Discovery of Monck's Cave during road construction

This cave was only just opened up a few weeks ago, discovered during road construction near Sumner. On September 10th, representatives from the Museum and the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury came to inspect it, including Mr. H. O. Forbes and myself. Mr. Monck, who owns the land, was really helpful and showed us everything he'd found—bones, implements, and other remains. He even let us take the most interesting items for examination and eventual display at the Museum.

He also told us how the cave was discovered. It’s interesting because, unlike the Moa Point cave that was continuously open and used by Māori and later by Europeans, Monck's Cave had been sealed up for a long time. Forty years ago, the local Māori knew nothing about it, suggesting it was buried for perhaps hundreds of years before European settlement in Canterbury.

When it was broken into, the cave was pretty much exactly as it had been left. It seems the last Māori occupant just went off on an excursion—fishing, hunting, or something—and never came back. We didn't find a skeleton, so they didn't die inside. They also left behind valuable tools, which suggests they intended to return. It’s possible a landslide occurred while they were away, burying the entrance so completely that they never bothered to dig it out.

Some clues, like the types of wood and stone used for the tools, suggest the last occupants might have been from the North Island, perhaps coming here every summer to fish and hunt moa. It's easy to imagine a landslide happening during one of their winter absences, permanently burying their summer dwelling.

Whatever happened, when the road-makers opened it a few weeks ago, it was practically untouched, apart from some decay. We're hoping to get funds for a more thorough exploration to learn more about the moa, the people who hunted them, and the ancient flora and fauna here.