by Jessie Garland.)

The 2022 ASHA conference was held in Russell, in the beautiful Bay of Islands in northern New Zealand. The conference was held between 27 and 30 September, finishing with a gala dinner on 30 September 2022. There was no official welcome function on 26 September, but conference delegates were invited to meet over a drink at The Duke of Marlborough in the evening. The conference venue was the historic Duke of Marlborough Hotel. A key feature of the conference was a field trip by boat out into the Bay of Islands, visiting significant archaeological sites of the area. (The field trip has now sold out. Please check the box to be waitlisted for it.) We were pleased to announce that Dame Anne Salmond is our keynote speaker, and we were grateful for the support of Kororāreka Marae, as Hau Kainga and Te Ahi Kaa, in hosting this conference. This webpage provides a record of the conference proceedings.

Conference theme

The conference theme is ‘the archaeology of interaction.’ The Bay of Islands has been a site of significant human interaction since the beginning of human settlement of the area. This began with early Māori interaction with the environment and between different iwi. In the 18th century, it was the location of early Māori interaction with Europeans, including Captain James Cook and Marion du Fresne. The conference is particularly timely, as 2022 is the 250th anniversary of Marion de Fresne’s visit to this part of Aotearoa. In the early 19th century, Kororāreka/Russell became the site of ongoing interaction between Māori and Pākehā, as people from all over the world converged here to take advantage of new trading and commercial opportunities. At the same time, missionaries were pursuing their own ends in the Bay of Islands, as too was the British Crown. In 1840, Waitangi (just over the water from Russell) was the administrative centre, and the site of the first signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi.

Call for papers

The conference theme is ‘the archaeology of interaction’ and we encourage posters and papers that explore this theme in New Zealand and Australian historical archaeology. Submissions outside this theme are also welcome.

We invite offers of papers in the following sessions as well as general papers. Session abstracts are listed below. We welcome any further session submissions: these will be added to the website as necessary.  

  • Papers in memory of Associate Professor Ian Smith and Dr Angela Middleton
  • Quickfire presentations
  • Buildings archaeology
  • People and things: material culture studies
  • Interdiscplinary dialogues

General papers will be 15 minutes each. Please submit a title and short abstract (no more than 150 words), along with the intended session (if necessary), to [email protected] by 25 August 2022. Submissions should include the full names of the authors, along with institutional affiliations and contact details for at least one of the authors.

Those wishing to do poster presentations should submit a poster title and short abstract by 25 August 2022.

Session abstracts

Papers in memory of Associate Professor Ian Smith and Dr Angela Middleton

Ian Smith and Angela Middleton were leaders in New Zealand and Pacific historical archaeology, from mission stations to Pākehā identity, the sealing and whaling industry, material culture and urban archaeology. Much of their work attempted to understand the interaction between peoples and places in the early colonial and colonial periods of New Zealand’s history, with a special emphasis on the interaction between Māori and Europeans in the Bay of Islands. They are greatly missed and we take this opportunity to celebrate their contribution to Australasian archaeology and New Zealand history through the research of those they worked with, taught and inspired.

Quickfire presentations

Brevity is the soul of wit and this session invites offers for papers of no more than three minutes in length. Don’t have enough material for a full paper? Want to focus on just one aspect of a site, object or story? This is the session for you. Time limits will be strictly adhered to – you’ve been warned!

Interacting with the built environment: buildings archaeology in Australasia

As Winston Churchill once said, “we shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us”. This gets to the heart of the relationship between people and buildings: it is a symbiotic one. While the structures we choose to build say much about us, they also shape our behaviour and our attitudes, and thus shape and influence the world in which we live. This session seeks papers that explore the various interactions between built structures and people, how one affects the other, and how this can answer bigger questions about past societies.

People and things: material culture studies

Artefacts and their ability to communicate the stories and connections of people and places in the past remain a significant aspect of Australasian historical archaeology. This session welcomes papers on any and all aspects of artefact analysis and material culture studies, with special emphasis on those that explore the interactions between people and their things through the archaeological and documentary record.

Interdisciplinary dialogues

Archaeology is, at its heart, a collaborative discipline, one that is at its best when engaging with other perspectives, methods and approaches to understanding the past. This session aims to highlight the interdisciplinary work already happening within Australasian historical archaeology, as well as encouraging more collaboration in the future. We welcome papers on any research that showcases the interaction of archaeological methods, projects and interpretation with those outside the discipline and/or those who wish to contribute to a discussion of how and why such dialogue is necessary to improve our understanding of the past.

