Rosemary talks to four Northlanders who used archaeological research and investigation techniques to piece together a picture of ‘Fortress Northland’; a staggering network of defence infrastructure which was constructed in panicked haste following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour in December 1941. Jack Kemp, Bill Guthrie, Bill Edwards and James Robinson share tales of what they discovered through archaeological investigations, oral history interviews, and detective work in the archives.

Rosemary talks to six members of the team working on a multidisciplinary project to investigate Waikato wetland pā: Alan Hogg, Warren Gumbley, Tom Roa, Gretchen Boswijk, Rowan McBride and Isaac McIvor. They share how archaeology, dendrochronology, radiocarbon wiggle match dating and mātauranga Māori come together in this project and reveal new insights into Waikato pā built by Tainui iwi.

Rosemary talks to Vanessa Tanner about how archaeology is protected in New Zealand. Did you know that damaging an archaeological site in this country is illegal? Vanessa explains why New Zealand archaeology is so unique and precious, and what Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga does to monitor site damage.

Rosemary talks to Jessie Garland about some of the incredible artefacts she found in post-quake Christchurch that belonged to colonial children. What do these items tell us about how kids played and behaved in the past? Jessie also gives us insight into how she pieces together and researches broken or unidentified artefacts.

Rosemary talks to Gerard O’Regan and Amanda Symon about Māori rock art. Gerard explains the wider context of Māori rock art: how much is there, where is it, how was it made and what does it mean? Amanda shares her experiences conserving rock art, and how ecological restoration can preserve the limestone ecosystems of Māori rock art sites.

Rosemary talks with Matthew Schmidt about archaeology found in the infilled Dunedin shoreline. Large areas of modern Dunedin are built on a colonial cap of infilled rubbish. What do archaeologists discover when excavating the infill, and what can it tell us Dunedin’s former identity as the wealthy gold-rush capital of colonial New Zealand?

Rosemary talks with Amber Aranui about her work repatriating Māori ancestors home to their iwi/hapu in Aotearoa from overseas institutions. Amber shares about the research and relationships that make this work possible. How does her work fit into the international movement to redress a colonial past of wrongful acquisition?

Rosemary talks to Hallie Buckley and Peter Petchey about the Southern Cemeteries project in Otago/Southland. Consulting with communities to excavate local cemeteries is just the starting point. Excavations are adventures in wild weather and unexpected discoveries. Hallie explains what an individual’s bones can tell us about the harsh lives of goldminers. Peter shares about Victorian coffin furniture and the unique elements found in Chinese sojourners’ graves.

Rosemary talks to Makere Rika-Heke about how we can use all our senses in archaeological landscape to tap into how Māori inhabited their whenua. Makere shares about how she combines tikanga with archaeology, and her dreams for indigenous archaeology in Aotearoa.

On the first episode of Aotearoa Unearthed, Rosemary Baird talks to Katharine Watson about excavating long drops, drains and rubbish pits in Christchurch. What can her findings tell us about the public health, housing design and personal habits of colonial settlers? And do long-drop excavations smell?