Within Curious New Zealand
The Colossal Squid, Tamil Bell and Te Papa's Greatest Mysteries
Te Papa pairs spectacular objects with careful research, separating genuine mysteries from unsupported speculation.
On this page
- The colossal squid specimen
- The Tamil bell debate
- Science versus speculation
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Introduction
Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand’s national museum in Wellington, is home to some of the country’s most extraordinary scientific and archaeological objects. What makes these treasures especially compelling is not that they encourage sensational stories, but that they demonstrate how careful research can illuminate genuine mysteries while separating evidence from speculation. The museum combines world-class conservation, scientific investigation and public interpretation, allowing visitors to encounter remarkable artefacts whose significance lies as much in what is known as in what remains uncertain.
Among the museum’s standout exhibits are the only colossal squid permanently displayed anywhere in the world and the famous Tamil Bell, an archaeological puzzle whose journey to New Zealand has fascinated historians for more than a century. Together they illustrate Te Papa’s distinctive approach: curiosity is welcomed, but conclusions must follow the evidence rather than wishful thinking.[Te Papa]tepapa.govt.nzTe Papa The Colossal Squid | Te PapaTe Papa The Colossal Squid | Te Papa
The colossal squid specimen
The colossal squid is one of Te Papa’s greatest scientific treasures because it represents an exceptionally rare opportunity to study an animal that normally lives thousands of metres beneath the Southern Ocean. Before complete specimens became available in the early twenty-first century, scientists knew the species largely from fragments recovered from sperm whale stomachs or damaged remains caught in fishing gear.[Te Papa]tepapa.govt.nzTe Papa Colossal squid at Te Papa | Te PapaTe Papa Colossal squid at Te Papa | Te Papa
The specimen now on display was accidentally caught in the Ross Sea in 2007 after attacking an Antarctic toothfish on a longline. Recognising its scientific value, the fishing crew preserved it rather than discarding it. At roughly 495 kilograms when recovered, it became the largest complete colossal squid ever collected and remains the only whole specimen permanently on public display anywhere in the world.[Te Papa]tepapa.govt.nzTe Papa Colossal squid at Te Papa | Te PapaTe Papa Colossal squid at Te Papa | Te Papa
What visitors see is the result of years of conservation rather than simply placing an animal into a tank. The frozen specimen had to be thawed slowly in a specially constructed saltwater tank before researchers could examine it. Formalin was initially used to preserve the tissues, after which the squid was transferred into propylene glycol for safe public display. Throughout the process, conservators carefully monitored acidity and tissue condition to protect delicate structures such as the beak and rotating hooks.[Te Papa]tepapa.govt.nzTe Papa Thawing, preserving, and displaying a colossal squid | Te PapaTe Papa Thawing, preserving, and displaying a colossal squid | Te Papa
Scientific examination also overturned several assumptions. Early media reports suggested the squid might be eight to ten metres long, but careful measurement after thawing showed a total length of about 4.2 metres. The discrepancy highlighted how soft-bodied animals can shrink after death and preservation, demonstrating why direct scientific measurement is more reliable than estimates based on damaged specimens or photographs.[Te Papa]tepapa.govt.nzTe Papa How big is the colossal squid on display? | Te PapaTe Papa How big is the colossal squid on display? | Te Papa
The specimen has continued to generate research. Te Papa’s collection now includes three complete colossal squid, allowing specialists to compare anatomy across different life stages. Studies of the animals have improved understanding of their distinctive rotating tentacle hooks, enormous eyes, feeding biology and growth, while also revealing how much remains unknown about a predator that spends its life in one of Earth’s least accessible environments.[Te Papa]tepapa.govt.nzTe Papa Colossal squid at Te Papa | Te PapaTe Papa Colossal squid at Te Papa | Te Papa
The Tamil bell debate
If the colossal squid represents science answering questions, the Tamil Bell represents archaeology confronting an enduring mystery.
