This book is the first comprehensive documentation of Rongorongo, Easter Island's enigmatic script and Oceania's only known pre-twentieth-century writing system. The author tells the full history of rongorongo's exciting discovery and the many attempts at a decipherment and provides full transcriptions of all the 25 surviving rongorongo inscriptions along with detailed photographs of nearly every incised artifact.
This eloquent and detailed Taranki history has grown out of research for the Ngati Ruanui tribal treaty claim against the New Zealand Crown. From pre-Hawaiki times it follows the Aotea canoe from Ranigatea in the Pacific to New Zealand Aotearoa and the settlement of Turi and his people at Patea. The battles and alliances over the centuries and the rich and varied Ngati Ruanui history form the narrative background for the arrival of Pakeha from Europe and the devastation and land confiscations that followed. The story of the successful negotiation of the Ngati Ruanui treaty settlement and the creation of Te Rananga o Ngati Ruanui is told here for the first time. The central theme of this important book is the unwavering determination of the Ngati Ruanui tribe to hold on to their land and their autonomy.
After successfully deciphering the Rongorongo script of Easter Island, Steven Roger Fischer gained a unique place in the pantheon of glyphbreakers: he is the only person to have deciphered not one but two ancient scripts. Both of these scripts yield clues of great historical importance. Fischers previous decipherment, of a Cretan artefact called the Phaistos Disk, provided the key to the ancient Minoan language and showed it to be closely related to Mycenaean Greek. Fischer's decipherment of Rongorongo shows that it was not merely a mnemonic device for recalling memorised texts, but was actually read and used for creative composition. This is the exciting story of these two decipherments, by the man who now must rank as the greatest glyphbreaker of all time.
Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as it is known to its inhabitants, is located in the Pacific Ocean, 3600 kilometres west of South America. Annexed by Chile in 1888, the island has been a source of fascination for the world beyond the island since the first visit by Europeans in 1722 due to its intriguing statues and complex history. Inventing 'Easter Island' examines narrative strategies and visual conventions in the discursive construction of 'Easter Island' as distinct from the native conception of 'Rapa Nui.' It looks at the geographic imaginary that pervaded the eighteenth century, a period of overwhelming imperial expansion. Beverley Haun begins with a discussion of forces that shaped the European version of island culture and goes on to consider the representation of that culture in the form of explorer texts and illustrations, as well as more recent texts and images in comic books and kitsch from off the island. Throughout, 'Easter Island' is used as a case study of the impact of imperialism on the view of a culture from outside. The study hinges on three key points - an inquiry into the formation of 'Easter Island' as a subject; an examination of how the constructed space and culture have been shaped, reshaped, and represented in discursive spaces; and a discussion of cultural memory and how the constraints of foreign texts and images have shaped thought and action about 'Easter Island.' Richly illustrated and unique in its findings, Inventing 'Easter Island' will appeal to cultural theorists, anthropologists, educators, and anyone interested in the history of the South Pacific.
Two dozen or so wooden tablets discovered on Easter Island late in the nineteenth century are all that remain of rongorongo--a series of glyphs thought to be the writing system of the island's lost people. In Words Out of Wood, M. de Laat explores the construction and use of these enigmatic figures and makes a compelling case that rongorongo, despite its resistance to decipherment, constitutes nothing less than a fully developed script. Reproduced here in clear, full-page illustrations, the glyphs stand alongside the great moai statues as lasting monuments of the inventiveness and artistry of the remote Pacific island.
๐ด **Discover the Enigmatic World of Rapa Nui** ๐ด ๐ **Easter Island: Secret History of a Lost Island** ๐ Are you ready to unlock the mysteries of one of the most intriguing places on Earth? Dive into the captivating narrative of **Easter Island**, also known as Rapa Nui, and uncover the secrets that have fascinated explorers and scholars for centuries. This groundbreaking book takes you on a journey through the island's rich history, ancient rituals, and the monumental challenges it faces today. โจ **What's Inside:** - **Ancient Origins** ๐ถ: Trace the incredible voyages that brought the first settlers to Easter Island and explore how they shaped this remote land with their unique cultural practices. - **The Moai Statues** ๐ฟ: Delve into the artistry and symbolism behind the iconic moai statues. Discover the methods used to create and transport these colossal figures, and understand their profound role in Rapanui society. - **Colonial Encounters** ๐: Learn about the impact of European contact, from the introduction of diseases to the upheaval of traditional ways of life, and how these events reshaped the island's destiny. - **Cultural Resilience** ๐บ: Explore the remarkable efforts of the Rapanui people to revive their traditions and culture amidst modern challenges, including the balancing act between preserving heritage and managing tourism. - **Modern Challenges** ๐: Gain insight into the contemporary struggles of Easter Island, including environmental sustainability, political autonomy, and the quest for a harmonious future. **Easter Island: Secret History of a Lost Island** is more than just a book; it's an immersive experience that transports you to a land where history, culture, and mystery converge. With vivid descriptions, stunning illustrations, and in-depth research, this book offers a comprehensive look at one of the world's most enigmatic and remote locations. ๐ **Why You'll Love This Book:** - **Intriguing Insights**: Unveil the hidden stories and lesser-known facts about Easter Island that will captivate history buffs and casual readers alike. - **Cultural Richness**: Appreciate the depth and diversity of Rapanui culture, from ancient myths to modern-day struggles. - **Thought-Provoking Analysis**: Reflect on the complex interplay between tradition and modernity, and the island's role in the global narrative. Whether you're an armchair traveler, a history enthusiast, or someone fascinated by the mysteries of the world, **Easter Island: Secret History of a Lost Island** offers a compelling and enlightening read. Donโt miss your chance to explore the hidden depths of this remarkable island. ๐ **Order your copy today and embark on a journey to uncover the secrets of Easter Island!** ๐ โจ **Available now in bookstores and online.** โจ
A portrait of the first woman archaeologist to work in Polynesia documents Routledge's experiences on Easter Island, beginning with the launch of the 1913 Mana Expedition and continuing with her emersion into local customs and beliefs and battle with schizophrenia.
This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International licence. It is free to read on the Oxford Academic platform and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. Writing from Invention to Decipherment contains a wealth of global scholarship on ancient writing systems from China, Mesopotamia, Central America, and the Mediterranean, to more recent newly created scripts such as the Rongorongo from Easter Island, the Caroline Island scripts, as well as the alphabet. The aim is to dig into the foundations of writing, showcasing the complexities and varieties of scripts, from their invention to the potential decipherment of poorly understood scripts. The volume offers state-of-the-art research on undeciphered scripts from the Aegean (as for example, Cretan Hieroglyphic and Linear A) or not completely deciphered (as for example Maya) scripts. From a methodological perspective, these contributions lay out how and why writing was invented, who used it, and to what ends. Here writing is presented as a multi-modal cultural phenomenon, that intersects and transcends neat discipline boundaries, within an inclusive approach bridging archaeology, linguistics, epigraphy, and cognitive studies.
