As the Waihou river wends its way across the Hauraki Plains to the Firth of Thames it passes through an immensely rich archaeological landscape. This land was the birthplace of many of New Zealand models of Maori culture history, ideas that now date back 40 years and that have scarcely been questioned since. This work is an investigation of the Hauraki Plains that sheds light on the fundamental assumptions of New Zealand archaeology. Using a "landscape" approach it draws together Maori oral history, European accounts, environmental reconstruction and archaeological excavation and analysis to build up a picture of Maori social and cultural change over 400 years. While the focus of the study is a particular geographical location, its comprehensive treatment makes it a radical and refreshing approach of interest to a variety of readers.