The Ancient Stump that some modern scientists infer could never exist.

The Ancient Stump that some modern scientists infer did not exist.
But it did!

This article published with the consent of the Author of "THE SECRET LAND, THE PEOPLE BEFORE", Gary J. Cook and Thomas J Brown. It explains some scientific evidence in the form of an ancient stump that proves ancient inhabitants existed in NZ in a period prior to volcanic land formation. It is evidence of human activity in NZ prior to the laying down of ancient volcanic debris.

Notes upon the probable Changes that have taken place in the Physical Geography of New Zealand since the arrival of the Maori. By T.H. Cockburn-Hood, F.G.S. (P112-120)

Report on the chopped tree stump from the Auckland Southern Gross newspaper, "An exceedingly interesting relic of the very remote past is now to be seen in the office of the Improvement Commissioners. It is the root of a tree found in one of the cuttings being made under the direction of that Commission.

The root has evidently been chopped through by a stone adze which was found beside it. There were also several small branches and roots of the same tree on which the edge of the stone adze had been tried, and the whole crown of the stump had the marks of having been laboriously and patiently cut through by the rude stone implement in the unknown past, and by one of an equally unknown race of human beings. The root was found when cutting the sewer up the middle of Coburg Street, near the lower end, a little above its juncdon with the continuation of Wellesley Street, and at a depth of about 25 feet below the surface of the Barrack Hill at that place. From the surface downwards for about 14 feet, at the place where the root was found, the hill is composed of volcanic matter. Below that depth, for about 8 or 9 feet, there is a series of layers of a mixture of sand and clay, which appears to have been at one time deposited under water. Below that is a large bed of fine blue washdirt resembling blue clay.

These strata and the blue clay do not seem to have been at an disturbed by volcanic action, and the several strata are lying with the utmost regularity possible. It was in the upper portion of the bed of blue clay that the root was found embedded, standing upright as if it had grown there, and the several small branches which were found at the same place were of the same kind of timber, and bore plain and distinct marks of the stone implement upon them.

The inference to be drawn is not only that the islands of New Zealand had been inhabited long anterior to the migration of the Maoris to them, but that they had been peopled before the extinct volcano in the neighbourhood of the present Mechanic's Institute had begun to belch its mud torrents and streams of melted lava.This conclusion seems to be inevitable, whether it be assumed that the tree grew where the root and the implement of its destruction were, or whether, as some incline to think, a river had run where the blue stratum is found, and that the root had been carried from a distance to its resting place. In either case the root must have been where it was found the other day, not only before the volcanic matter was deposited on the Barrack Hill, but for a sufficiently long period before that to permit a stratum of 8 to 10 feet in thickness to be deposited."

I have to record this evening a discovery giving a trace of human life on this island, and in this locality, reaching back beyond history, and supporting the Maori tradition that this island was inhabited before their arrival here, and that the Maeros of the North Island and the Ngatimamaeros of the South Island rnay yet be found to be real aborigines, and not degenerate or wild Maoris, as has been supposed by rnany.

Heavy excavations have been carried on at and about the Albert Barracks by the Auckland Improvement Commissioners for the purpose of making new streets for the benefit of the city. During last March, while works were being carried on in Coburg Street, near the junction of Wellesley Street East, the workmen came upon the tree stump, now before you (see PI.VI.), lying in the centre of a narrow channel below the road level, this channel having been cut for the purpose of laying sewer pipes. Through the intelligence of Mr. James Williamson, the contractors overseer, who at once recognised its value, it was saved. Shortly after I was on the spot, and my attention was drawn to it.

It being important that the discovery should be verified by undoubted authority, I immediately went for, and returned accompanied by Theophilus Heale, Esq., Inspector of Surveys, who satisfied himself as to the genuineness of the discovery, and the undisturbed stratification of the volcanic debris of about 25 feet lying above. (PI. VI.) In the section 1 have shown the stump as when found resting on the clay. It was in its natural position, upright, with its roots penetrating the clay, of which fact I satisfied myself by digging deeply below to a depth of over two feet, and found the traces of roots going down.The surface of the clay has loam in it.The top of the stump was embedded in volcanic mud, and above it there were 25 feet of debris in perfect stratification, as shown in section.These stratified beds of ooze and debris can be traced till they reach the beds of cinders, and thence to the conglomerated mass of scoria and basaltic lava, which occurs adjacent to the volcanic centre. The clay in which the stump once grew occurs immediately above the terdary rocks, and is from 10 to 15 feet thick.This stump is asserted by those who have a knowledge of New Zealand woods to be of tea-tree (manuka) the wood that has been chiefly used by the Maoris for making paddles. It has an undoubted appearance of having been cut by some kind of tool, and being so must have been by the hand of man.

If you watched the TV One Documentary at 8.30pm on Monday 11th September 2000, you would have heard a Vulcanologist (or more correctly a tephrologist) state categorically, that there was never any evidence found of human activity in NZ under any layers of volcanic ash resulting from volcanic activity that preceeded 1250AD. The above article concerning an area of volcanic activity in central Auckland city, long preceeding this date, indicates the blatant deception of what was said. Why does the official stance on NZ's pre-history consist of such blinkered and biased "scientific" opinion? Perhaps the scientist was unaware of this relic, (there must be others), yet to be so categorical about the statement is to be biased beyond honest scientific reasoning. This atitude is guarranteed to obscure many potential relics or situations which should be evaluated with a genuine open "scientific" mind.

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"The SECRET LAND, PEOPLE BEFORE" by Gary J. Cook and Thomas J Brown
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