Post by Kiwi Frontline on Nov 6, 2018 16:24:22 GMT 12
CAVE MYTH CONTRADICTED
A widely believed urban myth surrounding Maori prisoners and a Dunedin cave has been contradicted by recent research.
Toitu Otago Settlers Museum curator Sean Brosnahan has spent the past four years researching the story of Taranaki Maori prisoners being held captive in a cave in Shore St between 1869 and 1881.
No evidence was found to support the cave story and instead some evidence suggested the structure was not even built until the early 20th century, Mr Brosnahan said.
His full research was made public for the first time at a lecture at Toitu on Sunday.
"It might not be the final say on the matter but it's certainly more substantial than has been amassed in the past.''
The way the prisoners were guarded, documents from the time they spent in the Dunedin prison and information about who owned the land at the time all pointed towards the story being false, he said......
www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/cave-myth-contradicted
A widely believed urban myth surrounding Maori prisoners and a Dunedin cave has been contradicted by recent research.
Toitu Otago Settlers Museum curator Sean Brosnahan has spent the past four years researching the story of Taranaki Maori prisoners being held captive in a cave in Shore St between 1869 and 1881.
No evidence was found to support the cave story and instead some evidence suggested the structure was not even built until the early 20th century, Mr Brosnahan said.
His full research was made public for the first time at a lecture at Toitu on Sunday.
"It might not be the final say on the matter but it's certainly more substantial than has been amassed in the past.''
The way the prisoners were guarded, documents from the time they spent in the Dunedin prison and information about who owned the land at the time all pointed towards the story being false, he said......
www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/cave-myth-contradicted