Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation Volume 11 Article 2 Issue 1 March 1997 1997 Petroglyph Motif Distribution in East Polynesia Georgia Lee 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 Lee, Georgia (1997) "Petroglyph Motif Distribution in East Polynesia," Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation: Vol. 11 : Iss. 1 , Article 2. Available at: https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol11/iss1/2 This Research Paper 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]. Lee: Petroglyph Motif Distribution in East Polynesia Petroglyph Motif Distribution in East Polynesia GeolgiaLee Comprehensive rock art documentation projects in Easter A quick look at the petroglyph count at certain sites is Island. the Marquesas and the Hawaiian Islands have resulted revealing: at Orongo, 1274 petroglyphs were documented; if in an extensive Polynesian rock art data base. A study of motif nearby areas of Rano Kau. Motu Nui and Vai Atare are added distributlor, as t:evealed in these projects contributes toward a in, thi one section of the island contains 39% of the island's better understanding of certain features of Polynesian culture. total and is a strong renection of the ceremonial activities that For example. internal spatial distribution pattern on Rapa Nui took place in that locale. Aside from sheer numbers, the suggest an association with ancient clan boundarie , and beauty of the ccu'ved figures at Orongo is evidence of master lI1ter-island comparison provide insight into prehistoric mi­ carvers at work. Island-wide, birdmen-including all gratIon routes. types--eonstitute 473 units; of these, 86% are found in the Rano KaulOrongo cu·ea. This comes as no surprise, given that Rapa Nui Orongo was the focus for the birdman cult. Despite the small Kommi is the single size of Rapa Nui, specific most prevalent motif with petroglyph motifs 564 examples. Like the "cluster" in discrete loca­ birdman motif, these cu'e tions around the island. focused around Rano "'U''''J101 ....,.-­ These are spatially dis­ U Kaul 'Orongo where 6l % ....tI1IUIRA tributed and suggest a arc located, many of them cOITespondence with clan ITI superimposed over bird­ divisions, as we know ~""'A"O'lJ man. them from either Rout­ The area near Ahu ledge's (1919:222) clan ---~?/\ Ra'ai, at La Perouse Bay, map (fig.l) or the clan M A RAMA ./ has another interesting \ divisions published by > J cluster. Although sites Hotus. er <II. (1988:6) . ( along that coast have a The location of some mo­ UNCI.AIMLD Clan Divisions few petroglyphs, one dis­ tifs suggest expansion After Roulledge 1919 crete area at Ra 'ai con- through conquest. or a '" tain 501 elements-and change of clan bound- 62% are either canoes or cu'ies over time. Figure 1. The clan divisions of Easter Island. fishhooks. Some of the The Rapa Nui petro- canoe shapes are of ex- glyph project (1981-86) resulted in an extensive data et'that traordinary size: one, which appears to represent a double revealed eleven pecific motif types. During data proces ing. canoe, is ten meters long (fig. 3). it was noted that a considerable numerical difference exists Fishhook motifs have unusual distribution. These images between various types of petro- depict a typical curved Polynesian glyph motifs, and many of these ..~~.....i fishhook of the kind used for deep f types are distributed or grouped in \1 iti (:' water fishing. A total of 380 are discrete area of the island (Lee / .. ~ recorded: of these, 58% are at Ahu Ra'ai. In addition, forty fishhook 1992';", 4000 pctcog!yph' th", t_~"!' motifs cluster at the tip of Poike at represent recognizable images Papa Vi Hetu'u, the place where, uch as faces, birdman. sea crea­ according to Routledge tures. canoes, and so on. were (1919:235), the "old men came to recorded. In addition, cupules watch the stars".2 (cup-shaped depressions) of In regard to the uneven distri­ which there are at least several bution of fishhook petroglyphs, thousand. often form 'boundcu'ies' assuming they were carved specif­ or borders around panels. The ically for ritual dealing with star most famous of the designs is Figure 2. Three of the key petroglyph motifs from watching, perhaps there is an asso­ birdman, the combined man-bird Easter Island: a birdman two Makemake, and four ciation between their location and figure. This elegant motif has a komari (vulva forms). the dominant MiIu clan, the