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Why were Maori storehouses raised on carved posts?

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dilly bag; Aboriginal Australian art, Northern Territory, Australia — Oceanic art and architecture An Aboriginal Australian decorating a tightly woven dilly bag with white, yellow, and ochre (red) paints, Northern Territory, Australia, 1948.

Maori food storehouses were elevated on posts primarily as a precaution against vermin. These posts were often carved in human shapes, reflecting the cultural significance of Maori sculpture and architecture.1