Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation Volume 4 Article 1 Issue 3 Rapa Nui Journal 4#3, Fall 1990

1990 Rapa Nui Journal 4#3, Fall 1990

Follow this and additional works at: https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj Part of the History of the Pacific slI ands Commons, and the Pacific slI ands Languages and Societies Commons

Recommended Citation (1990) "Rapa Nui Journal 4#3, Fall 1990," Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation: Vol. 4 : Iss. 3 , Article 1. Available at: https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol4/iss3/1

This Research Report is brought to you for free and open access by the University of Hawai`i Press at Kahualike. It has been accepted for inclusion in Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation by an authorized editor of Kahualike. For more information, please contact [email protected]. the premier source for current Easter Island events andet scientifical.: Rapa Nuistudies Journal... 4#3, Fall 1990

I Vo14,No3 Fall1990 I

Some. Details of the Journal of The Poike Ditch in Retrospect Jacob Roggeveen By Carlyle S. Smith, Ph.D. Herbert von Saher, he nature, origin and function of the Poike Ditch has often Bloemendaal, the Netherlands received at least passing reference in the now voluminous T published comments on Easter Island. First, I do not intend very reader ofRNi probably knows that Jacob Roggeveen to get into the controversy over the legend, or myth, assigning it a discovered Easter Island on Easter Day in April 1722, but role in a conflictbetween two groups ofpeopleknown as the Hanau Efew readers know more from thejournal ofRoggeveen. The Eepe and the Hanau Momoko. My primary concern is whether or editors ofRNi have asked me to write about some of the journal's not the hand of man was involved in its form and function. details that may be ofinterest to the student ofRapa Nui. I will give Routledge (1919:281, footnote) concludes thattheditch was the attention to three aspects of the journey: 1) Why it was an ex­ result of geological faulting, but attributes the mounds on the traordinary journey; 2) What happened during the days that eastern edge to possible use as fortifications. The geologist Chubb Roggeveen's fle~t was near Easter Island; and 3) How the whole (1933:33) must have viewed the entire feature from afar in 1925 expedition ended in disaster.' because he terms it a "gully" and the reader is forced to assume that The expedition was extraordinary in two ways. In November of it is located at the base of an eroded cliff instead of at the top. 1520, Magellan, a Portuguese in Spanish service, flfst entered the Metraux (1940:72) and Lwachery (1933:346-347) pass it offas a Pacific through the strait that still bears his name. Between that natural feature in the terrain. This is typical of Metraux who also moment and roughly 1650, most of the oceans of the world were displayed his myopic view ofany alteration ofterrain by man in his visited and mapped. After 1650, few great discovery-trips were inability to see terraces on the hill known as Maunga Auhepa at made. Why did Roggeveen leave 71 years later in 1721? lL was Anakena (Metraux 1940:96; Smith 1961:277). Jacob Roggeveen's father, Arend Roggeveen (a wine merchant In 1955, as a member of the Norwegian Archaeological Expe­ with a hobby for geography and astronomy) who, in 1671, together dition, I conferred with my colleagues Ferdon, Mulloy, and with other merchants from Zeeland, made a plan to navigate the Skj!1llsvold concerning mutual agreements on the excavation of Pacific and, more specifically, to discover "Southland." Southland sites based on our peculiar backgrounds and interests. They agreed was supposed to be a continent lying east ofNew Zealand, perhaps that I should investigate Poike Ditch because I had an academic ofthe size ofAustralia and in one ofthe few areas ofthe Pacific not background in geology and had previously excavated eight "ditch yet mapped. In 1675 this plan was presented to the States General and bank" features at archaeological sites in Coastal New York and of the Netherlands along with a request for a Charter. In 1676 this the Great Plains of North America. Charter was granted, but Arend Roggeveen and his friends were To introduce the subject, let me quote from my published report unable to finance the expedition and it did not take place. Arend on my work at the ditch (Smith 1961 b:385): "An undulating plain Roggeveen died in 1679. thickly strewn with masses of black lava and smaller fragments Continued on page 34... Continued on page 36...

In the mound pictured on the left, the symbol for lava stands for irregular fragments scattered over pre-existing surfaces. These fragments were brought up from the ditch on the right as it was periodically deepened.

~ Sandy yellow-brown soil y IlI!IJlI Red decomposed lava El Yellow soil ~ Compact brown soil • Black soil & charcoal POIKE DITCH B Charcoal ~ Mixed yellow, red & brown soil Detail of profile X-V ~ Obsidian Mixed yellow & brown soil Chip----I~ o Loose brown soil o 2 3 M ~ Red & yellow soil with lava fragments I I I ~ Lava o 10FT

Vol4,N03 • Page33 •

Published by Kahualike, 1990 1 Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation, Vol. 4 [1990], Iss. 3, Art. 1 Roggeveen continued...

His son, Jacob, was born in 1659. He attended the Latin School 6 April 1722• The fleetcruisedalong the leesideofthe island;as and later went to the Academy ofSaumur in France (the Protestant an easterly wind was reported, this must have been along the west University). Hegotadoctor'sdegree in law. Applying for ajob with coast. They saw smoke and concluded that it must be inhabited. A the East India Company (V.O.C.), he was accepted and in 1706 he ship'scouncil was held in which itwas decided to goashorein order voyaged to Java as a passenger. In Batavia he became Council of to obtain fresh vegetables and fruit, "showing all friendliness to the Justice. He married there buthis wife diedbefore his return in 1715. inhabitants." It was after his return that his father's plan to discover Southland 7 April 1722 • The weather turned bad with thunder, lightning, was revived by him. He applied to the West Indies Company and heavy showers; the landing was postponed. But an Easter (W.I.e.) which had the charter for the Pacific; they put three ships Islander came in a canoe to the Thienhoven and Captain Bouman at his disposal for the discovery voyage. He left on 16 June 1721, brought this man to the Arend. Roggeveen, who sometimes shows 46 years after his father's fIrst request was presented. a wonderful irony, describes this man as follows: "an Easter From the foregoing, it can be concluded that this voyage was a Islander, who was entirely naked, without the slightest cover in delayed exercise and that Jacob Roggeveen was quite different front ofwhat modesty prevents to indicate more clearly." This man from the buccaneering type ofearly explorer for he was not only an was greatly surprised to see this big ship with its high masts; he intellectual, but when he left he was 62 years old, an age at which wanted to touch everything. He got the fright of his life when they most early explorers were long dead orat least retired and sitting on held a mirrorin front ofhim. Hereturned quite satisfied with sissors, their pieces of eight. the mirror and other small presents that he received. For the end of the story it should also be known that the States The fleet came nearer to the coast and Roggeveen doubted that General of the Netherlands had chartered two companies to trade this island could be the "sandy, low island" that William Dampier overseas and represent them: the "Vereenigde Oost-Indische had described in his earlier journal at about this position. What Compagnie" (V.O.C.) for the Eastern Hemisphere and the "West­ looked from a distance as sand appeared to be dried grass, hay or Indische Compagnie" (W.I.C.) for the Western Hemisphere. The burnt growth giving an uncommonly meager impression. This borderline of their territories at the other side ofthe world was the means that already in 1722 Easter Island looked as it does today. island of New Guinea. The V.O.e. was the first limited liability 8 April 1722 • After breakfast, two sloops rowed to the coast. company on the basisofshares in the world; it was for two centuries They had instructions not to go on land if the number of"Indians" the biggest company in the world and also the first multinational was too large. This requires an explanation, also in relation to the with establishments in South Africa, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, India, fact that somebooks on EasterIsland suggest that the trigger-happy Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Phillipines, China and Dutch fired atrandom at the population after some hats were stolen, Japan. Itwas tremendously powerful and itshowed. TheW.I.e. was starting that awful sequence of visitors that only brought murder never very successful and was more ofan "underdog." and harm to Rapa Nui. On board their ships with the tremendous firepoweroftheircannons, the sailors werepractically invulnerable Easter Island to attack even by thousands ofnatives. But once they went on land, the situation became quite different: ifhand to hand fIghting broke Roggeveen was instructed by the W.I.C. to proceed with due out, a small band ofsailors would notbeableto maintain themselves speed to the south Pacific, following more or less the course oftwo against a very superior number of inhabitants. The possession of earlier Dutch explorers, Willem Comelisz Schouten and Jacob Le muskets, etc., does not help them anymore. This was always the Maire, and to discover Southland. On his way back he was-under great fear of the sailors who already had lost too many of their no circumstance-toenterEnglish ports or to inform anyone thathe companions from scurvy and could not face more loss oflife from carried a cargo from Southland. fighting. A certain minimum is needed to man a ship and if this Roggeveen was commander over three ships: the Arend minimum is no longer there, then no one can return. The sailors ("eagle"), Captain Jan Koster, with 110 men and 32 cannon; the always movedin closedsquares sothey should notbecomedispersed Thienhoven, Captain Comelis Bouman, with 80 men and 24 can­ and thus more vulnerable. non; and the Africaansche Galey, Captain RoelofRosendael, with The two returning sloops reported that on land the inhabitants 33 men and 14 cannon. were "very properly dressed" in materials ofdifferent colours and Roggeveen was quite different from the other early explorers: that they gave signs to come on land, which the sailors did not do. no unilateral decisions for him. Forevery important decision he met Some inhabitants were reported to be wearing silverplates on their with his three captains in the "ship's council:' and they pondered ears and mother-of-pearl shells around their necks for adornment. the alternatives together and then a decision was taken. These 9 April 1722 • Many canoes came out to the Dutch ships. It was decisions were put down in written notes that all four signed, and then that the obsession of the Easter Islanders with hats became these form an important part of the journal. clear, which Cook and La Perouse also commented on during their 5 April 1722 •A tortoise was seen, then floating vegetation, and visits about 50 years later. The Easter Islanders stole hats and caps then birds. In the lateafternoon theAfricaansche Galeysighted land. from the heads ofsailors and immediately jumped overboard with It was decided to stop and await the next day. As this was Easter them. Roggeveen saw that they were all excellent swimmers Day, Roggeveen decided to name the island Easter Island. There because many came swimming from land to the ships that were at was great joy on the ships as the crews hoped that this island was anchor aquarterofasea mile outfrom the coast. OneEasterIslander along the coast of Southland. Continued on follOWing page ...

