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Ancient DNA points to Maori feather trade

Nature (2011)Cite this article

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Kiwi DNA preserved in Maori cloaks reveals the origins and history of the revered textiles.

When New Zealand's Maori tribes went into battle, combatants enveloped in kiwi feather cloaks were spared from harm by their foes. The laboriously crafted cloaks, known as Kahu kiwi, were so revered that some were given names — one, called Karamaene, was traded with the Auckland Museum in exchange for a giant wooden war canoe.

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References

  1. Hartnup, K. et al. Mol. Biol. Evol. doi:10.1093/molbev/msr107 (2011).

  2. Shepherd, L. D. & Lambert, D. M. Mol. Ecol. 17, 2174-2184 (2008).

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  1. Ewen Callaway
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Callaway, E. Ancient DNA points to Maori feather trade. Nature (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2011.309

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2011.309

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