thumb|450px|Terraces on Maungawhau / Mount Eden, marking the sites of the defensive palisades and ditches of this former pā
Article
12 sectionsContents
- Description
- Traditional designs
- Artefacts
- Storage
- Fortification
- Gunfighter pā
- Swamp pā
- Examples
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|450px|Terraces on Maungawhau / Mount Eden, marking the sites of the defensive palisades and ditches of this former pā
The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive terraces – and also to fortified villages. Pā sites occur mainly in the North Island of New Zealand, north of Lake Taupō. Over 5,000 sites have been located, photographed and examined, although few have been subject to detailed analysis. Variations similar to pā occur throughout central Polynesia, in the islands of Fiji, Tonga and the Marquesas Islands.