Vol 4, No 3. Page 34 • https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol4/iss3/1 2 et al.: Rapa Nui Journal 4#3, Fall 1990 climbed from his canoe through the porthole of the Africaansche think of the "boulevards" of southern Nias, off the west coast of Galey and escaped with a tablecloth. One gets the impression that Sumatra). the sailors saw this with someamusementandthey certainly didnot Not much admiration was left for their canoes, however, which fIre at these "souvenir hunters." (That was done 50 years later by a were narrow planks sewn together. As they lacked pitch to fill the sailor ofCaptain Cook's fleet, who fIred at an islander after having seams, these canoes were very leaky so that the occupant had to beenrobbed ofhis hat.) Captain Bouman could notunderstand what spend half his time bailing. This clearly shows that in 1722, the use they had for worn brooms, pieces of firewood and other trash. scarcity of wood on the Island was already serious. 10 April 1722 • Finally three sloops went to the coast with 134 Roggeveen makes a few remarks on the feathers in the head­ armed men; 20 men stayed to protect the sloops. Remember that dresses of the Islanders, for it strikes him that he has seen so few Roggeveen had left Holland with 223 men; without counting loss birds on the island. He also commented on the body painting "in of life in the meantime, 134 men constituted 60%0 of their total regular proportions so that one side of the body is in conformity strength. Climbing over the cliffs on the shore, the men began with the other. ' marching inland when suddenly some shots were heard at the back The "King" of the Island had invited the group to visit the other ofthe group. The commanders in front had not given orders for this sideofthe island where agriculture waspractisedand the fruit trees and did not understand what had happened. Ten to twelve Easter grew. But a strong northerly wind started, making their anchorage Islanders were dead and more wounded. It appeared that one of the site on the northwest coast dangerous. Very few men were left on Islanders had tried to steal the gun of one of the sailors, while the ships, so it was decided not to prolong the stay on land. So they another tried to tear off a shirt and this started the skirmish in the returned before the wind became too strong. rear. After recovering from the shock, the headman ofthe Islanders H Aprill722•Strong winds andhigh seascausethe Thienhoven started negotiating with the Dutch and he gave orders to collect to break its anchor rope. chickens, sweet potatoes, sugar cane and bananas. These orders 12 April 1722 • Strong winds continue and anotheranchorrope were followed with due respect and curtesy. The Dutch paid snaps and now the ships are in real danger of being driven onto the "richly" in cloth that very much satisfied the Islanders. rocky coast. Roggeveen decides that this anchorage is too danger­ Roggeveen describes the Easter Island clothing as "rags": a sort ous so the fleet hoists sail and moves off. They do someobservation of thick reed, but he adds: "clean and hygienic." Apparently he did around Easter Island's shorelines and then move off to the west. not know of the beaten tree-bark used in place of textiles. It was This ends a week near Easter Island and only one day ashore. discovered that the "silver plates" worn on ears were, at short Roggeveen took his order to proceed to Southland "as quickly as distance, notsilver at all but the roots ofa plant"likeone would say possible" quite literally; he was not interested in anthropological in Holland of white coloured carrots" worn through the earlobes. research and many after him would also find that the island's rocky These "carrots" are up to two inches in diameter causing the coast with its strong changeable winds an unsafe place to lie at earlobes to extend. When the Islanders had to do jobswhere the long anchor. earlobes were a nuisance, they hung the opening over the top edge Captain Bouman questioned the man who was responsible for of the ear, which made the Dutch laugh. This detailed description the shooting and made it clear that he took this very ill ofhim. The makes itclear that in 1722 there were many "longears" on the island man defended himself saying that not only had the Islanders tried and either the war with the "short ears" (with only one long ear to steal his gun butthathe hadbeen threatened with stones. This was surviver) had not taken place or it never happened atall. Apartfrom not believed by witnesses who stated that in the great number of the laughter about the ears, the visitors admired the Islanders' Islanders present, all had shown greatfriendliness toward them, and proportioned muscularbodies, the lightcolouroftheskin (sometimes they considered him a "coward" who actedoutoffear and nervous­ painted dark blueby members ofthe higher classes), their beautiful ness. No punishment was reported. snow white teeth that were so strong they could crack nuts "as hard The Final Humiliation· The fleet of Roggeveen had turned as peachstones" with them, and their long black hair rolled into a west from Easter Island. They touched several other small islands plait on top of the head, "just like the Chinese in Batavia." As and in the Tuamotu archipelago they lost the Africaansche Galey, regards their religion, Roggeveen notes that there was little time to their smallest ship. They never found Southland. In the meantime, study this, buthe did see that the Islanders made fires in front ofvery a great part of the crew was suffering from the dreaded scurvy and high statues and they crouched on their heels, bringing their flat most ofthe food supply had seriously deteriorated. On 2 July 1722, hands together and moving them up and down. Roggeveen was first another ship's council was held and it was decided not to return the greatly surprised that a people devoid of heavy wood to make tools way they had come, against prevailing winds and currents, but to from and thick rope could transport these heavy statues. Later this continue west to theEastIndies, an easierway and onein which they surprise diminished when they found out (and here they are quite certainly would find fresh food supplies. They knew that this route wrong) that the statues were made of"clay or fat earth into which would lead them through V.O.c. territory but, as they had no small stones had been pushed." They could not understand at all intention to trade there, they assumed that they would not violate the how the Islanders could cook without pottery, pans or barrels until charter. This proved to be a disastrous mistake: as soon asRoggev­ they found out that it was done in holes in the ground with big stones een had passed the island ofNew Guinea (the border ofthe charter that werepreheated in fire. Hegivesa description ofthe houses with territory) he was sighted by the V.O.c. On 8 September 1722 the their wooden frames and low entrances and he is surprised by the V.O.C. representative on the island of Buru in the Moluccas ample (four feet wide) "terraces" around the houses made of big reported to his superior on Ambon that he had contact with Jan stones, flat and polished, and neatly put together (this makes one Koster, captain of the Arent. On 19 September this superior sent a Continued on page 45 ...

Vol4,No3 • Page35 •

Published by Kahualike, 1990 3 Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation, Vol. 4 [1990], Iss. 3, Art. 1 Poike Ditch continued...

Carlyle S. Smith arlyle Shreeve Smith, professor emeritus and curator emeritus of Anthropology, University of Kansas, was Chonored at the annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology in Tucson, Arizona, in January 1990, as the recipient of the J.C. Harrington Medal in Historical Archaeology (1989). Aside from his work on Easter Island, Smith is equally well-known for his research in the Great Plains, his contributions to the early developmentofhistorical archaeology, and his studies in the evolution and history of firearms (nearly a third ofhis publications areon topics dealing with the indentification of firearms). Smith's interest in fire­ arms led him to research and translation of documents on gunflint manufacture which he coupled with his field work at gunflint production sites in France and Italy. Noted for his use of the "direct historical approach," he relied heavily on eth­ nographic analogy. Since his retirement, he has devoted his time to research, writing and consultation. Rapanuiphiles will recognize Smith for his excavations and research on Easter Island (see The Archaeology ofEaster Is­ land, Reports ofthe Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island and the East Pacific. Vols. 1-2 [1961,1965]. Smith'sreports in Vol. 1include: A temporal sequencederived from certain Ahu; Twohabitation caves; TheMaungaAhuhepa house site; Tuu-ko-ihu village; The Poike ditch; and Radio carbon dates from EasterIsland. In Vol.2, Testexcavations and surveys of miscellaneous sites on the island of Rapa Iti; and Dr. Smith exploring Vai a Heva, 1955. The burial complex on the island of Rapa Iti.)

extends from Hotu-iti on the south coast, past the crater of Rano conclusions (Smith 1961:385-391, fig. 98, p. 66). Noconsideration Raraku, to the shores ofLa Perouse Bay on the north coast. To the of the dating of the ditch and the mound is made in this paper. east, atPoike, the field oflava gives way abruptly to a grassy slope Excavations atPoike Ditch were begun on December 9 and termi­ nearly devoid of stones." nated on December 16, 1955, by a group of local men under my The slope rises steeply until itreaches an elevation ofabout 100 direction. Six test pits were dug, three in one segment of the ditch m above the plain. At this level a line of some twenty to thirty and one in each of three other segments along a line about 300 m elongated depressions, each measuring about 100 m in length, long, starting near the southern end ofthe site. In each pit, the walls extends from north to south. The depressions range from barely were carefully straightened and smoothed, revealingbands ofblack perceptible swales to marked declivities offrom 1 to 3 m in depth. and red deposits composed of carbon underlain by burned earth. Each well-marked depression measures from 10 to 15 m in width, Test pit3 was extended east and west to form the trench which was and is separated by an interval of about 5 m from the next. the majorexcavation unit. Thecompleted trench measured 1.5 m in Immediately to the east is a parallel line ofelongated mounds about width, 29.5 m in length and ranged from 50 cm to 3.35 m in depth 1 m in height, from 5 to 10 m in width, and oflengths equal to the below the surface. bordering depressions. Thegapsbetween the mounds coincide with The nature of the fill of the ditch and the accumulation of the intervals between the depressions. excavated soil representing the mound are evident when the two Behind the mounds to the east the surface is level, but after a profiles are carefully examined and keyed into the symbols. (See shortdistance it begins to rise more and more steeply until it attains Figureon page 33.) Itis also evident that the ditch was dug between an elevation ofsome400 m at the rim ofthe craterofPuaKatiki, the two faces oflava. My interpretation is that oftheoriginal cliffon the volcano dominating Poike. western side of Poike split vertically as is typical of tropical To the archaeologically trained observer the site stands out in weathering. However the outer mass was held in placeby the steady sharp contrastwith natural features, and is readily identifiable as the accurnulation ofthe talus plus the deposition ofwater deposited soil work ofman. Here is a series ofexcavations with the spoil piles still from Poike. The digging of the ditch in prehistoric times was in evidence along one side. Deposition by water and wind erosion facilitated by the presence of soft soil between the two rock faces. has nearly filled the excavation and the process is continuing." It is apparent that the mound represents soil carried out ofthe ditch A summary ofmy work at the site follows along with some new and placed upon a pre-existing ground surface. Continued on {allowing page ...

