Overview
Many ancient stone tools of Māori have survived to the present day. The variety of stones from which they are made supports the conclusion that the first people of this country undertook a thorough geological survey of the land. The tools were traded widely, some being found a thousand kilometres from their original source – these sources ranged across the country.
Three of the most preferred stones used to create the most valued toki (adzes) came from specific places. These are a rare type of argillite found only in a few places in the South Island but especially on Rangitoto ki te Tonga (D’Urville Island); an unusually fine-grained basalt found on the Coromandel Peninsula; and pounamu (greenstone), found in remote western and southern parts of the South Island.
Basalt and especially argillite were preferred because the stone could be easily flaked and then polished to a sharp edge.
A typical adze shape, commonly referred to as the ‘hogback’, is characteristic of East Polynesian designs. This suggests it may have been a technology that was brought to Aotearoa when people migrated here from that part of the Pacific.
Such toki have handles made from branches that include part of the trunk of the tree. This forked shape gave the correct angle to cut wood and allowed for the blade and handle to be securely lashed together.
How was a hogbacked adze made?
There are three basic techniques used in making an adze: whāwhā (flaking), paopao (pecking or hammer-dressing), and orooro (grinding).
• First, a large core boulder was selected, then broken into preform sizes using a large round hammerstone.
• Suitable pieces were prepared with the whāwhā method – a skillfully directed blow producing a large blade-like flake, triangular or quadrangular in cross section with a concave back, which was further shaped by flaking.
• The cutting edge was formed carefully and a tang, or grip, for lashing was created. Some adzes don’t have this tang.
• At this stage, the blade is known as a preform or unfinished tool. Such preforms were traded, as were completed tools.
• To finish the toki, it was hammer dressed, that is shaped to prepare for the next stage, the grinding.
• The blade was smoothed and the cutting edge sharpened on a hoanga (a grindstone made of sandstone), with water.
• Finally the adze was lashed to a wooden handle or kakau roa, another specialised process requiring skill and learning.
Adze making is undergoing a revival. The Mākōtukutuku wharepuni in the Mana Whenua exhibition is an example of a house made in the traditional way. In the mid 1990s, members of the Ngāti Hinewaka iwi (tribe) learnt adze-making techniques in order to build this structure
Text originally published in Tai Awatea, Te Papa's onfloor multimedia database (2006)