The bronze bell entered the historical record after missionary William Colenso acquired it in Northland during the early 1840s. According to accounts recorded at the time, Māori were using it as a cooking vessel and believed it had already been in local possession for several generations after being uncovered beneath the roots of a storm-felled tree. Colenso later bequeathed the bell to the Colonial Museum, the institution that eventually became Te Papa.[Te Papa Collections]collections.tepapa.govt.nzTe Papa Collections Ship's BellTe Papa Collections Ship's Bell
The bell bears a Tamil inscription referring to the bell of a ship associated with the name “Mohideen Bakhsh” (or similar spellings). Earlier scholars believed the object might date from around the fifteenth century, encouraging speculation that it proved medieval contact between South India and New Zealand. More recent palaeographic analysis by specialists in Tamil inscriptions, however, suggests a later seventeenth- or eighteenth-century date based on the form of the script.[Te Papa Collections]collections.tepapa.govt.nzTe Papa Collections Ship's BellTe Papa Collections Ship's Bell
That revised dating changes the historical discussion considerably. Rather than pointing towards an undocumented medieval voyage, the bell is now generally understood as an object from the period of extensive Indian Ocean and Southeast Asian maritime trade. Muslim merchant communities along India’s Coromandel Coast commonly used names such as Mohideen Bakhsh for ships, making it plausible that the bell originated aboard a trading vessel operating within established commercial networks.[Te Papa Collections]collections.tepapa.govt.nzTe Papa Collections Ship's BellTe Papa Collections Ship's Bell
Yet the central mystery remains unsolved. No documentary evidence has been found linking a specific ship carrying the bell to New Zealand, nor has archaeology uncovered supporting evidence for direct Tamil settlement or regular trade with Māori before European arrival. The bell therefore remains an authentic archaeological puzzle rather than proof of any single historical theory. Te Papa presents it as precisely that: a genuine mystery with firm evidence about the object itself but incomplete evidence about its journey.[Te Papa Collections]collections.tepapa.govt.nzTe Papa Collections Ship's BellTe Papa Collections Ship's Bell
Science versus speculation
The contrast between these two famous objects explains why Te Papa occupies such an important place in New Zealand’s landscape of unusual collections.
The colossal squid often looks like something from maritime legend, yet every aspect of its interpretation is grounded in documented collection, anatomical study and conservation science. Visitors encounter a creature once surrounded by myth, but now understood through observation and research rather than folklore.[Te Papa]tepapa.govt.nzTe Papa Colossal squid | Te PapaTe Papa Colossal squid | Te Papa
The Tamil Bell demonstrates the opposite challenge. Here the physical object is unquestionably genuine, but its wider historical story cannot yet be reconstructed with certainty. Instead of filling the gaps with dramatic claims about lost civilisations or forgotten trans-oceanic empires, Te Papa continually updates its interpretation as new linguistic, archival and archaeological research becomes available. The museum openly distinguishes established facts from plausible hypotheses and from unsupported speculation.[Te Papa Collections]collections.tepapa.govt.nzTe Papa Collections Ship's BellTe Papa Collections Ship's Bell
This evidence-led approach is central to the museum’s wider philosophy. Te Papa’s predecessor, the Colonial Museum founded in 1865, combined scientific collections with historical curiosities, but the modern institution increasingly emphasises provenance research, transparent interpretation and collaboration with specialist scholars and source communities. Extraordinary objects are presented not because they are mysterious, but because careful investigation makes them even more fascinating.[Te Papa]tepapa.govt.nzTe Papa Our history | Te PapaTe Papa Our history | Te Papa
Why these treasures matter
For visitors interested in New Zealand’s stranger heritage, Te Papa offers something unusual among museums of curiosities. Rather than encouraging belief in unexplained phenomena, it demonstrates how remarkable objects can be appreciated without abandoning critical thinking.
The colossal squid reveals how modern science can transform a creature once associated with sea-monster legends into one of the world’s best-documented deep-sea specimens. The Tamil Bell shows that archaeology sometimes produces questions that remain genuinely unresolved, and that admitting uncertainty is often the most intellectually honest conclusion.
Together these two treasures capture the character of Te Papa itself: a museum where astonishing objects are not diminished by evidence, but made richer through it.
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Endnotes
1.
Source: tepapa.govt.nz
Title: Te Papa The Colossal Squid | Te Papa
Link:https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/visit/exhibitions/colossal-squid
2.
Source: tepapa.govt.nz
Title: Te Papa Our history | Te Papa
Link:https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/about/what-we-do/our-history
3.
Source: tepapa.govt.nz
Title: Te Papa Colossal squid at Te Papa | Te Papa
Link:https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/digital-museum/explore-digital-museum/colossal-squid/colossal-squid-te-papa
4.
Source: tepapa.govt.nz
Title: Te Papa The anatomy of the colossal squid | Te Papa
Link:https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/digital-museum/explore-digital-museum/colossal-squid/anatomy-colossal-squid
5.
Source: tepapa.govt.nz
Title: Te Papa Thawing, preserving, and displaying a colossal squid | Te Papa
Link:https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/digital-museum/explore-digital-museum/colossal-squid/colossal-squid-te-papa/thawing-preserving-and
6.
