It’s Saturday night and after a great open day the First Ship’s Project team have said goodbye to the last of our visitors. Hundreds of people visited the excavation, making it a huge day-out for the area.
The team continued to work, but also provided guided tours for the Horeke locals that joined us on this sunny Saturday. It reminded all of us how important it is to remember that this is their history, their story and heritage, and we have a responsibility to share our work.
No surprise either that people came with their own stories. Locals gave Matt invaluable knowledge about the site, helping him piece together the challenge. Another great day on the First Ships Project and another successful effort in Public Archaeology.
The First Ships Project 
Someone brought along a print of Charles Heaphy’s 1839 painting ‘View of the Kahu-Kahu Hokianga River’ which is often mistaken for a view of Horeke. It bears superficial similarities to Augustus Earle’s 1828 painting that you use as your header above, but a brilliant piece of art historical scholarship by Dr Maureen Lander, a Hokianga local from Rawene demonstrates clearly that Heaphy’s painting is indeed of Kohukohu, not Horeke. The National Library catalogue for the Heaphy has a short summary online at http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=29481&l=mi, while the article itself is published in Turnbull Library Record vol.22. no.1, May 1989, p.33-40, and is well worth reading.
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