Vol 4/ No 3. Page 36 • https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol4/iss3/1 4 Artifacts found consistedofstone slabs, some displayinget al.: Rapaaltera­ Nui JournalHeyerdahl, 4#3, Fall 1990T. and Ferdon, E. (eds.), 1961. Reports ofthe Norwe­ tion, a large pitted stone, three adzes, one piece ofobsidian worked gian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island and the East on one edge, and three putative sling stones. The "sling stones" Pacific. vol. I, Archaeology ofEaster Island. Monographs of were thought to have served some other use when I discussed their the School of American Research and the Museum of New nature with Y. H. Sinoto on a number of occasions. All the of the Mexico, No. 24 (1): Santa Fe. artifacts are now at the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural in Lavachery, H. 1933. Notes sur [' fie de Pfiques. Bulletin, Soc. des Santiago, Chile. Note that no mata' a were found. Americanistes de Belgique, Aout 1933:96-100. In my opinion the carbon underlain by burned earth is evidence Metraux, A. 1940. Ethnology ofEaster Island. B.P. Bishop Mu­ for more intensive burning than that resulting from grass fires. To seum Bulletin 160. Honolulu. account for the ditch and the artificial mounds there are three Routledge, K. 1919. The Mystery ofEaster Island, London. hypotheses to consider: Smith, C. 1961a. The Maunga Auhepa House Site (Report 8. 1. There must have been a great demand for food to feed the Heyerdahl and Ferdon 1961):277-288. workers at the Rano Raraku quarry. A deep ditch for plantings would have protected crops from the wind. Waterrunningdown the slope ofPoike could have been controlled at the intervals between the mounds. Burning stalks and leaves after harvest would account for the evidence of very hot fires in the ditch. 2. The ditch could have served as a series ofovens (umu) for the preparation offood to be eaten by workers atRano Raraku. Fires to heat the soil in pits would account for layers of burned earth and carbon. Further, the traditional name for the ditch is Ko te umu 0 te Hanau Eepe (the earth oven of the Hanau Eepe). 3. I now consider the function of the ditch and mounds as a fortification less likely even though the ditch could have served as a hinderance to defenders behind the mounds. That such a fortifi­ cation was discontinuous and could be outflanked at either end might not have been thought ofas any more disadvantageous than the Maginot Line was to the French before 1940. The most important proofofthe hand ofman at the Poike Ditch is the presence of the series of artificial mounds. Visitors to the island should go and see for themselves and notrely on the opinions ofgeologists, ethnologists, and archaeologists who have not dug a trench through one of them.

literature Cited ."'l Chubb,LJ. 1933. Geology ofGalapagos, Cocos, andEasterlsland.

B.P. Bishop Museum Bulletin 110, Honolulu. . :. Carlyle Smith directing excavation of Poike ditch, 1955.

SERNATUR to Invest A Look Backward... $54 Million Pesos Many stories are told about sheep rustling during the "old days" when the bulk of the island was turned into one vast sheep ranch. in Rapa Nui Improvements The propensity of the islanders for helping themselves to an impromptu lamb barbeque was a constant irritation to those who Project for recuperation of moais of Isla de Pascua managed the ranch. has top priority on list for the present year Stories are told of the prowess of islanders who could gallop SERNATUR, the National tourist office, has four big projects through a herd, grab a sheep on the run, skin it out and be off with slated for Rapa Nui: 1) to encourage small investors to consider the carcass in five minutes. From the numbers of sheep bones in tourist opportunities locally; 2) modernize the information service nooks and crannies around the island, this must have happened to tourists; 3) improve signs and labels directing tourists; and 4) to often. My favorite "sheep" story concerns the fisherman who was work on "the recuperation of these national monuments (the moai) arrested for having a sheep in his boat; his alibi was that he had, in that suffer. from the gradual and progressive deterioration to the reality, rescued it-for it was "swimming away from the island." extent that they could be lost if means of preservation are not Now that the sheep are gone from the island, I wonder ifa new adopted." The total investment will be $180,000 US. set offolklore will be forthcoming in regard to the cattle that have Forthefour projects they have budgeted$15 million, $4 million, replaced them. $25 million and $10 million pesos, respectively. A.M. Smith, Seattle

Vo14, No 3 • Page 37 •

Published by Kahualike, 1990 5 Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation, Vol. 4 [1990], Iss. 3, Art. 1

Historical Summary of "Merahi Metua No Tehamana" and the Writing of Easter Island by Francisco Mellen Blanco, Madrid, Spain

[InRNJ Vol. 2(4),1988-89. Emily Mulloy reported on rongorongo a colonist who lived in Tahiti, lent him a book titled Voyage aux symbols in a painting by Gauguin; this contribution by Mellen lies du Gran Ocean, which was written in 1835 by Mr. Moeren­ expands our knowledge ofthe symbols used in the painting.] hout when he was General Consul of the United States in the Oceanic Islands. ccording to some authors, The book describes the Maori worship and traditions together the title of this painting is with more narrations from the natives ofTahiti and maybe some A"Tehamana'sfarewell,"but Rapanui emigrants, that Gauguin included later on in his book Governor Bouge translated it as Noa-Noa and Ancien culte Mahorie. "Tehamana's ancestors" and other OnFebruary 18, 1895,during a Gauguinauction, no buyerpaid authors have referred to it as "The the 300Franks requested. The painting has belonged to Daniel de woman with a fan." Monfreid; Mme. Daniel de Monfreid; Mme. Huc de Monfreid; 1. It is a 75 x 35 cm oil painting, Seligman, Paris-New York; StephenC. Clark, New York; Collec­ painted in Tahiti in 1893. It repre­ tion McCormick, Chicago; and now it is in the Art Institute of sents a beautiful Polynesian girl, Chicago. probablyTehura,Gauguin's vahine from 1892 to 1893. This is how the References painter himselfcalls her in his book Noa-Noa. She is wearing a white Campbell, Ramon (1973): El misterioso mundo de Rapanui. and dark blue striped dress and is Edition Francisco deAguirre,Buenos Aires-Santiago deChile. holding a fan in her left hand; be­ Danielsson, BengtandMarieTheresa(1975): Les tablettes parlantes hind her are two slender figures like de Rapa Nui avaient inspire Paul Gauguin. La Depeche spirit shades and another frontward Magazine,6 September, pp.Iv-V, Tahiti. facing figure in a praying posesimi­ Gauguin, Paul (1951): Ancien culte Mahorie. Edicion facsimil, R. lar to the idols that Gauguin used to Hayghe, Paris. paintin someother pictures,such as Gauguin, Paul (1966): Noa-Noa. Edicion A. Ballant, Paris. "Parauhanohano" (1892), "Mahana Jaussen, Tepano: Ile de Paques ou Rapanui. Histoire et ecriture no atua" (1894), "D'ou venons­ (Ms. conserve dans les archives de la Congregation de RR.PP. The Crucifixion, nous...." (1897, "Te Pape Nave­ des sacres Coeurs aRoma). woodcut by Gauguin nave" (1989), etc. Above these fig­ Mellen, Francisco (1986): Manuscritos y documentos espaflOles ures on the top side of the painting, para la historia de la isla de Pascua. Bilblioteca CEHOPU, in twodifferentlines,are 11 signsof MOPU, Madrid. EasterIsland writing"kohau rongo-rongo." Thesignsdonothave Moerenhout, J.A. (1937): Voyages auxlies du Gran Ocean. Arthur the boustrophedon structure used on the Easter Island tablets; Bertrand, Paris. however, they were painted by Gauguin. Heprobably copied them Wildenstein, Georges (1964): Gauguin. L'Art Fran~aise,I (Cata­ from a publication which referred to Bishop Tepano Jaussen's log), Paris. tablets since most ofthe signs on the painting are also on the tablet "Tahua." This is one of the first tablets sent from Easter Island to the Bishop of Tahiti. We suppose that Gauguin chose those signs Pacific Science Congress, Honolulu 1991 which heconsidered more suitable for his picture, being unknown to him whether they were related or not. Dr Nancy Pollock is organizing a Session on Kava Gauguin also carved the enigmatical "kohau rongo-rongo" for the Pacific Science Congress. Individuals with an interest writing in the wood carving known as "The Crucifixion," made in in this subject and this Session, contact: Punaauiaaround 1897. Thesigns are on both sides ofthe crucified Christ, eight on each side in four different lines. Above the Christ Dr. Nancy Pollock are two negro-like figures and some geometrical figures on top. Department of Anthropology This carving belongs to Dr. Paressant's collection from Nantes (a Victoria University of Wellington, Private Bag copy can be seen at the Gauguin Museum in Tahiti). Wellington, New Zealand How did Gauguin know aboutthis writing? Afterinvestigating Gauguin's life in the Polynesian islands we know that Mr. Goupil,