Keynote speaker

We are delighted to announce that our keynote speaker is Dame Anne Salmond. Dame Anne is a distinguished anthropologist, and a significant focus of her work has been the early interaction between Māori and Pākehā, particularly in the Bay of Islands. This has seen the publication of a number of notable books, including Two Worlds: First Meetings Between Maori and Europeans 1642–1772 and Between Worlds: Early Exchanges Between Maori and Europeans 1773–1815. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, many in recognition of her work to improve New Zealanders’ understanding of their own history, and particularly their understanding of the cultural dynamics and interplay between Māori and Pākehā.

Looking out from Rangihoua Pā at the Te Pahi Islands, photo by Jessie Garland.
Looking out from Rangihoua Pā at the Te Pahi Islands, photo by Jessie Garland.

Conference location

The 2022 ASHA conference will be held at the Duke of Marlborough Hotel, in Russell, in the Bay of Islands, Aotearoa New Zealand. We are grateful for the support of Kororāreka Marae, as Hau Kainga and Te Ahi Kaa, in hosting this conference.


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Registration

Registration is now open. Please see the table of fees below. All prices are in Australian dollars. The registration early bird discount closes on 25 August. Dinner registrations close on 11 September.

Conference registrations cancelled prior to 25 August will be refunded in full. Conference registrations cancelled between 26 August and 11 September will receive an 80% refund. Cancellations after 11 September will not be refunded.

The field trip on 29 September will be by boat, and will run from 8:30am-1:30pm. Lunch will be provided. It will not be possible to get off the boat, but there are open decks on it. We will be accompanied on this field trip by mana whenua representatives, Dame Anne Salmond and local experts in the archaeology of the Bay of Islands, all of whom will share their knowledge of this special and beautiful place. This field trip will be open to members of the public. The field trip has now sold out. Please check the box to be waitlisted for it.

2022 rates (AUD)early birdfullday-rate
member270330150
non-member360420190
concession (student/unemployed/over 65) member235285125
concession (student/unemployed/over 65) non-member300345150
dinner 75 
field trip [sold out – waiting list open] 90 

Key Dates

3 May 2022Call for session proposals opens
31 May 2022Call for session proposals closes
8 June 2022Call for papers opens
16 June 2022Registrations opens
25 August 2022Early bird registration closes
25 August 2022Call for papers and posters closes
26 Sept 2022No official function, but we invite conference delegates to meet over a drink at The Duke of Marlborough in the evening.
27 & 28 Sept 2022Conference opens with a pōwhiri at the Kororāreka Marae, followed by conference papers
29 Sept 2022Conference field trip by boat into the Bay of Islands
This field trip will be by boat, and will run from 8:30am-1:30pm. Lunch will be provided. It will not be possible to get off the boat, but there are open decks on it. We will be accompanied on this field trip by mana whenua representatives, Dame Anne Salmond and local experts in the archaeology of the Bay of Islands, all of whom will share their knowledge of this special and beautiful place. This field trip will be open to members of the public. The field trip has now sold out. Please check the box to be waitlisted for it.
30 Sept 2022Conference papers and gala dinner
Looking out from Rangihoua Pā at the Te Pahi Islands, photo by Jessie Garland

Travel and Accommodation

(Looking into Wairoa Bay, at the Te Pahi Islands across the Purerua Peninsula, photo by Jessie Garland.)

Travelling to Russell

Russell is in the Bay of Islands, about three hours north of Auckland. Options for travelling to conference include flying to Auckland, Whangārei or Kerikeri then driving to the venue. There is also a bus from central Auckland to Paihia, and then a ferry to Russell. There are more details here: https://russellnz.co.nz/getting-here/

Places to stay

Russell is home to a range of accommodation, including a number of holiday homes. These can be found via websites such as Airbnb, Bachcare, Book A Bach and Holiday Houses. The conference venue also offers accommodation and is offering a discounted rate for conference attendees (of 15%). Details of their accommodation options are available here: https://www.theduke.co.nz/accommodation The conference discount can only be obtained by phone at 09 4037829 or via email at [email protected] and quote either group booking reference number 62266 or the name Australasian Archaeology Conference.

Other accommodation options include:

Other things to do

The Bay of Islands is not only beautiful, it – and the surrounding region of Northland – is home to some fantastic historic sites. Here are some links to tempt you to stay longer than just for conference, and to explore further afield.

