A short program of practical research was designed to test the survival properties of a select few common foodstuffs relevant to the study of prehistoric Maori diet. Food items were consumed with a faecal marker, and relevant stools collected and treated with trisodium phosphate solution (0.4% w/v). Flotation was used to isolate the pertinent specimens which were identified microscopically. The results of this research are limited, but they demonstrate the potential value of further work in thisfield. -- AATA