Vol 4, No 3· Page 38 • https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol4/iss3/1 6 et al.: Rapa Nui Journal 4#3, Fall 1990 Two Backward Glances ------Dr. Steven R. Fischer A Case Study in International Other Rapanui soon flooded over the gunwales, who appeared equally keen to demonstrate their linguistic prowess to the strangely (Mis)Understanding on Old Rapanui clad European. Of course, Father BamabC, anything but a fool, was quick to ask them who it was had instructed them in these "words so t was in the Year ofOurLord 1864. Brother Eugene Eyraud ofthe lovely and so fme," anxious to leam ifBrotherEugene were still alive. Order of the Sacred Hearts had been outposted on Rapanui as the "Papaa, papaal" they loudly replied, which Father BamabC this I only European among hostile islanders back in January, to pros­ time correctly took to mean "foreigner, white man." elyte as besthe could. By August, his superiors andfriends in the Order, "And where is he, this papaa?" he asked nervously. well aware that those horrible rumors ofcannibalism on Rapanui were They pointed to a small hut over on the shore. Breathing a sigh of only too true, weregrowing understandably worried: Was their Brother relief, FatherBamabC concluded this mustmean BrotherEugenecould Eugene even alive? they were now asking in anxious letters between possibly still be this side of Paradise. But to make absolutely certain, Tahiti and Valparaiso, Chile. he then asked the Rapanui, in his fmest "Sandwichese" and doubtless To fmd this out, Father BamabC Castan, accompanied by Brother with no little trepidation: Hugues, left Valparaiso on the 25th ofAugust on the Chilean schooner "And do you have great affection for this papaa?" Teresa-Ramos, bound for the planet's most isolated island. "No!" Father BamabC had already spent some time in the "Sandwich It appears that the unrecorded Hawai'ian word Father Bamabe had Islands" (Hawai'i) missioning for the sameOrder ofthe Sacred Hearts, so unhappily chosen for 'to love well, to have great affection for' the Roman Catholic Church's principal missionary society. Perhaps actually meantin the considerablydifferentRapanui tongue"to kill ..." this explains why he now felt assured by the beiiefthathis knowledge Fortunately, the linguistic transgression was duly recognized and of "Sandwichese," as he called it, could help him discover "what had promptly remitted. Whereupon a "nearly naked" Brother Eugene become ofBrother Eugene," as he later penned in his detailed report to finally appeared, who, though not all that anxious to abandon his the Very Reverend Father Superior General in Paris (published in the Rapanui, reluctantly agreed to return to Valparaiso to assist those who Annales de la Propagation de la Foi [Lyon] 38 [1866], 139-145.) would be sent later to establish a permanent Catholic mission on the This assumption would lead, however, to a veritable comedy of island. errors. Little did Brother Eugene Eyraud realize at the time, however, that Sighting Rapanui on the 10th of October, the Teresa-Ramos at­ it would behe himself, with three others, who would establish this first tempted to put into Cook Bay, Hangaroa, early the next morning. But short-lived mission on Rapanui in 1866, and perish there ofpulmonary theeasterly blew too fiercely; three to four hours were soon wasted The tuberculosis together with most of his converts two years later, at the French standard had quickly been topmasted, however, soon to be age of 48. answered on the shore-now "covered with natives"-by a white flag, presumably to indicate where exactly to anchor and to announce a The Lost Journal of Adam Smith Pacific welcome. As the schooner approached, the "Kanacs," who were perched on hen the famous French writer Pierre Loti, then an Aspirant the cliffs, began crying out (as Father Bamabe gives it): First Class of the French Navy and still using exclusively "Holo mail Holo mail" W his real name ofJulian Viaud, visted Rapa Nui on La Flore "Youunderstand what they'resaying?" asked the captain, standing in 1872, he found the sole remaining resident European on the island alongside the priest. to be an old Dane by the name of Adam Smith (also Smitt), who had a "Perfectly," replied Father Barnabe, "it means 'Come! Come!' It's Rapanui wife and apparently had moved into one of the abandoned pure Sandwichese!" missionary houses at Hangaroa. Loti visited Smith's house one day Actually, the Rapanui were not shouting the Hawai'ian holo mai when Smith was out, and looking around inside the house he saw 'come, sail this way;' they were rather encouraging the schooner with (translating from the original French): Rapanui horou mai (=ka fwrou mai) 'comequickly, get a move on!'­ "A large register was open beforeme onone table; glancing at it out perhaps because of an imminent danger in this anything but safe of distraction, I read there several English sentences. anchorage. (The standard Rapanui greeting at this time was koho mai "It was the private journal of the Dane. He was writing in it every 'come, welcome.') day his impressions, his difficulties with the natives, all the circum­ WhereuponFatherBamabe, waving his handkerchief, gaily shouted stances of his singular life." Never again, in any of the subsequent back at them in the Hawai'ian language, "Holo mailHolo mail" which reports of this time from Rapa Nui, do we hear of this private journal was ofcourse understood by those on the shore as, "Geta move on! Get of Adam Smith. Beyond a doubt, the discovery of this journal, should amove on!" it still exist somewhere, would clarify many of the unclear historical As if in response to the priest's enthusiastic injunction, in no time at all a woman had swum out to the schooner and clambered on board, events ofthis period, and contribute tremendously to our knowledge of faced Father BamabC, made the sign ofthe cross, then recited the Pater late 19th century rapanui customs and behavior, especially as seen and noster, the Ave Maria, and the Credo in Tahitian, to his utter surprise. felt by a contemporary European who was perhaps the first in history "To encourage her," he recited in return the very same prayers in to have "gone Rapanui." If anyone has any further knowledge of the "Sandwichese": later whereabouts of Adam Smith's journal, would he please contact "Sheunderstoodmevery well, "heboastedfurther in his letterto the me at the address on page 43 of this issue of RNJ. It would be an Superior General. immeasureable loss ifthis valuable document had been destroyed after Adam Smith's death on Rapa Nui. ~

Vol 4, No 3 • Page 39 •

Published by Kahualike, 1990 7 Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation, Vol. 4 [1990], Iss. 3, Art. 1

Juggling Dates and Swivelling Statues: Paul Bahn's Objectivity By Arne Skjelsvold, Ph.D., Kon Tiki Museum

n his review of the first volume of The Kon-Tiki Museum a result which theoretically would link the two dates. AD 1630 is Occasional Papers [RNJ 4 (2), 1990] Paul G. Bahn is criticising almost 100 years earlier than the arrival of the fIrst Europeans, and I the lack ofobjectivity in the paperwritten by Gonzalo Figueroa atthis date wehave indications that statues werestill manufactured. and the undersigned. On this background it is interesting to note Instead of accepting this date without further ado (which one how his own subjectivity (infected by an antagonistic attitude mightgetthe impression thatBahn would have done) we submitted toward Thor Heyerdahl) has influenced his review. Already in the (for control dates) the two charcoal samples for accelerator dating headline and in the opening sentence he sets the tone: "Juggling using the AMS-technique. Both the new dates obtained were Dates and Swivelling Statues." "This glossy new publication from considerably older than the previous dates, and the older ofthe two Kon-Tiki Land..." and he continues: "The first paper attempts was considered the most reliable since the sample was taken from unsuccesfully to pull a date out of the ground for Tukuturiffuturi, a very hardpacked stratum sealed by a clearly defIned"floor" which Easter Island's answer to AI Jolson (possibly another clue there to seemed to guarantee its undisturbed condition. Asevidentfrom our contact with the New World??)." description of this layer the relationship with the carving of the Our excavation around the kneeling statue in Rano Raraku was statue seemed obvious. carried out in the hope of getting relevant organic material for a Exactdating in archaeology is very often problematic even with 14C-dating ofthe sculpture. We got 3 samples ofwhich 2 were too the use ofthe 14C-method, sincethere are so many sources oferror. small for traditional 14C-datings. Since Norway has no laboratory The dating of the statue in question makes no exception in this for accelerator datings using the AMS-technique, we started the respect. However the authors' attempt to date the sculpture was dating procedure with a traditional dating of a wooden stick since based on an objective and thorough evaluation of the 14C-datings there was a reasonable chance that this find was contemporary with which were at hand. Besides it is worth bearing in mind thatan early the carving ofthe statue. The result ofthe dating was 180±40 years dating of Tukuturi is supported by the findings of related statue B.P., with a calibrated age of1715±85 years (Masca), a date which fragments in the last decades. was quite unlikely since it would mean that the statue was carved As for the paper on the moving ofa statue in Tongariki, Bahn is around the arrival of the first Europeans. In order to eliminate requiring illustrations ofany wear patterns on the sculpture. In this possible errors, a control date of the same stick was performed, regard we have to disappoint him, since there was no such wear giving the slightly older date of 230±60 years B.P. The calibrated because the statue wasprotected with reed paddings putunderneath agewas AD 1605±155years (Masca). Thestandarddeviation taken the ropes. But we may assure Bahn that if our experiment had into account, these two dates might be considered contemporane­ caused damage to the statue, we would have reported it. ous. Concerning the first date the maximum agewould be AD 1630,

Easter Island and South Africa? W. Wilfried Schuhmacher

"Il is more imporlanllhal a proposilion be inleresling allheUniversity ofWitwatersrand, Johannesburg. While lecturing on man mat it be true. Butofcourse a true proposition is more Bantu and Hottentot cattle customs, he had extra time to deal with apl to be interesting lhan a false one." other ideas, as is seen in his article on a connection between Easter -Alfred N. Whitehead, Island's rongorongo script and that of the Indus Valley (Jeffreys AdvenJurers ofIdeas, Cambridge 1933 1947). Ten years later, Alfred Metraux presented in a South African journal the script's "state of the art" (Metraux 1957). n the course of time many people have felt inclined to contribute In contrast, yet another wildly improbable theory was espoused to the "mystery" of Easter Island with their more or less "wild" thatrelated Easter Island to South Africa: Williams (1949) postulated, I solutions. To give an example, Fonck (1973) even postulated a on the basis of the Easter Island script, a world wide migration of a connection to North Africa focusing on a match between "berber" common stock ofEarly Man from South Africa viaancientEgypt and (according to him, berebere = "down") and Easter Island vere(vere), the Indus Valley to Easter Island. meaning "down, hair, beard." However the word Berber-via Ara­ bic- is derived from the Greek barbaros "non-Greek." Even if it References meant "beard" it would have come from the Latin barba. Fonck, O. 1973. Rapa Nui: el ultimo refugio. Editorial, Zig Zag, Santiago de Chile Even a thick volumeofabibliography containing ofall the theories Jeffreys, M.D.W. 1947. "Mohenjodaro and Easter Island," Man, Vo1.47(73):67-68. would not be without a South African version. In 1946, coming Metraux, A. 1957. "Themystery ofthe EasterIsland script." SouJh AfricanJournai straight from Nigeria where he had been for thirty years, M.D.W. ofScien.ce, Vol. 53:326-328. Jeffreys accepted the post ofSenior Lecturer in Social Anthropology Williams, T. 1949. "Was South Africa the cradle of mankind?" The Nongqai, December:1510-1511.

VoI4,N03· Page40 • https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol4/iss3/1 8 et al.: Rapa Nui Journal 4#3, Fall 1990

