The Pre-Modern Māori Economy

Abstract Raymond Firth (1929) published The Economics of the New Zealand Maori, foundational to Economic Anthropology. Surprisingly, no book-length overview has been written since that takes advantage of a century of information from archaeology, Māori history, and contemporary theoretical perspectives. This Element examines profound changes in Māori society over seven centuries from initial colonization through to the early colonial period. This is critical for understanding a mixed economy reliant on hunting, fishing, gathering, and limited horticulture where issues of storage and defense of land were vital. Given the relatively recent first European contact and the vitality of Māori culture and history, a wealth of documentary information about traditional economic practices are available, a situation rare for traditional societies. It focuses on both the household and political economies, as well as exchange and specialization. The Element provides an exceptionally well-documented example of the interplay of economy, warfare, and incipient political centralization.