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What tools did the Maori use?

The Maori, a Polynesian people indigenous to New Zealand, developed a wide range of tools and technologies using the materials available to them. Here are some of the most significant tools they used:

Tools for Gathering and Hunting:

* Ko (adze): A heavy, chisel-like tool used for woodworking, carving, and shaping wood for canoes, houses, and weapons.

* Tiki (adze): A smaller, more delicate adze used for carving fine details.

* Hei-tiki (pendants): Carved from bone, wood, or nephrite jade, these pendants were often used as ornaments but could also be used as tools for fishing or digging.

* Pate (fish hook): Made from bone, wood, or shell, these hooks were used for catching fish.

* Tao (spear): Made from wood, bone, or stone, spears were used for hunting birds and fish, as well as for warfare.

* Meri (club): A heavy club made from wood or bone, used for warfare and hunting.

* Hiri (net): Made from flax fibers, these nets were used for catching birds and fish.

* Kakahi (shell): Used as containers, tools, and even as currency.

Tools for Farming and Horticulture:

* Hoe (digging stick): A pointed stick used for digging in the soil, planting crops, and weeding.

* Kuru (cultivator): A tool with a wooden handle and a pointed stone or bone blade, used for cultivating the soil.

* Haka (flax beater): Used to process flax fibers for making rope, clothing, and other items.

* Rata (flax strippers): Used to strip the leaves from flax plants for processing.

Tools for Building and Construction:

* Pouwhenua (corner post): Used as structural support for houses and other buildings.

* Tatau (carving): A form of decorative art used to embellish houses, canoes, and other objects.

* Waka (canoe): Made from carved logs, these canoes were used for transportation, fishing, and warfare.

* Paua (abalone shell): Used for decoration, tools, and weapons.

Tools for Arts and Crafts:

* Toki (chisel): A smaller, more delicate tool used for carving intricate details into wood.

* Kapa (flax cloth): Made from woven flax fibers, kapa was used for clothing, bedding, and other items.

* Koau (bone needle): Used for sewing flax cloth.

* Hei-matau (fish hook pendant): A type of hei-tiki, often used as ornaments but also as tools for fishing.

This is just a brief overview of some of the tools used by the Maori. They were skilled artisans and engineers, and their tools were not only functional but often beautiful and symbolic.

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