Te Tai Tokerau Northland is a Tohu Whenua site, in recognition of its important history. This website lists many of the sites in the area that can be visited: https://tohuwhenua.nz/te-tai-tokerau-northland

The Department of Conservation website provides lots of information about different walks in Northland: https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/northland/ And about more historic sites: https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/heritage/by-region/northland/

Also consider visiting the Russell Museum Te Whare Taonga o Kororareka https://russellmuseum.org.nz/

Waitangi, photo by Jessie Garland
Waitangi, photo by Jessie Garland

Sponsors

Stoneware

Austral Archaeology logo
Austral Archaeology
GML Heritage (logo)
GML Heritage

Earthenware

Artefact (heritage consultancy, logo)
Artefact
Casey & Lowe, archaeology & heritage (logo)
Casey & Lowe | archaeology & heritage

Prize sponsors

Christine Williamson Heritage Consultants (logo)
Best student paper
Austral Archaeology logo
Best Conference paper

Jennie Lindbergh

Best conference poster

Award winners

Congratulations to the following award winners, selected by vote of conference participants.

Best paper

Tristan Wadsworth, ‘Dug up and ditched: Māori taonga in a 19th century fossicking context?’

This paper (briefly) discusses the excavation of a small‐town pub in Spring Creek, New Zealand. During works, a stone adze and chert core were found within an 1880s/1890s rubbish deposit. Where did these artefacts come from? The paper speculates on a possible origin for these taonga, and how they may have exited and re‐entered the archaeological record. A long bow will be drawn to how these artefacts and their context reflects wider systems of colonialism and dispossession, and how individuals were and are empowered to replicate these systems.

Best student paper

Jessie Garland, ‘Importers, retails, ‘culture brokers’: shops and shopkeepers as curators of culture and consumerism in nineteenth century Christchurch’

Nineteenth century shops, particularly in colonial settlements like Ōtautahi Christchurch, were places of interaction and intersection, spaces where the vast trading networks of the British empire met the local market and the transaction between consumer and retailer transformed objects from commercial commodities into consumer goods. As gateways between the consumer and the commercial networks of empire and colony, shops – and the shopkeepers who ran them – played a significant role in curating the material culture available to the colonial settler, influencing not just what was stocked, but also how it was viewed by those who would buy it. This paper presents the comparison and analysis of twelve assemblages from seven nineteenth century Christchurch retailers, ranging from general stores to fancy goods shops, with a view towards understanding what these artefacts can tell us about the role of shops and shopkeepers in the formation of Christchurch’s colonial material culture.

Best poster

Pauline Ramsey, ‘Aboriginal stories in the historical and maritime archaeological record’

Aboriginal stories are too often overlooked in the historical and maritime archaeological record. Early shipwreck survivor camps are such sites often found to be solely colonial in origin. A failure to consider the Aboriginal perspective in these early sites has resulted in an unintentional archaeological bias in the way we look at potential maritime contact sites. Little in the way of research has been given to the interaction of early shipwreck survivors and Indigenous populations. Using two case studies ‐ the 1874 Stefano wreck off Northwestern Australia and the 1797 Sydney Cove in Tasmania ‐ this poster will explore the significance of the Aboriginal perspective on the retelling of these wrecks.

Acknowledgements

The Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology conference organising committee gratefully acknowledges the support of Debra Rewiri and the Kororāreka Marae for generously welcoming and hosting us. Patukeha and Ngāti Kuta are also supporting our kaupapa. Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (HNZPT), and particularly their staff, Bill Edwards, James Robinson and John O’Hare, have assisted with planning in general, iwi liaison, running the field trip and publicity for the event, as well as being enthusiastic supporters of the idea from the outset. Together with Heritage Northland, HNZPT applied for and obtained funding to enable us to allow a number of rangitahi from local high schools to attend the field trip. Thanks to the Far North District Council for generously providing that funding. Heritage Northland has also promoted the field trip amongst its own supporters, enabling us to open up an exciting opportunity for the public. HNZPT have also generously sponsored the attendance of a number of kuia and kaumatua on the field trip. We would also like to acknowledge the support of Helen Nicholson (ASHA treasurer) and Nick Pitt (ASHA web manager) throughout the planning of the conference. Thanks, too, to the Russell Museum Whare Taonga o Kororāreka, for their offer of discounted entrance fees to the museum for conference delegates.

The ASHA committee would like to add our deep thanks and gratitude to the conference organising committee, Katharine Watson and Jessie Garland.

ASHA President Anita Yousif addressing the conference
ASHA President Anita Yousif addressing the conference