76‐82 Chester Street and 291 Madras Street
Articles, UC QuakeStudies
An archaeological report compiled for New Zealand Historic Places Trust under the Historical Places Act 1993
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found 288 results
Gender matters
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Gender matters. And it’s complicated, which is why writing this blog post has been particularly difficult. Why is it so complicated, from an archaeological standpoint? Well, let me try and explain. Historical archaeology developed as a discipline in the mid-20th … Continue reading →
The difficulties of dating #3: the bigger picture
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve looked at some of the methods we use to date archaeological objects found in Christchurch. This week, we’re going to look at how artefacts, documentary evidence and archaeological context can be used to … Continue reading →
A Brief Foray into Romano-British Archaeology
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Archaeologists are often faced with the question of what happens to artefacts after an excavation is complete? As is the case for a lot of excavations, artefacts can find themselves housed in museums. This centuries old institution found its beginning … Continue reading →
‘Archaia’ and ‘Logos’, what even is archaeology?
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
The word archaeology comes from the Greek archaia (“ancient things”) and logos (“theory” or “science”). So, archaeologists study past societies through the material culture. In other words, we write the history analysing what people threw away or left behind. That’s … Continue reading →
Archaeological challenges in the Hundred Acre Wood
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Hello everyone! Belated happy new year and welcome back. We’ve decided to begin the year by talking about problems (just to start on a positive note). Well, sort of. We’re participating in an international round-up of blog posts this month … Continue reading →
On the right track: tramways archaeology in Christchurch
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
How did people get around Christchurch in the 19th century? People certainly walked, or rode, perhaps on a horse, or in a wheeled vehicle pulled by a horse, such as a dray, gig, hackney, or hansom. And let’s not forget … Continue reading →
Fairfax Video, October 2011 (2)
Videos, UC QuakeStudies
A video of an interview with Andy Dodd, archaeologist at Underground Overground Archaeology, and Rewi Couch, representative for Te Hapu o Ngai Te Wheke, about the excavation of the site of the former Lyttelton Post Office on Norwich Quay. A Maori adze was found by the archaeologists deep beneath the concrete foundations of the building. The adze is a woodworking tool which indicates that early Maori settlers may have carved and launched waka on the site.
Building Record Form for the A & T Building, 580 Ferry Road, Christchurch
Articles, UC QuakeStudies
Building Record Form for the A & T Building, 580 Ferry Road, Christchurch.
70 years of quarantine: the archaeology of Ōtamahua/Quail Island
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Today Aotearoa continues to take tentative steps back into level 2 of the Covid-19 response, so you might think it strange that I would be voluntarily stepping back into quarantine. But we’re the stepping back into the history – all … Continue reading →
Archaeology: where losing your marbles is sometimes a good thing
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Imagine, if you will, that you were born in 1870. Your parents are colonists who journeyed to Christchurch to build a new life for themselves and their family. They’re not rich, but you live comfortably enough in this new country. … Continue reading →
Seize the means of production! The archaeology of tools and labour.
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
For a lot of us, Labour Day is celebrated in the same way as a lot of public holidays: not thinking about work, catching up the gardening and odd jobs around the house, going away for a long weekend, having … Continue reading →
A breath of not-so-fresh air: archaeology and asbestos in Christchurch
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
When I first started studying to become an archaeologist, the dangers and difficulties of working with asbestos wasn’t really something that had ever crossed my mind. I knew what it was, in a vague sort of way, and that it … Continue reading →
Life Before Plastic: Packaging
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Last time on the blog we introduced our Life Before Plastic blog series, and today we’re continuing the series by discussing packaging. A lot of what we find in the archaeological record are containers, which are a form of packaging. … Continue reading →
The Shape of Things
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
On Wednesday I celebrated my six year anniversary working at Underground Overground Archaeology. I did plan on marking this milestone by staying up all Tuesday night to bake a special six-tiered chocolate cake to bring in to work and share … Continue reading →
Life Before Plastic: Packaging
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Last time on the blog we introduced our Life Before Plastic blog series, and today we’re continuing the series by discussing packaging. A lot of what we find in the archaeological record are containers, which are a form of packaging. … Continue reading →
Doe, a Deer, a (Possibly) Female Deer
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Bones, of the animal variety, are a common find on historic archaeological sites in Christchurch. The vast majority of the bones we come across are sheep and cattle, with the occasional pig and chicken showing up as well. From these … Continue reading →
A humble home
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Today’s post presents the story of William Bowen, a prominent Christchurch builder, as told by his residence at 441 Madras Street. Archaeologists recorded this building using building archaeology techniques before and during its post-earthquake demolition. 441 Madras Street was initially … ...
Black deeds in Draper Street
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Today, through the wonders of archaeology and Papers Past, we bring you the story of Charles Henry Cox, a man whose crime has been buried – literally – for over 100 years. But let’s not get too carried away. As … Continue reading →
Picture perfect – a gallery of archaeologist’s art
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Today we would like to take you through some art work created by our team over the years. But this isn’t for your local charity art auction – these images illustrate the archaeological process we undertake on a daily basis. … Continue reading →
The human power behind the industrialisation
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Some of the most common archaeological finds related to the European settlement of New Zealand during 19th century are usually from residential occupation. Features like rubbish pits, underfloor deposits, wells (brick and artesian), cesspits, soak pits, post holes and drainage … Continue reading →
All things great and small
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Here at Underground Overground Archaeology we try not to sweat the small stuff – particularly because the small stuff we find is often super cool and makes us say “aww, that’s cute!”, similar to the way many people react when … Continue reading →
Oh, you pretty things!
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Today for your viewing pleasure, we present a selection of interesting, unusual and aesthetically pleasing ceramics from Christchurch sites. Enjoy! Jessie Garland References Adamson, J. & Bader, H-D. 2008. Archaeological Excavation Report on the Street Homestead, Penrod Drive, Bell Block, ...
2017: The year that was
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Yet another year gone! It’s been a strange one, out there in the world, but here at Underground Overground it’s been a year of excavation, discoveries, stories and all things archaeological. In the proper spirit of history, let’s take a … Continue reading →
The changing face of a 19th century farmstead
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
We have published previously on the importance of buildings, be they residential or commercial, as an artefact in understanding 19th century culture in New Zealand. While it’s easy to overlook the humble cottage as a source of archaeological data, houses … Continue reading →
Big Data & Difficult Data: The UC CEISMIC Canterbury Earthquakes Digital A…
Research papers, University of Canterbury Library
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Life Before Plastic: An Introduction
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
‘Rubbish’ is the most common thing we find on our 19th century archaeological sites. I have ‘rubbish’ in quotation marks because to us what we find isn’t rubbish, it’s the material evidence of what life was like in the early … Continue reading →
2016: It’s the end of the year as we know it
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
The end of year is upon us again, and Underground Overground Archaeology is closing the boxes on our finds for the year. The year we finished up our Christmas party with a scavenger hunt around the central city using cryptic … Continue reading →
Born again Baptist bargain barn
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Who would have thought a Bin Inn could have such a sacred past? But as is usually the case with archaeology, once the layers are peeled back, an entirely different story starts unveiling itself. In its glory days this bargain … Continue reading →
Brewery to bonded store (or a tale involving beer, misfortune and the casu…
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
From Staffordshire pottery to American made glass-ware, we’ve come across artefacts from all over the world on archaeological sites here in Christchurch. This prevalence of internationally made artefacts, and what it means for the city’s history, is something that’s come … Continue reading ...