First International Congress Easter Island and East bandied about in the workshops and informal discussions where to Polynesia, Vol.I. Edited by Claudio Cristino F.; Patricia this reviewer, real progress was made. Vargas C.; Roberto Izaurieta S.; and Reginald Budd P. Still it is to the editors credit that Volume 1 of the Congress' Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Arquitectura y papers has seen the light ofday, and hopefully there will be future Urbanismo; Instituto de Estudios, Isla de Pascua, 1988. volumes that will continue to give the reader an insight into the Softeover, 173 pp., maps, black and white illustrations. In significance of Polynesian archaeology and anthropology. English. More Publications Reviewed by Frank G. Bock, ph.D. • Dye, Tom and David W. Steadman. Polynesian Ancestors and he "First International Congress on Easter Island and East their Animal World. In American Scientist, 78:207-215. May-June Polynesia" was heldin HangaRoa,EasterIsland, September 1990. T 6-12, 1984. The meeting brought together over 80 archae­ • The Pitcairn Miscellany is a periodical from Pitcairn Island ologists and anthropologists, as well as an equal number of non­ that is printed approximately ten times a year, although it can only participating observers, with the intent ofpresenting and sharing a be sent out when ships arrive. The Miscellany generally has two diverseaccumulationofthoughts, theories, and theses on Polynesia. pages, printed on each side, and carries local news, news of This wasan extraordinary weekofpapers, workshops, field trips Piteairners overseas and reflections on life in this remote island and informal get-togethers. A total of 55 papers were delivered, with fewer than 70 inhabitants. For subscription information touching on myriad subjects, ranging from History and Accultura­ contact: L.Buckley, Editor; The Pitcairn Miscellany; Pitcairn Is­ tion to Linguistics and Arts, with extended stops at Ethics, Law, land, South Pacific Ocean (Via New Zealand). Settlement, Rock Art and Statuary. • The Sierra Club Guide to the Islands ofPolynesia. Melanesia A selection of 11 of those 55 papers presented at the Congress and Micronesia, by Susanna Margolis (1988). Sierra Club Books, has been published in this Volume 1, by Universidad de Chile, 730 Polk Street, San Francisco, CA 94109. Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo, and the Instituto de Estu­ Art of Polynesia: Selections from the Hemmeter Collection of dios, Isla de Pascua. Although this selection does include some Polynesian Art. 1989. Hemmeter Publishing Corporation, No.1 excellentresearch onPolynesiancultures, there is no explanationas Capitol District, Honolulu, HI %813. to why the editors made their arbitrary decisions disregarding four­ ! AQuarterlyofNewsandViewson thePacific Islands, TokBlong fifths of the papers presented. SPPF, has as its aim the promotion of awareness of development, Thebestresearchedpaperin Volume 1is by Roger C. Green. His social justice and other issues of importance to the peoples of the talk, titled "Subgrouping ofthe Rapanui LanguageofEaster Island South Pacific. It is available to donors to SPPF (South Pacific in Polynesia and its Implications for EastPolynesiaPrehistory," is Peoples Foundation of Canada) with a minimum of $15 year. For a thorough discussion of prior linguistic studies, and a conclusion information, write Tok Blong SPPF, 409-620 View St., Victoria based on solid evidence. Likewise, Anderson and McFagden have B.C., Canada V8W 116. presented a well documented paper on the evidence at return • Schuhmacher, W. Wilfried. In Thor Heyerdahl's Wake: Some voyaging from New Zealand to East Polynsia by obsidian exami­ Polynesian-South American "Worter-und-Sachen" Parallels. In nation. Le Langage et ['Homme. Vol. XXV(2-3):181-185. 1990. Ostensibly presented as a broad scope of all Polynesia, this •Schuhmacher,W. Wilfried."ThorHeyerdahl verkehrt": Kamen publication is rather biased toward Easter Island: Eight of the II die Polynsier bis nach Siidamerika? In EthnologicaAmericana 26/ essays are focused on Rapa Nui. This is perhaps understandable in 1, Nr.11 6: 1268-1270, 1990. light of the Chilean publishers, and the editors' positions. Still, • Mellen Blanco, F. Una rna'ea ika de Ia Isla de Pascua. In ARS because of this limitation, the reader is left unaware of some Praehistorica VNI:I72-276; 1986-87. excellentpapers such as Bengt Danielsson's "Enforced Encultura­ • Van Tilburg, Jo Anne. Respect for Rapa Nui: exhibition and tion in Eastern Polynesia," or the discussions by Nicholas Stanley conservation ofEasterIsland stone statues. Antiquity 64(243):249­ Price and Guillermo Joiko on archaeological conservation. 58, 1990. There are minor drawbacks, basically in the proof-reading! • Rolen, Barry. Hanamiai: Changing subsistenceand ecology in mechanics-of-publishing categories. Typographical errors abound the prehistory ofTahuata (Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia); (indeed the title of Green's article states "Polynesian" where it Ph.D. Dissertation, Yale University, 1989. should be "Polynesia") and the photographic illustrations are often Abstract: An archaeological investigation of Tahuata, in the too dark to show detail. Yet these are nearly negligible as they southern Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia, reveals majorshifts seldom interfere with the continuity of thought expressed. in prehistoric subsistence and ecology. As one of the most geo­ The Congress itself, while professing to encourage an ..... graphically isolated island groups in the Pacific, the Marquesas exchange (of) information on current research concerning East offer an excellent example of independent development in the Polynesia and Easter Island... ," in effect was more a gathering of evolution of a Polynesian culture. Excavation of a coastal habita­ opinions to be spoken with the hope that they would influence tion site in Hanamiai Valley on Tahuata documents a continuous others to think as each participant thought. The volume tends to sequenceofoccupationsbeginning with an initial settlementaround reflect this somewhat self-centered attitude. How much beller, and A.D. 1100, more than a thousand years after colonization of the truer to its premise, if a publication could have reflected the ideas Continued on bottom offollOWing page ...

Vo14,N03 • Page41 • Published by Kahualike, 1990 9 IIIII!!!!!I!!!!_------~ .... ! Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation, Vol. 4 [1990], Iss. 3, Art. 1 Rapanui's Tangata Manu on German Television ------­ by Dr. Steven R. Fischer

11:30-11:40ARD(ChannelOne),Sunday3June1990: with special close-upsofthe"Makemake-like"rona (glyphs) shown "Der Kult des Vogelmannes: Skulpturen der Osterinsel" also on various stone artifacts. (The Cultofthe Birdman: SculpturesofRapanui"); Heide­ A wide variety of tangata-manu sculptures then follows, to Margaret Esen-Baur, Telescript, Ray Muller, Director. demonstrate their incredible range of sizes, beak forms and body shapes: "They share alone a common concept: They express a n the series "100 Meisterwerke" ("100 Masterpieces"), pre­ mythical dual being, half man, half bird."After this is portrayed a sented under the ecological series "Eine Welt fur AIle" ("A selection ofstonekomari ("vulva") motifs, with a commenton their I World for Everyone") and introduced by Rolf Seelmann­ religious and mythological significance ("fertility symbolism") on Eggebert. Rapanui of old. Signaling Germany's increasing interest in and awareness of At the very close of the film, we encounter once more the two Rapanui's unique culture, doubtless a direct result of Dr. Esen­ enormous epoxy-resin moai ofthe Frankfurt Exhibition, cast from Baur's own highly successful Senckenberg Museum Exhibition in the originals atRano Raraku, in a stark black/white revolving scan Frankfurt (1989), this fascinating ten-minute introduction to the only too reminescent of their Brussels presentation (1990). tangata-manu cult opens with many colorful vistas of the Rapanui In all, a brief, but extremely well-done introduction to the coastand the strewnRanoRaraku moaibeforecomparing in minute tangata-manu cult and sculptures and to Rapanui history and detail the Leningrad and New York tangata-manu wooden sculp­ culture in general for the German-speaking audiences (the ARD, tures in varying parallel poses and under dramatic lighting to an Channel One, reaches some 90 million-plus viewers in Germany, informative and well-documented German commentary. Austria, Switzerlandand also in many borderingcountries) that will The rongorongo tablets that were featured at the Frankfurt no doubt lead to greater German-language attention to things Exhibition-"Aruku-Kurenga," "Marnari" and the "Large Lenin­ Rapanui in the near future. grad"-are treated as well in spectacularly lighted revolving shots,

Publications continued from previous page... The Rapa Nui Festival on Easter Island Marquesas, and continuing until the mid-nineteenth century. Quan­ At the southeastern tip of the Polynesian triangle lies titative analyses of the faunal remains and artifacts provide new windswept Easter Island, the most remote inhabited place on comparative data for studying the relationship between long-term the planet. Located 2300 miles west ofChile and surrounded changes in subsistence, technology and environment. by an immense ocean as blue as the sky, this tiny dot of land Faunal analyses indicate that subsistence strategies of the earli­ is 64 square miles of rocky grassland, extinct volcanos and est inhabitants centered around fishing but also included heavy w~h steep ocean cliffs. It is a gentle land, a special place a exploitation ofbirds, turtles, and shellfish,speciesabundant in what magical feel in the air, where its name alone conjures an was apparently a pristine environment when Hanamiai was fIrst image of massive, enigmatic statues. Less well-known are the cave paintings and spectacular settled. Populations of native birds, particularly ground-nesting bas relief petroglyphs carved on boulders, on lava, and even species and ones which were fIghtless, ornearly so, were drastically on some ofthe statues. This eerie artcalls up pagan rituals that depleted, someto the pointoflocal extirpation or extinction, within took place centuries ago. 300years afterinitial settlementofHanamiai. Thispattern is similar In early February ofeach year, the inhabitants celebrate to ones documented for periods ofisland colonization elsewhere in the Rapa Nui Festival. Polynesians dressed in hand-painted the Marquesas and throughout Polynesia. barkcloth and sensuous grass skirts recreate the centuries-old Depletion of populations of birds and other wild species, and a dances of their ancestors. As the light oftorches flashes on the growing reliance on agriculture linked with pig breeding, trans­ magnificant monuments, dancers sway in and out of the formed the Hanamiai subsistence system from a broad spectrum shadows to hypnotic chants and rhythmic percussion. Far Horizons proudly presents a 12 day trip that includes adaptation to one more narrowly focussed. The evidence also one week on Easter Island at the time of the Festival. The trip documents a shift, reflected both in faunal remains and in fIshing will be led by archaeologist Georgia Lee, Ph.D. Dr. Lee's technology, from diversified exploitation ofpelagic, deep-sea, and experience includes extensive research and work on Easter inshore marine environments to a narrow focus on inshore waters. Island where she directed field expeditions for the University This transition is linked with widespread cultural changes that of California. occurred throughout the northern and southern Marquesas. A one week extension is available to northern Chile to The Hanamiai findings demonstrate that although different see the "Nazca Lines" and the nearby archaeological sites. islands in the Marquesas underwentsimilarcolonization sequences of changing subsistence and ecology, these sequences began at Trip departure • February 1, 1991 Ground cost is $2295 (Northern Chile extension $900) various points in time spanning more than a thousand years. The Ladeco air cost from Miami is $1399 results are significant in showing that the colonization process in Trip limited to 15 participants. this archipelago was a recurrent one. The results also demonstrate thatinter-island variation between sequences ofsubsistence change reflects adaptation to different ecological settings.

