A human skull discovered at Paraparaumu Beach in 2022 has been identified as possibly belonging to a young woman struck by a musket ball, with experts suggesting the death likely occurred during the Musket Wars of the early 19th century.
The skull was found by a beachgoer in June 2022, but the discovery remained under wraps until the NZ Herald accessed coronial documents. Forensic analysis revealed the skull belonged to a female aged between 16 and 24, with evidence of a gunshot wound from right to left. Experts believe the wound is consistent with a musket ball injury.
Historian Michael Belgrave, who authored Becoming Aotearoa: A New History of New Zealand, says the woman likely lived during a period of conflict involving Te Rauparaha and Ngāti Toa as they moved southward in 1819. He notes that muskets became prominent in the region during that time, adding, “It’s highly likely she died during one of these conflicts.”
The coroner, Rachael Schmidt-McCleave, concluded the remains did not require a formal inquiry, citing laws that restrict inquests to deaths within the past 100 years. She directed police to hand over the remains to local iwi, in line with tikanga Māori.
Despite forensic evidence suggesting a gunshot wound, pathologist Judy Melinek cautions that distinguishing between historical and modern gunshot wounds is difficult without the projectile. Anthropologist Professor Judith Littleton noted the skull was found in an area previously identified as an archaeological site for Māori remains.
Radiocarbon dating by Associate Professor Fiona Petchey of Waikato University confirmed the woman likely lived between 1660 and 1900, with a strong probability her death predated 1950.
Belgrave believes the skull underscores the historical use of muskets during intertribal warfare in New Zealand. “She’s more likely to be one of the tangata whenua who gets killed at that point,” he says, adding that accidents could not be ruled out due to the unreliable nature of muskets.
The discovery of human remains highlights the region’s rich history, though local iwi have chosen not to comment publicly at this stage.
