A pā is a defensive site that Maori people built to protect themselves. This shows that the people who lived there fought against their neighbors, so the pā inhabitants needed to build a system to stay safe. Challenges also came from harsh weather at this location. This pā ended up becoming an abandoned site because the weather was so terrible.
Since the Maori people came from East Polynesia, they didn't use pits in their former island homes. However, after coming to New Zealand, these people needed food that would last them through the winter months when most crops won't grow. There were eight kumara pits on this site. The pit was an underground storage system -- an invention the Maori developed in order to adapt to the harsh New Zealand climate.
