Journal
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND
Volume 33, Issue 4, Pages 795-809Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2003.9517759
Keywords
meteor impact; tsunami; Maori place-names; Maori legends; deforestation; 15th century; Australia; radiocarbon; New Zealand
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Mystic Fires of Tamaatea is the title given to a section of a book entitled Tsunami: The underrated hazard written by Edward Bryant and published by Cambridge University Press in 2001. In it the author links New Zealand evidence for widespread forest destruction and Maori place-names and legends with the 15th century timing of an apparent Tunguska-type meteor impact in the South Island of New Zealand, Chinese, and Japanese meteor sightings, comets, and mega-tsunamis in Australia. This paper critically reviews the lines of evidence used, and finds no evidence, either Maori or geological, for a 15th century meteor impact in New Zealand. In the book, all Maori place-names have been incorrectly translated, the radiocarbon chronology is incorrect, and there is no consideration of the numerous potential tsunami sources that were active in New Zealand in the 15th century.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available