We want our work to be relevant to the communities we serve. To make sure this is the case, we’re running workshops with archaeologists and heritage experts in late 2024. We’re also going to get input from Ōtautahi Christchurch residents via social media (this one’s a bit of a test - we’ll see how things go…). We’re fortunate that Katie Pickles, author of Christchurch Ruptures, has agreed to work with us on this project.

We want to find out what people want to know about Ōtautahi's archaeology and history. We also want to know how we can help people do their work better, by using our data to test and explore the archaeological methods used. Based on the feedback we get, we’ll develop a list of research questions.

These questions will help shape and focus our work, be it research or outreach. Once the workshops are complete, we’ll publish the questions here on the website. We'll also send them to relevant universities, so that students can work on these topics.

We’re excited to begin this process, and to learn what other people want to know about Ōtautahi’s past!

Images: Chris Hoopman Photography.