huge eye, beak and gular pouch of founding ancestor, and the naviga­ a frigate bird with a human body shown in profile and knees tors. They may have been clan symbols, for Routledge bent. Other prominent motifs are known as Makemake faces, (1919:219) shows them as ancient tattoo markings. Their and komarj(vulva forms) (fig.2). distribution suggests that, in earlier times, the Miru may have PublishedRapa by Kahualike,Nui Journal 1997 5 Vol II (1) March 1997 1 Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation, Vol. 11 [1997], Iss. 1, Art. 2 / I ( " 1 meter Figure 3. Canoe motifs, some with end extension, Ahu Ra'ai. What this appendage signified is unclear. controlled the entire north coast all the way to the tip of Poike. focused on one area of the i land: between Ahu Ra'ai, and If 0, it i confinnation of the clan boundarie a hown by Anakena. The fact that they al 0 appear at Anakena, carved on Hotus, et at. large paenga and boulders and a sociated with ahu construc­ The canoe motif from Ahu Ra'ai may have represented tion that preceded the present Ahu Nau Nau, uggests con id­ the sacred canoe of the founding ancestor. Thi unusual canoe erable antiquity for thi motif (figA). It appear that this wa de 19n ha an end extension, a till-ob cure feature that Me­ an emblem connected with the Miru and kingship. traux noted and commented on. The extension or appendage Canoe in Polyne ia involved tatu and cia s. Sacred is a vertical element with a curve on each end. The top curve canoe were "pos es ed" by hief who had exclusive fishing is always larger than the lower (fig.3). Arne Skj0l void rights in certain areas as well as the right to fish when thi (personal communication) thought it reminiscent of rudder or activity was forbidden to others. The high ranking Miru clan teering paddle een in the Maldives. In regard to thi ap- had a monopoly on the better offshore fishing localitie to pendage, Metraux states: leeward. My informant ... remembered having heard of hoof-shaped Canoe hapes without an appendage are. however, found frame at the ends of canoes and tried to explain certain at many location around the i land: some are on pukao a obscure designs which accompany the representation of secondary application , carved after the topknots were top- I boats on petroglyphs as attempts made by native arti ts to pled.' It must be tressed that these canoe forms are not figure the hoof shaped pans of their craft. My infomlant was "sickle- haped reed boats" as proposed by aficionados of positive that the bowed frames were supports for net or South American contact. Canoe are al 0 carved on the tor'o lines (1940:205 ). of orne mOaJ: on paenga (particularly red coria coping Whatever these canoe appendage indicated. they are stone ), and the pukao "blanks" at Puna Pau. J If thi motif i repeated time and again and are quite pecific. They are also indeed symbolic of the Miru clan, a we propo e, the canoe shapes carved on the various surfaces around the i land could be mark fa conqueror and thus the result of inter­ tribal warfare. Other petro- glyph including de­ piction of hare paenga(boatshaped Figure 5. Petroglyphs of head­ hou e ) and head­ Figure 4. Foundation stone at early ahu, Anakena. The dresses and a hare paenga, from the dre ses are found in petroglyph is of a canoe with end extension north coast of Easter Island. Rapa Nui Journal 6 Vol II (I) March 1997 https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol11/iss1/2 2 Lee: Petroglyph Motif Distribution in East Polynesia onl one part of the island. al 0 Two other elem nts et In Miru terntory (fig.S). The Rapa ui" petroglyph rallonale for thi di tributlon I. apart from the re t of Poly­ not known. although both de­ ne ian rock art: variety and "'Ign~ arc as.ocwted with king- calc. In the Marque a and hip and talU~. clUal hou ... e IIawallan I 'Iand . deign foundation... are found all tend to be homogenou a' around the I. land 0 It i cun­ well as mall in scale. Rapa ou that petroglyph of hare ui' de ign are al 0 paenga arc re tri ted to one deeply carved or, in th case area. of ·Orongo. in ba re­ Rapa Ul ha orne interet­ lief-an extra tep to create Ing .....ea creature" petroglyph~. deep hadow and form. more than all the other Polym:­ ~Ian Islands-and In staggel'lng Hawai'j and the Mar­ variety. There are sharks, tuna, quesas whale. octopus. wordfish, eel. The adventurous Poly­ a well as plain old generic fish ne.