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A message in a bottle

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Look! Kirsa found a message in a bottle under a house. Here’s how we got the message out.       Katharine Watson          

The Langlois Eteveneaux cottage, Akaroa

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Jessie Garland and Luke Tremlett References and acknowledgements Christchurch City Council. Garvin, J., 2001. A Building History of Northern New England. University Press of New England, New Hampshire. Insight Unlimited.

“A healthy mind and human happiness”

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Here in New Zealand, we like to think ourselves as a nation of outdoor enthusiasts, always off tramping, kayaking, mountain biking, etc. But it wasn’t always thus. Our love affair with the outdoors began in the mid-late 19th century and was … Continue reading →

Kura Tāwhiti

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Today we’re going back to Christchurch’s hinterland, this time to Kura Tāwhiti/Castle Hill, a place that’s still an important and valued part of the city’s surrounds. But in the interests of full disclosure, I feel like I should let you … Continue reading →

The heady nature of pseudo-science

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

One of the most interesting things about being an archaeologist or a historian is seeing the development of ideas and knowledge throughout the ages. We are reminded, time and time again, that the ideas and theories that we consider primitive … Continue reading →

The Standard Hotel: beer, burlesque and a “sketchy kind of farce”

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

This week we’re delving into the seedier side of the life in early Christchurch with the story of the Standard Hotel, an establishment that found itself on the fringes of Victorian respectability during its short existence in the 1860s. At … Continue reading →

The difficulties of dating #1: age is not equal to experience

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

One of the most commonly assumed facts about archaeologists (aside from our ability to have adventures, look good in a fedora and be surprisingly skilful with a whip), is that we can look at an object and know how old … Continue reading →

Odds and ends

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

A selection of recent discoveries for your perusal, complete with flippant commentary (as per usual). Enjoy!    

Death and Taxes

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

He is bed maker to the dead. The pillows which he lays never rumple. The day of interment is the theatre in which he displays the mysteries of this art. Thomas Lamb 1811. Nothing in this would can be … Continue reading →

A club for Christchurch gentlemen

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

At the start of an archaeological investigation we often consult historical documents to learn as much as we can about a site’s past. Such research can identify the buildings that were once present, the people associated with the site through … Continue reading →

A lot of old rubbish!

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

…this yard being kept in a disreputable state, there are no cinder pits in proper places to throw the refuse of cooking and things in general, as at home, so old bones, vegetable remains, scrapings of plates, cinders, tea leaves, … Continue reading →

“the marvellous antiquity…of our beloved ritual” – Past Master G. W. Speth…

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Context is an important concept in archaeology. Everyday artefacts, often mundane and fragmented, can take on a powerful meaning due to an unusual placement or an association with other material of a different type or function. These circumstances will often … Continue reading →

Talking treasure

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Words. Words, words, words. Words[1]. We’ve been talking about words this week. Specifically, the words and phrases associated with archaeology (and heritage) in the public sphere that we – as a profession – can find problematic. Even more specifically, the … Continue reading &#...

Anecdotes from the appraisalists

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Call us appraisalists, historical researchers, or even cyber archaeologists. Most of our day consists of using a wide variety of historical material to pull together the histories of sites around Canterbury (and to make sure those archaeologists in the field … Continue reading →

The world is your oyster – a tale of talking molluscs, bar brawls and Vict…

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like oysters – they’re slimy, they look weird and they taste like the sea. So perhaps I was affected more than your average person when I recently had the task of analysing … Continue reading →

Making sense of it all

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

It is interesting to consider how we are influenced by an intangible map of our senses and emotions tied to our place in the world. We pay little attention to how we feel walking around a familiar neighbourhood, looking at … Continue reading →

Whisky, that philosophic wine, that liquid sunshine

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

It is a well-known truth, in this office at least, that archaeology and whisky go well together. Or, perhaps more accurately, that archaeologists and whisky go well together. With a few exceptions (you know who you are, gin drinkers), it is … Continue reading →

The Cater-Ring

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Following on from last week’s blog post, when we discovered a tea set used by a local 19th century caterer – this time we will take a closer look at what catering may have been like for the Victorians. Prior … Continue reading →

2018: We Out

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

And just like that another year has passed us by. 2018 has been a year of changes here at Underground Overground. It’s with a very heavy heart we’ve said a few goodbyes to some tremendously talented archaeologists; Chelsea, Shana, Matt, … Continue reading →

Around the world in seven plates

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Have you always wanted to travel the world? See the famous cathedrals of Europe? Smell the streets of China? Taste the spices of India? But travelling is expensive and everything’s just so damn far away, right? Well have we got … Continue reading →

A tea cup as a symbol of political change

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

As a 90s baby millennial, Helen Clark was Prime Minister from the time I started primary school to the time I started high school. I grew up in a world where in the eyes of a child there was never … Continue reading →

Chew with your mouth closed, my dear

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

The dinner party; a minefield of social etiquette and proper behaviour for both the host and the guests. For the host – the pressure of who to invite, where to sit them, what to serve them? Having the right invitation … Continue reading →

In which a teacup is smashed against a wall in a fit of rage

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

One of the most fascinating things about studying and interpreting the past is the possibilities it holds. Could the broken tea cup I’ve found been smashed against a wall in a fit of rage after a wife found her husband … 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 →

Bits and Bobs (again)

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

It’s been a while since we last did one of these, so here are some of our most interesting finds from the past six months. Clara Watson References Coysh, A., & Henrywood, R. 1982. The Dictionary of Blue and White … Continue reading →

Maids of Misfortune

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Every year on the 14th February we celebrate St. Valentine’s day with the exchanging of small tokens of our love and affection with our significant others. As so often is the case, the exact origins of this holiday are clouded … Continue reading →

New Year, New Me

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Every January I find myself saying the phrase “new year, new me” any time I do anything remotely healthy or out of the ordinary. Ate a salad: new year, new me. Went to the gym: new year, new me. Read … Continue reading →

The Ng King Brothers Chinese Market Garden Settlement

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Today on the blog we’re talking about an exciting project that we’ve been involved with over the past few months. In 2013 the Ashburton District Council took over stewardship of the Ng King Brothers Chinese Market Garden Settlement on Allens … Continue reading →