Clutha Valley Archaeological Project

Clutha Valley Archaeological Project

The Project

The project was occasioned by the construction of the Clyde Dam on the Clutha River. The dam was one of three projected for the power project but was the only one to have been built. Surveys over 1975-77 in the river valley by Higham and Mason and a second one by Newman revealed a wealth of archaeological sites in the area. The project was jointly commissioned by the Ministry of Works and the NZ Electricity Department and was initially programmed for five years but this expanded to ten. It ran from 1977 to 1987. Neville Ritchie was engaged by NZHPT to lead the project and seconded to the MWD Cromwell office.

Project area. Source: Rushing for Gold, Life and Commerce on the Goldfields of New Zealand and Australia. Eds Lloyd Carpenter and Lyndon Fraser Otago University Press

The project looked at some Maori sites but the greater part of the evidence was historic from the early gold mining period. As a project concentrating on this historical archaeology it was a pioneering one in New Zealand. The project started in a field where there had only been amateurs working previously, many just collectors, so it had to develop methods and resources appropriate to both the area and the materials found, virtually from scratch. Many of the sites proved to be the remnants of the occupation of the area by Chinese miners. The project received international attention for its achievements particularity in the field of study of the overseas Chinese.

The scope of the project included the whole river basin, not just the area directly affected by the proposed dams and lakes.

As the only archaeologist in the area Ritchie had other calls on his attention and a good number of small investigations were undertaken "-off project". Public relations was also a major aspect of the project and very important to the project funders.

The project also looked back at the previous power project in the area, Roxburgh, and surveyed the remaining sites along its lake that had not been flooded.

One outgrowth of the project was the ongoing attention to goldfields heritage. Many sites are now preserved and visitor attractions exist at many. Once collectively titled the Otago Goldfields Park this name has since gone out of official favour. The Department of Conservation is one of the leading location managers in regard to these sites. Another outcome was the number of participating archaeologists who went on from their early career involvement in the project to become leading professionals in cultural resource management and archaeology.

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Director

Neville Ritchie - who was resident for the whole project.

Neville Ritchie

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Sites Investigated

Queens Ferry

Rockfall Shelter II

Park Burn

Dart Bridge

Hanging Rock Shelter

Riverside Chinese Shelter

Cromwell Chinatown

Arrowtown Chinese Settlement

Phoenix Quartz Mining dynamo site

Halfway House Hotel

Platform Shelter

Flax Grove shelter

Willows Hut site

Horseshoe Bend Hut site

(Only Clutha Valley sites are included)

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Participating Archaeologists

Charles Higham

Graeme Mason

Mary Newman

A P Harrison

Chris Jacomb

Sheridan Easdale

Athol Anderson

Simon Holdaway

Debbie Foster

Stuart Bedford

Alexy Simmons

Outputs

Ritchie's 2016 publication is a comprehensive retrospective on the project.

Many publications resulted. The bibliography below is drawn from Ritchie's paper.

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References

Bibliography

Neville Ritchie, 'An introduction to historical archaeology in New Zealand', Australian Historical Archaeology, vol. 9, 1991, pp. 3-5.

C.F.W. Mason, G.M. Higham and S.J.E Moore, 'Clutha archaeological survey1. University of Otago Anthropology Department Studies in Prehistoric Archaeology, vol. 8, 1976.

G.M. Mason, The DG3 Dam: An assessment of its impact on prehistoric and historic remains (Dunedin: Department of Anthropology, University of Otago, 1977).

Mary Newman, Archaeological Survey along the Route of the Proposed Cromwell Gorge Highway (Cromwell: New Zealand Historic Places Trust, 1977).

Neville Ritchie, "The prehistoric role of the Cromwell Gorge, New Zealand', New Zealand Journal of Archaeology, vol. 4, 1982, pp. 21-43.

Neville Ritchie, 'Archaeology and history of the Chinese in southern New Zealand during the nineteenth century: A study of acculturation, adaptation, and change, PhD thesis, University of Otago, Dunedin, 1986.

Neville Ritchie, Kawarau Valley Archaeological Survey Report (Cromwell: New Zealand Historic Places Trust, 1983).

Neville Ritchie, 'Luggate—Upper Clutha Archaeological Survey (Cromwell: New Zealand Historic Places Trust, Cromwell, 19.

Neville Ritchie, 'The excavation of a nineteenth century Chinese mining settlement: Cromwell's Chinatown, New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter, vol. 23, no. 2, 1980, pp. 69-85.

Neville Ritchie. 'Archaeological research on nineteenth century Chinese settlement in the Cromwell area', The Courier Bulletin of the Queenstown and District Historical Society, no. 29, 1983.

A.P. Harrison, 'Lake Roxburgh archaeological survey'. Report prepared for the Department of Conservation Otago Conservancy, Dunedin, 1982.

Neville Ritchie, Queensbury Archaeological Survey (Cromwell: New Zealand Historic Places Trust, 1980).

Chris Jacomb and Sheridan Easdale, Bendigo Surrey Site Record (Dunedin: New Zealand Archaeological Association, 1980),

Athol Anderson and Neville Ritchie, 'Pavements, pounamu and ti: Dart Bridge site in western Otago, New Zealand'. New Zealand Journal of Archaeology, no. 8, 1986, pp. 115-41.

Neville Ritchie and A.P. Harrison, "Clutha Valley archaeology 1980-81: An interim report', New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter, vol. 24, no. 2, 1981, pp. 97-105.

