The fourteen Maori taonga stolen from a house near Hastings last week have been returned safely to Te Papa National Museum in Wellington.
The artefacts, which are registered with Te Papa National Museum in Wellington as taonga, were in the care of a local resident in Pakipaki.
A ceremonial adze stolen from a house on Friday in Pakipaki. Photo: SUPPLIED
The house in the small rural settlement of Pakipaki was burgled last Friday.
One of the stolen pounamu mere Photo: SUPPLIED
The artefacts, which are registered with Te Papa in Wellington as taonga, were in the care of a local resident.
They include a number of pounamu mere, a whale bone patu and a ceremonial adze with a pounamu blade.
A police spokesperson said they were handed in to Te Papa this morning undamaged.
The identities of those who returned the items has not yet been released.
Kris McGehan said the theft of the items, which dated back to the 1800s, had been devastating for not only the person looking after them, but the whole community.
She said everyone is now very happy and relieved the taonga have been returned.
Ms McGehan said police are continuing their investigation into the theft and it was still not known who took the items.