Setting: South of Opihi River, on the edge of river terrace beside Orakipaoa Creek. Archaeological Features: Te Waiateruati Pa is an early musket pa. There are earthwork defences (ditches and banks) on all four sides and the site is divided into two by an interior bank. There are pits in the interior near the banks which may be part of the defences. Supporting evidence: Historical and traditional evidence indicates that the site was occupied in the 1830s and 1840s and was abandoned soon after l848. The site was probably fortified in the early 1830s in response to Te Rauparaha’s capture of Kaiapoi and Onawe. In the 1840s the site was the major settlement in South Canterbury (Anderson 1980). It was visited by numbers of travellers including Shortland, Selwyn and Montell. There are a number of descriptions of the settlement, sketches, and census records. Assessment: Historically Te Waiateruati Pa is the most important settlement in South Canterbury in the 1830s and 1840s; a critical period when settlement and economy were responding to changed conditions created by the introduction of new crops and technology. There is considerable potential for the study of historical and archaeological evidence in conjunction and this is a key site, for study of the protohistoric period in South Canterbury.