Neville Ritchie, "The prehistoric role of the Cromwell Gorge, New Zealand, New Zealand Journal of Archaeology, vol. 4, 1982, pp. 21-43.

Neville Ritchie, Two sub-fossil fauna! deposits uncovered near Cromwell, Central Otago', New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter, vol. 25- no. 2, 1 982, pp. 86-1 02.

Neville Ritchie. Archaeological interpretation of alluvial gold tailing sites, Central Otago, New Zealand', New Zealand Journal of Archaeology, vol. 3, 1981, pp. 59-69.

Neville Ritchie, 'Bobs Creek-Twelve Mile Creek archaeological and historic sites survey'. Report prepared for the Lands and Survey Department. Dunedin, 1982.

Simon Holdaway and Debbie Foster, Lower Clutha Valley Archaeological Survey: A survey of prehistoric and historic sites in the Lower Clutha area, Central Otago (Cromwell; New Zealand Historic Places Trust, 1983).

Neville Ritchie, The Arrowtown Chinese Settlement: Report on the excavation and -management recommendations (Cromwell: New Zealand Historic Places Trust, 1984).

Neville Ritchie, An interim report on the excavation of a small Chinese mining settlement and store at Arrowtown, Central Otago', New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter, vol. 27, no. 2, 1984. pp. 83-103."

Lyn Williams, Report to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust 011, the Archaeological Investigation of Ackers Cottage, Stewart Island (Wellington: New Zealand Historic Places Trust, 1983).

Neville Ritchie and Athol J. Anderson, 'Preliminary report on test excavations at a newly discovered moa-hunting site at Coal Creek, Central Otago, New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter, vol. 23, no. 3, 1984, pp. 174-80.

Stuart H. Bedford. The History and Archaeology' of the Halfway House Hotel Site, Cromwell Gorge, N.Z. (Cromwell: New Zealand Historic Places Trust, 1986).

Neville Ritchie, The Phoenix Quartz Mining Company's Dynamo Site: An excavation report (Cromwell: New Zealand Historic Places Trust, 1985).

Neville Ritchie, 'Excavation of the Phoenix Quartz Mining Co. s dynamo site, Shotover River, Central Otago, N.Z.', New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter, vol. 28, no. 4, 1985, pp. 208-17.

Alexy Simmons. The Old Cromwell Bridge: Historical background and structural description (Cromwell: New Zealand Historic Places Trust with Clutha Valley Development, 1986).

Dimitri Anson. 'Typology and seriation of wax vesta tin matchboxes from Central Otago: A new method of dating historic sites in New Zealand', New Zealand Journal of Archaeology, vol. 5, 1983 pp. 115-38.

Stuart H. Bedford, A simplified classification system for tin wax vesta matchboxes', New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter, vol. 28, no. 1, 1985, pp. 44-64.

Neville Ritchie, Analysis of the glass containers and bottles from Cromwell’s Chinatown'. New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter, vol. 26, no. 4, 1983. pp. 235-48.

Neville Ritchie and Stuart H. Bedford, 'An analysis of the metal containers from Chinese sites in the Cromwell area, Central Otago, New Zealand', New Zealand Journal of Archaeology, vol. 7. 1983. pp. 95-116.

Stuart H Bedford, 'For beautifying and preserving the teeth and gums: Bone toothbrushes and ceramic toothpaste pots from historic sites in the Cromwell district', New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter, vol. 28, no. 3, 1985, pp. 172-82.

Fiona R. Cameron, 'An analysis of buttons, clothing, hardware and textiles of the nineteenth century Chinese goldminers of Central Otago', BA Hons. diss., University of Otago, Dunedin, 1985.

Deborah Foster, 'Clay pipes from the Cromwell area, Central Otago', New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter, vol. 26, no. 2. 1985, pp. 94-101.

Andrew K.S. Piper. 'Nineteenth century Chinese goldminers of Central Otago: A study of the interplay between cultural conservatism and acculturation through an analysis of changing diet', BA Hons. diss.- University of Otago, Dunedin, 1984.

Neville Ritchie and A.P. Harrison, An Archaeological Analysis of Opium Smoking and Associated Artefacts from Chinese Sites in Central Otago (Cromwell: New Zealand Historic Places Trust, 1982).

Neville Ritchie, "The written word: Writing equipment from Chinese sites in Central Otago', New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter, vol. 29, no. 1, 1986, pp. 41-51.

Neville Ritchie and R. McGovern-Wilson, A study of avifauna! remains from Chinese sites in Central! Otago, New Zealand', New Zealand Journal of Archaeology, no. 8, 1986, pp. 61-71.

Neville Ritchie and G.S. Park., 'Chinese coins down under: Their role on the New Zealand goldfield’s', Australian Journal of Historical. Archaeology, vol. 5, 1988, pp. 41-48.

Neville Ritchie, "The Clutha Valley Development Archaeological Programme', New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter, vol. 4, 1979, pp. 162-72.

Neville Ritchie, Reservoir Archaeology in New Zealand: Guidelines for mitigation and management. (Cromwell: Historic Places Trust, 1982).

Neville Ritchie, The Phoenix Quartz Mining Company's Skippers Creek Generating Plant (Established 1885-86): A report on the remains with suggestions for their presentation, management and interpretation. (Cromwell: New Zealand Historic Places Trust. 1983).