VoI4,N03· Page42 •

https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol4/iss3/1 10 ;;;.------__-J et al.: Rapa Nui Journal 4#3, Fall 1990

letters & Responses ----- The First Journal

Toall ofyourapanuiphileswho havewritten andprovided strokes, we of Polynesian Philology say "thanks, we needed that." Recent kudos include the following: Rongorongo Studies: A Forum for Polynesian Philology "Rapa Nui Journal gets betterwith every issue"; "I notonlyenjoy will commence publication with Volume 1, Number 1, in yourJournal-Idevourevery word'" and, "ThelatestRNJ, asalways, Summer 1991. As the first international scholarly journal broughtmuch ofinterestplus a bitofnostalgic longing"; "[RNJ is] an dedicated exclusively to the investigation of all aspects of exceptionally interesting and informative newsletler....Keep up the Polynesian philology, it will fill a long standing lacuna in great work." international studies. It will provide a new forum for all Maruru korua. philologistswhose field of research involves ancientPolynesian [Which means, "thanks, guys"]. chants, songs, tales, legends, myths, genealogies, etc., yet wi II include reviews and discussions of the modern literature of Polynesia as well. In addition, it will offer serious studies in Whalebone Rongorongo Polynesian diachronic and synchronic linguistics. Articles of up to eight pages in English, French, Spanish and German are I would like to correct a minor error that first appeared in now being invited. Heyerdahl's The Art ofEasterIsland (1975:204). He mentioned a Appearing twice annually (Summer/VVinter), Rongorongo fragment ofan inscribed spermwhale bone "reportedly found in a Studies provides an international forum for serious scholarship cave (now in the possession of K.A. Dixon...) completely covered in Polynesian philology. Submissionsof up to eighttypewritten with rongorongo signs that have the aspect of being genuine." pages and of short notes of scholarly interest are invited in Davis-Drakereferred to this information in his recent paper inRNJ English, French, German, and Spanish; articles not in English 4(1):13. should include an English abstract. The Editor cannot be responsible for unsolicited material. The specimen was never in my possession except briefly in 1966 in order to make photographs and a mold of the inscribed Publisher and Editor: surface. It was loaned to me for the purpose through the kindness Dr. Steven Roger Fischer of Dr. William J. Wallace, then of the University of Southern Droste-Hulshoff-Weg 1 California. It had been loaned to Dr. Wallace by a Navy man who D-7758 Meersburg, West Germany had visited Easter Island during World War II. The specimen is currently in the possession of Dr. Wallace on long-term loan. Annual subscription rate in West German marks: DM 20 Ifauthentic, it would be an important addition to the inventory Back issues are available at DM 10 each, post paid. of texts. On the other hand, one must always be suspicious of ISSN 0938-0795 ~ © Steven Roger Fischer 1991 supposed antiquities that lack verifiable context, as in this case. Even ifmade for the tourist trade by anEasterIslander, itcould still be of interest. Therefore, in 1966 I sent photographs and plaster casts made from the latex mold to three of the institutions that were active in ANNOUNCING EasterIsland studies at the time. My intent was to make itavailable a unique guide to for scholars to test its authenticity by examining the craftsmanship Rapa Nui and its and by comparing the form and sequence of glyphic elements. It archcrological sites. mightbepossible to determine whether this specimen is an obvious Contains maps, copy ofan authentic specimen which had been used as a model, or drawings, whether it might be genuine if it should prove to be unique within , , 0 full-color photos, the range of variation that has the same character as rongorongo references, glossary known to be authentic. and an index. After nearly a quarter-century, the first expression of interest thathas come to my noticewas the inquiry this yearfrom Dr. Steven $18.95 Fischer (Meersburg, West Germany), who hoped to locate the specimen or illustrations of it to include in his full inventory and Free U.S. shipping study ofEasterIsland scripts. He now has casts and photographs of ifyou mention this ad. the whalebone specimen,andon this basis he has apparently solved the problem. He has a most convincing and interesting analysis. Georgia Lee, Ph.D. interprets Rapa Nui's rockartforarch

Vol 4, No 3 • Page 43 • Published by Kahualike, 1990 11 Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation, Vol. 4 [1990], Iss. 3, Art. 1 "Rongorongo Mechanics" Reviewed Dr. Steven R. Fischer

recent article by Robert Koll, "The Mechanics ofReading Routledge actually declares this disappearance to coincide with the Easter Island's Rongorongo Tablets," RNJ4 (2), Summer Peruvian (=international) raids and epidemics, and correctly docu­ A 1990, unwittingly demonstrates what confusion can ensue menlS also that"theFathers, on the contrary, state that it was due to when imagination obtains over erudition. Koll's erroneous state­ them that any were preserved. Some certainly were saved by their ments and hypotheses mustbeaddressed, ifonly to dojustice to the means..." (ibid.). contributions of so many generations of earnest scholars of the Koll further claims (p. 22) that only Englert (1972:74) correctly classical rongorongo script ofRapanui. called the writing form of the rongorongo inscriptions "reversed Firstofall, rongorongo does notmean "thehieroglyphic writing boustrophedon." Yet this particular boustrophedonic form of ofEaster Island," as Koll asserts. RAP rongorongo (and its related Rapanui script was already described in detail -"the alternate historical forms in the Tuamotus, Marquesas, and Gambiers; cf. reversion of the lines of hieroglyphic, as well as the ancient Greek Stimson/MarshalI1964:459, Handy 1923:354, Laval 1938:1, fn. 1, method styled Boustrophedon"- by Harrison (1874:373), fol­ and 244, and Metraux 1940:392) means, in its historical sense, lowed by many others. "chants, recitations, etc." and often, by extension, "those who teach Yet Koll's Achille's heel would have to be his bold allegation and perform the chants, recitations, etc." The writing itselfappar­ that the " 'startingpoint' ofthe text" ofany rongorongo inscription ently had no generic name on Rapanui, bearing only those several is still "unclear." Should one perhaps choosejudiciously to ignore names of the respective type of recitation. the independent testimonies of the contemporary Rapanui infor­ Further, it is still a moot point whether the Rapanui "created a manlS Metoro (laussen 1893:252) and Ure Vaeiko (Thomson unique hieroglyphic script" in their isolation oras a direct result of 1891:516), one should at least acknowledge the impeccable objec­ European contact (cf. Emory 1972:63). tive logic of Harrison (1874:374f.) in this regard: "Since, too, the There is no evidence that "sharpened frigate bird bones" were signs in the top line of each tablet, on both faces, stand upside ever used to carve the rona (glyphs) on the wooden kohou; orally down.. .it seems probable that the bottom line on each tablet, where atlested as writing implemenlS are only flakes of obsidian and it will be seen the signs stand upright, is intended to be read rust." sharks' Leeth. As to Koll's unique and, at first glance, intriguing suggestion Barthel did not record "605 distinct rongorongo glyphs," that the rongorongo inscriptions might possibly have been read "in demonstrating with this that these rona were pictographic rather an encircling manner" as a spiraling and not linear text, we have than alphabetic lettersand thus the tablets weremnemonic devices..." nevertheless hard scientific proof that this was not the case, quite Barthel actually concluded (1958:314): "Aus rund 120 Grund­ apart from the contemporary "demonstrations" of Metoro (ca. bestandteilen konnen etwa 1500-2000 verschidene Kompositionen 1874) and Ure Vaeiko (1886); Although very early researchers entwickelt werden." ("From ca. 120 basic componenlS one can (Miklukho-Maklai 1872:81; PrevostdeLongperier 1874: 153; Tylor, generate some 1500-2000 distinct constructions.") by Harrison 1876:250) had already noticed sign and group repeti­ The"oldnameoftheboards" was not"ko haumoturongorongo" tions in the Rapanui inscriptions, it was the young Russian which literally means 'lines ofscript for recitation.' Koll obviously Kudrjavzev (1949: 175-221) who fIrst applied to these a highly has ..laken this directly from Englert (1972:74): "ko hau motu mo detailed analytical study, laterexpanded by Butinov and Knorozov rongorongo," which, literally translated, means 'lines ofscript for (1956:77-91), effectively demonstrating how entire textual seg­ recitation.' " This formulation is Englert's own peculiar concoc­ ments were paralleled in different tablets. Barthel (1958: 159) tion, which Koll misquotes and passes on uncritically. This as­ mentioned "examples whereparallelsign groups occurspecifIcally sumed "historical" designation for the inscribed artifacts would at the transition from one line to the next and thus the course ofthe most likely be, according to the current state ofscholarship, kohou textcan beperfectly followed," butdid notspecify which. One year (not kohau) rongorongo. (in her work notes, Routledge jots down earlier, IbarraGrasso (1957: 157-159), in a little-known article from koho; Fuentes 1960:764 f.: CampbelVSilva 1970:164), or"a kohou Buenos Aires, studying in depth both the "Small Santiago" and (=flat piece of wood, stick, wooden bar, staff, etc.) for recitation." "LargeSantiagoTablets," illustrated how thcrongorongoscriptdoes Using Metraux's 1957 inscription inventory (1957:183) of in fact begin at the bottom left and proceeds linearly from left to "only 21 tablelS, one staff and 3 ['or four'] pectoral ornaments" is right (with an "inverted" "Small Santiago" as his example). now regarded as outdated, not only because of subsequent discov­ Furthermore, amongst several examples one is urged to com­ eries ofinscriptions, but also due to the necessity to include in any pare, for instance, above all the classical "Small Santiago Tablet" modem comprehensive inventory all "questionable" artifaclS in­ recto, lines 3-4, to the (possibly) late classical "London Tablet" scribed with "alternative Rapanui scriplS" as well, these often recto, lines4-5, and verso, line 1, to learn exactly how the texlS were showing a mixture oftwo or more script classes in one inscription, actually read; for one will fInd parallel texts not only continuing from the last 19th and the fIrst half of the 20th century (cL linearly on the following lines of both tablelS, in reciprocally Campbell/Silva 1970 and Hoorebeeck 1977 and 1979). verifiable alternating segments, but also continuing linearly on the Itdoes Routledge an injustice to misquote heras saying only that first line of the verso of the "London Tablet" as well. the tablets disappeared as a result of"the introduction ofChristian­ Metoro and Ure Vaeiko did know exactly whatthey were doing, ity" and that "the natives said that they burnt the tablelS in compli­ then, ifonly in regard to the mannerin which they "read"orchanged ance with the orders of the missionaries" (Routledge 1919:207). the rongorongo inscriptions before them. Continued on follOWing page ...

