3.6.1 Gumbley stated that the Papamoa Hills were part of a larger cultural landscape incorporating the flatland below: the coastal foredunes, the inland dunes and along the Kaituna River¹⁵. The strategic location and topography of the Papamoa Hills place it on the front line between neighbouring tribes, which were sustained by rich economic resources, including garden soils, fishing, eeling and flax. Archaeological work on the dune plain indicates it was occupied extensively between 1400-1700, at which time it appears to have been abandoned.

3.6.2 He stated that the Papamoa Hills were remarkable for the range of different pa types, which are generally well preserved. Part of the second largest pa Hikotawatawa (U14/238) and another (U14/1660) are within the Fulton Hogan property. The greatest density of terrace and pit sites in the Tauranga area is also found on the Papamoa Hills. The terrace sites extending along the ridges leading up to Hikotawatawa Pa are part of this, and there is a high likelihood of others hidden beneath the ground. Gumbley proposed that these settlements were ‘client’ sites to the adjacent pa, and although they were not all inhabited at the same time the size and density of sites indicates a large population occupied the hills especially during the period 1650-1800.

3.6.3 Gumbley stated that these sites have the ability to contribute significantly to the understanding of central themes of archaeological research in New Zealand, including: (i) prehistoric demography, (ii) development of pa and their role in prehistoric social organisation, (iii) the development of complex social structures,

(iii) pre-European economy, and (v) relationship of pa with subsidiary kainga. Moreover the area includes a remarkable conjunction of: significant cultural values and significant scientific values.

3.6 2000 - Phillips Archaeological Assessment

¹⁵ Gumbley 2000.