Source: tepapa.govt.nz
Title: Te Papa How big is the colossal squid on display? | Te Papa
Link:https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/digital-museum/explore-digital-museum/colossal-squid/colossal-squid-te-papa/how-big-colossal-squid-on
7.
Source: blog.tepapa.govt.nz
Title: Te Papa’s Blog Colossal Squid: What did we find? | Te Papa’s Blog
Link:https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2014/09/18/colossal-squid-what-did-we-find/
8.
Source: collections.tepapa.govt.nz
Title: Te Papa Collections Ship’s Bell
Link:https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/213397
9.
Source: teara.govt.nz
Link:https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/1135/the-tamil-bell
10.
Source: tepapa.govt.nz
Title: Te Papa Colossal squid | Te Papa
Link:https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/digital-museum/explore-digital-museum/colossal-squid
11.
Source: blog.tepapa.govt.nz
Link:https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2026/03/19/coloniality-is-ever-present-recovering-provenance-in-the-taonga-maori-collection-at-te-papa-tongarewa/
Source snippet
is ever-present: Recovering provenance in the taonga Māori collection at Te Papa Tongarewa | Te Papa’s BlogMarch 19, 2026 — COLONIALITY I...
Published: March 19, 2026
12.
Source: blog.tepapa.govt.nz
Link:https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2025/08/22/uncovering-taonga-stories-using-science-to-reconnect-taonga-with-their-histories/
13.
Source: blog.tepapa.govt.nz
Title: tepapa.govt.nz Colossal Squid #2: Update | Te Papa’s Blog
Link:https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2015/07/23/colossal-squid-2-update/
14.
Source: blog.tepapa.govt.nz
Title: tepapa.govt.nz Colossal Squid: Your questions answered | Te Papa’s Blog
Link:https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2014/09/22/colossal-squid-your-questions-answered/
15.
Source: blog.tepapa.govt.nz
Title: tepapa.govt.nz Colossal Squid – live! | Te Papa’s Blog
Link:https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2014/09/05/colossal-squid-live/
16.
Source: blog.tepapa.govt.nz
Title: tepapa.govt.nz Colossal squid on display gets check-up | Te Papa’s Blog
Link:https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2011/02/14/colossal-squid-on-display-gets-check-up/
17.
Source: teara.govt.nz
Link:https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/1135/the-tamil-bell
18.
Source: blog.tepapa.govt.nz
Title: tepapa.govt.nz Colossal squid preparations | Te Papa’s Blog
Link:https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2008/04/21/colossal-squid-preparations/
19.
Source: tepapa.govt.nz
Link:https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/learn/for-educators/whanau-challenges/tell-us-story-how-did-colossal-squid-get-te-papa
20.
Source: guide.tepapa.govt.nz
Link:https://guide.tepapa.govt.nz/exhibitions/squid/
21.
Source: tepapa.govt.nz
Title: te papa celebrates colossal squid s 100th birthday
Link:https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/te-papa-celebrates-colossal-squid-s-100th-birthday
22.
Source: collections.tepapa.govt.nz
Link:https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/topic/588
23.
Source: collections.tepapa.govt.nz
Link:https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/category/536
24.
Source: collections.tepapa.govt.nz
Link:https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/238056
25.
Source: collections.tepapa.govt.nz
Link:https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/247983
26.
Source: tnarch.gov.in
Link:https://www.tnarch.gov.in/tamil-brahmi-script
27.
Source: tepapa-govt.getanchor.io
Link:https://tepapa-govt.getanchor.io/about/touring-exhibitions/colossal-squid-freaky-features.html
Additional References
28.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbgmsStBkzY
Source snippet
The $600 Dinosaur Tail That Proved Warm-Blooded Dinosaurs...
29.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Illicit Fossils: The Ethical Dilemma in Protecting the World’s Natural History
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnssaLktiXw
Source snippet
A tale of two papers: ethics of Burmese amber...
30.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Episode 135: Burmese Amber Pt2
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABC736Ron80
Source snippet
Illicit Fossils: The Ethical Dilemma in Protecting the World's Natural History...
31.
Source: nmma.nic.in
Link:https://nmma.nic.in/nmma/antiqDetail.do?mat=18&refId=1372900
32.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The $600 Dinosaur Tail That Proved Warm-Blooded Dinosaurs
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr1mnTX3DP8
Source snippet
Episode 135: Burmese Amber Pt2...
33.
Source: youtube.com
Title: A tale of two papers: ethics of Burmese amber
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LxHpvgflBw
Source snippet
You stopped this response...
34.
Source: tnarch.gov.in
Link:https://www.tnarch.gov.in/