Vol 4, No 3· Page 44 • https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol4/iss3/1 12 et al.: Rapa Nui Journal 4#3, Fall 1990 "Rongorongo Mechanics" References Pascuanaylas ultimas tentativas deinterpretaci6ndelos investigadores delaU.R.S.S ....RevistaGeograficaAmericana (Buenos Aires). Vo1.41. Barthel. Thomas S. 1958. Grundlagen zur EnJzijferung der Osterin­ Nr. 245:157-159. selschrift. Abhandlungen aus dem Gebiet der Auslandskunde. Vol.64. Jaussen. Florentin Etienne (Tepano). 1893. "L'ilede Piques. Historique et Reihe B. Volkerkunde. Kulturgeschichte und Sprachen. Vo1.36. Ham­ ecriture." Bulletin de Geographie historique et descriptive (Paris). burg. VoI.2:240-270. Butinov. N.A. and Y.V. Knorozov.1956. "Predvaritel'noe soobschenieob Koll. Robert. 1990."TheMechanics ofReading EasterIsland's Rongorongo izuchenii pis'mennosti ostrova Paskhi." Sovietsknja Etnografija Tablets." RNJ. VoI.4(2):2:22-23. (Moscow). 1956:77-91. Kudrjavzev. BorisG. 1949. "Pis'mennost' ostrovaPaskhi...SbornikMuzeja Campbell. B.• Ram6n and Jorge SilvaO. 1970. "Hallazgo de un nuevo tipo AnJropologii i Etnografii (Leningrad). Vol.11: 175-221. de escritura delaIslade Pascua,"AnalesdelMuseD de HistoriaNatural Laval. Honore. 1938. Mangareva: L'histoire ancienne d'un peuple (Valparaiso). Vo1.3:161-191. polynesien. Edited by Alfred Metraux and Maurice Desmedt. Paris and Emory. Kenneth P. 1972. "Easter Island's position in the prehistory of Braine-Ie-Comte (Belgium). Polynesia." Journal ofthe Polynesian Society, Vol. 81:57-69. Metraux. Alfred. 1940. Ethnology of Easter Island. Bernice P.Bishop Englert, Sebastian. 1972. Island at the CenJer ofthe World. New Light on Museum Bulletin 160. Honolulu; rpt. Honolulu 1971. Easter Island. Edited and translated by William Mulloy. London. Miklukho-Maclay (Maklai). N. von. 1872. "Ueber die 'Rokau rogo rogo' Fuentes. Jordi. 1960. Diccionario y GranuiJica de la lengua de la Isla de oder die Holztafeln von Rapa-Nui." Zeitschrift der Gesellschaft fur Pascua. Pascuense-castellano, Castellano-pascuenseJDictionary & Erdkunde zu Berlin, Vo1.7:79-81. Granvnar ofthe Easter IslandLanguag e, Pascuense-English. English­ Prevost de Longperier. A. 1874. "Inscriptions polynesiennes." Comptes Pascuense. Santiago. rendus de l'AcafUmie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres (Paris 1873). Handy. E.S. Craighill. 1923. TheNative Culture in the Marquesas. Bernice IV. Serie. Vol.1:114 and 151-155. P. Bishop Museum Bulletin 9. Honolulu: rpt. New York. 1971. Routledge. Katherine Scoresby. Undated. Unpublished papers, mainly Harrison. James Park. 1874. "TheHieroglyphics ofEasterIsland."Journal relating to Easter Island, in the Royal Geographical Society, London. ofthe Royal AnJhropologicallnstitute ofGreat Britain and Ireland. Also available in: Microfilm 531. reels 1-4, Pacific Manuscripts Vol. 3:370-383. Bureau. Australian National University. Canberra. Australia. --1876. "Note on Five Hieroglyphic Tablets from Easter Island." --1919. The Mystery ofEaster Island. London. Journal ofthe Royal AnJhropologicallnstitute ofGreat Britain and Stimson, J.Frank and Donald S. Marshall. 1964. A Dictionary ofsome Ireland. Vol. 5:248-250. Tuamotuan Dialects ofthe Polynesian Language. The Peabody Mu­ Hoorebeeck, Albert van. 1977. "Laveritablehistoiredes 'tablettesparlantes' seum of Salem. Massachusetts. and the Royal Institute of Linguistics de l'Ile de Piques." Unpublished Ms. and Anthropology. The Hague. --1977. "Les fausses 'tablettes parlantes' de l'Ile de Piques. 11 Tahiti. Thomson. William Judah. 1891. "Te Pito te Henua, or Easter Island." Chicago et autres lieux. Unpublished Ms. AnnualReportsofthe Smithsonianlnstitutionfor J889 (=Report ofthe --1979. La verite sur l'Ile de Piques. The Hague. United States National Museum for the Year ending June 30. 1889). Ibarra Grasso. Dick Edgard. 1957. "La direcci6n de lectura en la escritura Washington. D.C. Pages 447-552.

Roggeveen continued... ------letterback. reprimanding his man for not have reported whatsortof W.LC. and the V.O.c.: this was a great period for lawyers. We do people "these tramps" were and where they came from. He asks: not have to go into all the details here, but finally the V.O.C.­ were they perhaps from Ostende? (a city in Belgium famous for its although it had appealed on its charterit did notdare to risk a verdict pirates). When he gets the correct answer. Roggeveen has already in court-agreed to an out-of-court settlement. It kept the two continued to Japara on thenorth coastofJava. There he gets in to real confiscated ships remaining in Batavia, but it paid the W.LC. a trouble. He is not allowed to land and he may not buy food. compensation of 120.000 guilders (about$60,000 at today's rate of Roggeveen writes an emotional appeal to the Governor General, exchange) which was, for that time, an enormous amount and telling how he has suffered 61 dead on the trip, how 12 men are certainly sufficient to build two new ships. Morever it paid all the suffering from scurvy, etc. Then he learns hemay only get waterand wages still due to the crew. no fresh vegetables or fruit, essential for the survival ofhis men. He Thus ended the voyage of discovery: Southland not found and continues to Batavia, the headquarters ofV.O.C. But there his ships a return in humiliation. This must havebeen abiuerdisappointment are confiscated; the little cargo they have on board is sold and the for Roggeveen for he was a good commander and navigator and he whole crew including Roggeveen arrested on orders of the Gover­ executed his instructions as humanely as possible. norGeneral himselffor"breach ofpriviledge." The V.0.C. wanted Let us end with one of his intelligent and nicely worded to show that it was not to be toyed with. On 25 September, the deliberations aboutEasterIsland: ..As the Spaniardsorotherpeople Governor General reported to his superiors, the famous "Council of cannot have been moved to establish colonies of Indians in these Seventeen" in Amsterdam. The V.O.C. people, who also confis­ faraway islands, one can only conclude that the Indians that live in cated Roggeveen'sjournal, read in that documentofthe decision to these newly discovered islands have been here for generation after return to the Netherlands via the Far East; this made the breach of generation and are children ofAdam, although the human mind is the charter intentional and, therefore, even more serious. Towards incapable ofunderstanding by which means they have ever arrived the end of the year, Roggeveen and those of his crew who still here." This is the enigma with which all subsequent visitors to survived were shipped back to the Netherlands as prisoners in a Easter Island have been confronted. return fleet of the V.O.C. They arrived in July of 1723. When news of this reached Amsterdam, a terrible row broke out between the

Vol 4, No 3 • Page 45 •

Published by Kahualike, 1990 13 JI Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation, Vol. 4 [1990], Iss. 3, Art. 1 Easter Egotism, a review------­ Paul G. Bahn, Ph.D.

The Kon-Tiki Man: Thor Heyerdahl by Christopher Ralling, (p.158) as a"reedship, which couldonly mean thatthe islanders had BBC Books, London 1990 (£ 16.95. 365 pp., ill.) once seen the real thing." As usual, Tukuturi is compared with a and ''The Kon-Tiki Man" a 10 part TV series statue at Tiahuanaco, and we are even told (p.161) that "from its position in the quarry itwas probably much olderthan its giantlong­ ust when you thought it was safe to go back into the book eared brethren"!! Moreover, the caption (p.186) to a picture of a stores, another Heyerdahl blockbusu:r arrives. The last issue statue of Buddha from the Maldives reveals that Thor "was par­ of RNJ contained a letter that descnbed Easter Island, The J ticularly intrigued by the figure's similarities to the ones on Easter Mystery Solved as a "dishonestand self-serving book." Well, folks, Island"-personally, I cannot see the remotest resemblance! The you ain't seen nothing yet. Maldives also (p.290) have the same sophisticated masonry tech­ We in Britain have just had the dubious privilege of seeing a nique as EasterIsland, South America and the Middle East-"what series of 10 programmes (each of25 minutes) on the BBC devoted was the connection between the places?" It is mentioned (p.300) to the life and work of Thor Heyerdahl, and inevitably there is a that if you drilled down through the globe from Easter Island you glossy book to accompany it. The latter has the same format and the would come up atthe Maldives, butthis "curious fact" does notlead same mass ofcolourillustrations as The Mystery Solved, and thanks to speculations of long-distance tunnelling contacts. to the power of TV it was on the British bestseller lists for the In an amazing section written by Heyerdahl himself (p.313) he duration of the series. Indeed, some major bookstores devoted tells us that no other oceanic island in the Pacific hemisphere had entire windows to Heyerdahl displays that were centered around any vestiges of prehistoric civilization such as architecture, engi­ this volume, together with models ofreed-ships, the recent Easter neering, art or astronomy; and he repeats his usual assertion that Island book (which previously got almost no attention over here) "The most consistent and deeply rooted claim of the Easter Island­ and a new paperback set ofhis various voyage-books, rushed outby ers was that their ancestors had come from a large desert country to his British publisher to cash in on the series. the east." In fact that tale was recorded only by Thomson (who may The Kon-Tiki Man is described as "part biography and part well have misunderstood) and was never encountered by Rout­ autobiography," but the project is clearly Heyerdahl's, with Railing ledge whose much longer stay occurred only a generation later. The (as producer and author)justalong for the ride and to act as Boswell vast majority of oral traditions pointed firmly westward. to Heyerdahl's Dr. Johnson. One can understand the appeal of a RNJ readers may take some comfort from the thought (p.175) freebie to all these wonderful locations, but one might have hoped that Heyerdahl feels his work on Easter Island has reached a kind for more objectivity and accuracy from a TV producer who did such ofconclusion. "He has shown, to his own satisfaction at least, that a fine job on earlier series like "The Voyage of Charles Darwin." the earliest settlers were the long-ears, who came from the east." The ten TV shows covered the following: 1. Fatu Hiva; 2. Kon­ Ralling does have the grace to add that "it must be said that there is Tiki; 3. Galapagos, Easter Island; 4. Easter Island; 5. Ra I; 6. Ra I still a large body of professional opinion that takes a different and II; 7. Tigris, Bahrain; 8. Tigris, Oman, Mohenjo-Daro; 9. view." Nice of him to notice. Maldives, Yemen; 10. Yemen, Tassili, Easter Island, Peru. All of All this stuff, alas, was regurgitated with even lessrespectfor the this is covered in the book, though in 26 chapters rather than 10. truth in the actual programmes. Like the book, the series had a There is, however, an index, which makes it more usable than The marked lack of reviews in the British press: one piece in The In­ Mystery Solved. dependent ofMay 3rd referred to the "florid travelogue narration," For the purpose of this RNJ review, I shall confine my remarks the crass commentary, in a "series as anodyne as a public relations to Easter Island, though there is a greatdeal that could be said about video." Others referred disparagingly to "recycledpublicity stunts," the other parts of the package. Despite the book's commercial and even suggested, unkindly, that the title contained two superflu­ success, I have seen only one other review, by Adam Kuper in ous syllables. Railing himself, although at pains to point out that Nature of May 10th (Vo1.345,pp.123-4), which is highly recom­ Thor would "want to be regarded first as a serious scientist", also mended andends by suggesting that the BBCshould have broadcast refers to him as a wandering spirit, a scientific gambler, an inspired the series in its religious slot! amateur, a scientific adventurer, and a showman. The book's material on Easter Island is familiar to those already On the plus side, it must be said that it was nice to see all the old acquainted with Heyerdahl's other volumes; so, alas, are its "inac­ classic footage of the Norwegian expedition again, including its curacies:" for example, it is claimed (p.146) that Routledge "made glimpses of Englert and a pre-tsunami Tongariki, and it was in­ no attempt at any systematic excavations," and (p.155) that early teresting to see footage of the recent Pavel experiment in moving observers thought the statues on the slopes of Rano Raraku com­ an upright moai; the introductory music ofeach episode is suitably prised only head and shoulders, and that it was "Thor's archae­ stirring, with strings and brass evoking the ocean swells and the ologists" who first revealed the rest of the bodies! The boat roving Viking; and each week, Thor looks fetching in his natty engraved on the torso ofan excavated moai is inevitably described safari outfits, though for a man of his means it is odd that he only

