Pipi shells and fishbones have been found under the path of the Pilot Bay boardwalk, only days after construction started on the project.

Archaeologists have been on site since yesterday examing the area and Historic Places Trust has been advised.

'They have come across a couple of shell middens. They are fairly standard and there's nothing significant so far that they have found,” says Tauranga City Council city park rangers team leader Warren Aitken.

'They are just exploring at the moment and I wouldn't expect that it would delay things too much.”

The boardwalk excavation is only going down about 150mm to remove topsoil, says Warren.

'We will continue on Monday, just carry on past those sites, leave them for the time being while the archaeologists have a look at it.”

The construction is about half way across the fenced area. The contractors will come back next week and backfill and re-sow the grass.

'The new fence for the next section will go up early next week and they will start the excavation for that next week as well just to keep up with the construction.”

Witnesses say the archaeologists uncovered fish bones, hangi stones and obsidian flakes.

The age of the items is unknown, but that may be known next week. The area is said to have been occupied by Maori about 700 years ago.