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Period: 800 to 1200
Nga Kakano
Nga Kakano is the East Polynesian and Archaic period, meaning 'the seeds', spanned from about 800 to 1200 CE. This is the time of the first Polynesian Settlers who are known as Moa hunters and their immediate descendants. It was a time of discovery and adaption to the new land. The farming way of life did not immediately develop in Aotearoa because the Moa hunters survived on a hunter - gatherer lifestyle. -
Period: 1201 to
Te Tipunga
The Te Tipunga period, meaning 'the growth' began on the North Island during the 13th century and had spread across Aotearoa by the 16th century. It was the era of expansion when the Māori discovered and settled in the most remote areas of their land and began developing their unique cultural traditions, beliefs and art. -
Period: 1501 to
Te Puawatinga
The Classical Māori period dated from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. During this time, the earliest European explorers and settlers of Aotearoa recorded the features of Māori classical society and culture. This period is known as Te Puawatinga, or ‘the flowering’, because it is regarded as the time when the most beautiful Māori art was created. -
Period: to
Te Huringa
The final period from the nineteenth century to the present is known as Te Huringa, or the ‘turning point’, because it is the time of increased Māori contact with Europeans and the introduction of the modern world into Māori culture.