New book on archaeology pioneer

Malcolm Deverson’s new book on archaeology pioneer Les Lockerbie includes first-hand accounts...
Malcolm Deverson’s new book on archaeology pioneer Les Lockerbie includes first-hand accounts from those who knew him. PHOTO: SIMON HENDERSON
A new book explores the life of a pioneering archaeologist.

Former Ōwaka resident and deputy principal of the Catlins Area School, Malcolm Deverson, has written an account of Leslie (Les) Lockerbie, a "trailblazing" archaeologist and educator who devised new ways of approaching archaeological digs.

Mr Lockerbie’s interest in archaeology began as a child.

He moved with his family as a 5-year-old to the small settlement of Maclennan in The Catlins. He and his father used to wander along the shore of the Maclennan River and "fossick around for stuff," Mr Deverson said.

"Which presumably got him interested and got him started."

Mr Lockerbie trained as a teacher and found work at local schools including Clinton School and Purekireki School.

Les Lockerbie (left) helps students during a visit to The Neck on Stewart Island in the 1960s...
Les Lockerbie (left) helps students during a visit to The Neck on Stewart Island in the 1960s.PHOTO: SUPPLIED
After a stint in the army during World War 2, he returned to teaching, then applied for a job at Tūhura Otago Museum as its education officer.

He was employed in this role from 1947 to 1976, developing and extending an innovative museum education service during his time at the museum.

Over many years, Mr Lockerbie took part in archaeological fieldwork and provided many thousands of artefacts to the Otago Museum.

Many of the artefacts he uncovered were also given to the Ōwaka Museum in the Catlins and Rakiura Museum Te Puka o Te Waka in Stewart Island/Rakiura.

These items included flake knives, obsidian knives, fishhooks, necklaces and other ornamentation.

One of his key innovations was not only recording where items were uncovered, but also noting what strata of the ground the finds were unearthed from.

"That was new for the time, even professional archaeologists at the time were just gathering stuff and saying this is interesting and recognising what it was, but they didn’t necessarily put it in a time period."

His careful notes and drawings of archaeological digs included information about distinct layers of soil or sediment, providing clues as to the age of objects

"One of the prevailing beliefs at the time was that the moa was wiped out before the Māori came.

"Now, Les clearly found and was able to demonstrate that he found moa bones at the same level as he found Polynesian flake knives and ornamentation and stuff that was associated with early Māori."

In the 1930s Māori culture was not often acknowledged in society or in the classroom.

Mr Lockerbie encouraged respect through the teaching of traditional Māori activities.

His classroom approach, his investigations into moa-hunter Māori and his publications for teachers were significant steps towards acknowledging the importance of Māori in New Zealand’s history and society, Mr Deverson said.

Mr Lockerbie was also an early adopter of the "new and revolutionary" technique of radio carbon dating.

He developed a relationship with Thomas Athol Rafter, who brought radiocarbon dating to New Zealand in the late 1940s.

"Les sent some of the earliest samples to the laboratory that they were setting up in Wellington."

Book Launch

The Catlins Historical Society presents the book launch of Remembering Les Lockerbie, Pioneer archaeologist and educator

By Malcolm Deverson. Saturday, November 2, 1pm. Ōwaka Memorial Community Centre.