Vol 4, No 3· Page 46 • https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol4/iss3/1 14 et al.: Rapa Nui Journal 4#3, Fall 1990 seems to possess two, one blue and the other beige. Unfortunately, fishermen with an artas perfectas that, and this is whatI maintained there is far more to be said about the minus side of the series. all the time." Where Easter Island is concerned, the rot sets in as soon as the Railing: "And has anything else been found in this particular topicarisesin program 3: Railing's voice-overtells us thatRoggeveen hole?" came ashore on EasterSunday 1772 [sic]; Heyerdahl informs us of T.H.: "Well, in this particularhole there has been alot ofcarbon a "very strong oral tradition that Hotu Matua came from the east;" so we will be able to date this early structure, but we can't do that and as RaIling, describing the birdman cult, says that "Once a year unless the carbon has passed through the laboratory." the strongest men used to creep out from the caves for a ritual race," Railing: "And human remains?" we see footage of natives emerging from the Orongo houses... T.R.: "Wealso find human bones, particularly high up wefound Things get far worse in program 4, which ope~s with a birdman a lot ofburials." (Footage was shown here ofa rocker jaw, though dance inLapaz to lead us neatly back to theOrongo carvings. It will without any comment-see George Gill in the lastRNJ!) be recalled that in the book ofthe series, as in The Mystery Solved Railing (voice): "Themostcelebratedexampleofhighly skilled and earlierworks, theamountofexcavation doneby Routledge was masonry work is at Vinapu... Nothing of this sophistication has minimized; on TV, this is taken even farther: referring to KatWeen ever been found on Polynesian islands to the west. For Thor, the [sic] Routledge, Railing announces that"shecarefully mapped and culture links spread eastwards to the pre-Inca period in South listed over400statues but made no attempt at excavation." Wethen America and eastwards again to the ancient civilization of the Old see him in conversation with Thor (i.e. the first excavator) at Rano World. I asked him whether there were any further doubts in his Raraku: own mind, or were the principle mysteries ofEaster Island fmally Railing: "Isn't it very strange that excavation took place so solved?" late"? T.H.(atVinapu): "I think wecan say with certainty today thatthe T.H.: "Well, you know thatbefore I launched the theory that the first people who came here came from South America and they did first migration came from South America, it was a common belief this astonishing work," Uerks thumb at wall behind him) "and later that they came from Asia, and then this would be the last island came the Polynesiansand when Roggeveen and the first Europeans populated and no time for soil to accumulate, so there would be came they met a mixed population..." nothing to dig for. I had the opposite view, that they came from Railing, in another voice-over, tells us that "For the time being South America, this was the first island populated and thus there his work here is over, and like any other archaeologist [sic!] he would be a lot of sedimentation." (This point is subtly emphasised expects to see his findings modified by later research. But his .. by showing footage of the excavation ofa deeply buried statue on fundamental views on Pacific migration, with the story of Easter the volcano's slope). Island at their very heart, remains as unshakable as ever." A little later, Railing's voice-over, referring to Rano Raraku, I find it interesting and significant that the word "unshakable" declares that "throughout the South Seas,no work has ever been was used rather than "unshaken."The entire series is so one-sided, found resembling this, yet many scientists still believe it was done with Railing only raising the feeblest ofobjections to Heyerdahl's by Polynesians, a view that Thor Heyerdahl has never shared." Cut claims, and even then primarily as "feeders" to more such claims, to Thorhimself, who states"Ilivedoneyearamong thePolynesians that it quickly became laughable. RNJ readers may derive some in the Marquesas Islands and I know that th~s is notthe kind ofwork comfortfrom the knowledge, imparted to meby friends at the BBC, they would do. They are happy if they can:collect the bananas and that the series (despite the booksales achieved) was considered a the breadfruit they need.for the day-they would not have anybody flop, pulling in only about 4 million viewers for even the earliest telling them to work li~e slaves in masses, so I felt very strongly episodes before the novelty wore off. In fact, its slot on a Wednes­ here we have some b~ch of the great prehistoric civilizations of day evening, sandwiched between a chat-show and Dallas, is the world, and I felt that way ever since." So much for the considered a black hole by the BBC since itstands directly opposite Polynesians. One wonders ifhe would consider present-day Egyp­ Coronation Street (Britain's most popular soap) on another chan­ tian peasants to be capable of building the pyramids, or Greek nel. All producers try to avoid this unpopular slot, so a cheap farmers ofcarving theParthenon. Therearedistinctechoes ofa Von bought-in series like this seemedlikean eminentlysuitablefllier for Daniken philosophy here. ten weeks. The lack of importance attached to it can be seen in the Finally, in the lastprogram, wereturn totheisland, where weare fact that two different episodes were postponed to make way for given a glimpse of the recent excavation at Anakena, which seems football. to have uncovered a lower portion of stone wall. Nevertheless, 4 million innocentBrits have been exposed to this Railing: "So has this particularexcavation modified your views stuff, quite apart from those who have bought the book. RNJ at all?" readers, this package may even now be heading towards your local T.H.: "No, it has confirmed my view [surprise, surprise). My TV station. You have been warned... view was that the first people who came here came from South America with already developed skill in stonework of this type. They would not be able to come from Polynesia as wind-driven

Vo14,No3 • Page47 •

Published by Kahualike, 1990 15 I t t Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation, Vol. 4 [1990], Iss. 3, Art. 1 What's New in Hangaroa Isla de Pascua and an ecent arrivals on the island include two windmills and a International Spectacular watering tank; they will be installed at Vaihu and Hanga great musical spectacular under the auspices ofthe Corpo­ R Oteo so that the Rapanui can commence with the ration de Desarrollo Cultural de Isla de Pascua hopes to development ofagriculture and livestock. This project is financed A bring to Chile several important international figures by a grantto the Consejode Ancianos from OCAC, an organization including The Rolling Stones, Olivia Newton-John, Bob Dylan, connected with Santiago Archbishopry. RobertPalmer,JeanMichelJarre, andJulio Iglesias.This spectacular It has been a rainy winter on the island; recent visitors write event, of the type "USA for Africa", will take place in Chile at the that itrained steadily for two weeks. As for the paving ofTePito te beginning of next year. The object is to raise funds for the Henua, the paving still extends only 50 feet downhill and has the conservation of the archaeological patrimony ofEaster Island and unfortunate effectoffunneling the rain-notinto the immensenew for deprived children in Chile. The concert will be held either on rain gutters-butonto the unpaved road and, as a result, a winding Easter Island or in the National Stadium in Santiago. gulch in the road has been created, deep enough so that a car could easily hit bottom should a wheel slip in. Polynesian Canoe Championships The public library at the school is still not open but now it is fenced and the broken windows repaired. heInternationalPolynesian CanoeFederation'sfourth world The Second Congress for the Development of Easter Island sprint championships in Auckland brought more than 1()()() was held on the island in June. The Congress was co-sponsored by T paddlers from around the Pacific.Tearns camefrom outrigger SASIPA and the Consejo de Ancianos. Attending were a senator strongholds of Tahiti and Hawaii, American and Western Samoa, from the continent, three congressmen from the V Region, the Vice Australia, California, Canada, the Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Minister of CORFO, the Vice President of LAN in charge of New Zealand, and Fiji. Tahiti, with its pool of more than 6000 tourism, and other dignitaries from the continent. Topics that were paddlers in what is virtually the country's national sport, swept the discussedincludeagricultureand fishing, tourism,education, health, medals, winning 19 ofthe 22 gold medals. The250 strong Tahitian communications, and supplies. contingent won all of the single person outrigger titles plus the Rapanui Sculptors on Tahiti From Tahiti comes news of men's and women's glamour sprints in the 12 person double hulls. EasterIsland artists who arecreating sculptures to decorate the new PapeeteMunicipal Hall. Themostimpressive, in terms ofsize, will Georgia lee, Ph.D. Alan Davis-Drake be a 4.5 meter tall stone sculpture created by six carvers from tiki Publisher and General Edilor Editor and Design Easter Island. Work is underway on the statue, which combines traditional Easter Island features with other Polynesian character­ Rapa Nui Journal is an international newsletter published quarterly for the benefit of those interested in Easter Island and PolyneSia. Correspon­ istics: the top of the statue will feature a symbolic father and dence, articles, photographs, drawings, reviews of books & films, daughter creation, representing the union of Easter Island and announcements of conferences & publications, and all related materials Polynesia. The intention of the sculptors is to underscore the ties are invited. We cannot be responsible for unsolicited items or anything that existbetween Easter Island and Tahiti; during the last 10 years, submitted without adequate return postage or International Reply Coupon. If possible please send submissions on floppy disk for either nearly 100children have been born in Tahiti ofTahitian and Easter IBM or Macintosh-in ASCII format. Island parents. Annual subscription rate for 4 issues, in US funds: U.S. $15, Foreign Three women sculptors, all from EasterIsland, are also prepar­ Airmail $25. Back issues are available at U.S. $4 each, post paid. ing a 2.3 meter tall stone sculpture for the Papeete Municipal Hall; this work is titled 'Te Ora' (Tahitian for "life"). ISSN 1040-1385 • © Georgia lee 1990

Page 48 IMM• .DmMl,I P.O. Box 6774 Los 0505, CA 93412

Fall 1990

https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol4/iss3/1 16 ..