A book charting the history of Māori from ancient origins to the 21st century has won the prestigious Royal Society of New Zealand Science Book Price.

Photo: Supplied

The prize is awarded every two years, and this year was awarded to "Tangata Whenua: an Illustrated History", by Atholl Anderson, Aroha Harris, and the late Dame Judith Binney.

The judges said the book was a dazzling work of scholarship that brought together physical sciences, social sciences and the humanities.

The authors were awarded a prize of $5,000, which was presented at the Auckland Writers Festival tonight.