Published In
Journal of Pacific Archaeology
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-9-2026
Subjects
otoliths, stable isotopes, paleoclimate, Aotearoa New Zealand, snapper / ta mure
Abstract
Marine paleoclimate records for the last 1,000 years are scarce in the southwest Pacific, limiting our understanding of complex environmental changes that may have affected Ma ori seascapes and fisheries. We seek to begin filling this knowledge gap by studying stable oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotopes in archaeological and modern otoliths from ta mure (Australasian snapper, Chrysophrys auratus), which provide information about water temperature, salinity, and fish diet and metabolism. Our results show that fourteenth and fifteenth century ta mure otoliths recorded environmental conditions that are comparable to twentieth century temperatures, with some evidence for anomalously warmer seas and/or higher precipitation during the fifteenth century. These findings are concordant with previous reconstructions of terrestrial climatic conditions in northern Aotearoa and of central west Pacific Ocean sea surface temperatures, providing additional evidence that Ma ori experienced a warm climatic period during their first centuries of habitation and fishing in the North Island.
Rights
Copyright (c) 2026 The Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
DOI
10.70460/jpa.v16i2.398
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/44614
Citation Details
Nims, R., Smith, C., & Campbell, M. (2026). Otolith Stable Isotopes and Māori Archaeology: Marine Paleoclimate Data for Northern Aotearoa New Zealand. Journal of Pacific Archaeology, 16(2), 2.