Rapa Nui Notes is an international newsletter published four times per year for the benefit of all thoseinterested in the archaeology and anthropology ofEaster Island. Correspondence, briefarticles, photographs, drawings, reviews of books and films, announcements of conferences and publications, andrelated materials are invited, but we cannot be responSible for unsolicited items or anything submittedwithout adequate return postage or International Reply Coupon. Subscription rates: US 4 issues $12;foreign 4 issues $20 sent airmail; US funds only, please. Address: Georgia Lee, Ph.D., Rapa NuiNotes,P.O. Box 1275, San Luis Obispo CA 93406 USA.
Never one for drifting on a balsa raft in thevast South Pacific OCean, I made my most recent tripto Easter Island in the lap of luxury--on thelegendary Sea Cloud, a 4-masted, square-riggedsailing barque. As lecturer on this SmithsonianInstitution cruise, I had the opportunity of savoringthe elegant ship, fabulous food, and interestingpassengers as we sailed from Panama to the GalapagosIslands, and then on to Rapa Nui. For ten days we sawno signs of life and really got the feeling for theenormity of the Pacific, and new respect for thoseintrepid Polynesians who set off in their doublecanoes. We finally arrived off the tip of Poikebefore dawn and gradually, as the outline of theisland became visible, familiar landmarks began toappear. The island was green and lovely, and abrilliant rainbow arched over Rano Raraku as if ingreeting.
We sailed along the south coast, around Motu Nui, andthen at last Hangaroa came into view. Through fieldglasses I saw an amazing new structure at the head ofTe pito de Henua street! The remodeling of theEglesia de Santa Cruz--a project headed by NicoHaoa--has transformed it. The structural changesinclude a new arched entry porch and a bell tower.Construction is continuing, and new woodcarvings willeventually grace the entry. The carvings willrepresent Fr. Sebastian Englert and Brother EugeneEyraud.
The church's new facade gleams in the afternoon sun.
A wood carving of a kavakava figure was foundfloating off the south coast of the island not longago. Theories abound as to its origin--perhaps ithad been hidden in a secret cave since ancient timesand only just was washed out into the ocean, etc.However, it is in fairly good condition and theinlaid eyes are intact. This argues against a greatdeal of age, given the rapid deterioration of wood onthe island. It is in the hands of the Pakaratifamily who are charging 1000 pesos for a look. As aresult, few have actually seen it.
Seiko watches of Japan have donated a town clockwhich now graces the intersection of Policarpo Toroand Te pito te Henua Streets.
According to El Mercurio and informationreceived on the island, the most important finds madeby Thor Heyerdahl during his Anakena dig are datablematerials such as bones of turtle, dolphin, fish, andchicken. He also found a bone harpoon of the typeused in the Marquesas. The excavations discovered aburied structure with vertical stonework and apavement which dates (C-14) to 1100 A.D., an earlieroccupation dates to 800 A.D.
A wall, presumably of an earlier ahu, wasuncovered, it is 70 meters long and the upper-stonesare visible on the surface. Some lumps of partiallyshaped coral were uncovered, but while these aremodified, they are not -eyes- as was mistakenlyreported in the Chilean press.
The almost complete lack of fish hooks at thelowest levels indicates· to Heyerdahl that the firstmigrants were from Tiahuanaco, and thus they lacked atradition of fishing. El Mercurio adds that, despiteHeyerdahl's beliefs, all evidence coming fromPolynesian archaeology points to the Marquesas as theplace of origin for the first Easter Islanders.
A fragment of a very strangecarving was also excavated. Ithas been called the ·head of afemale statue· with a -headdress·.It has two worked cavitiesresembl ing eyes on one side, butother than that, I see little torecommend it as a statue of ananthropomorph, and to describe thebroken top as a headdress iscertainly stretching theimagination. As -eyes·, thecavities are too close togetherand totally out of the mainstreamof Rapa Nui sculpturalaesthetics. Assymetrical knobsare on the sides and it has adecided ridge running down oneside. This fragment is 97 cm highby 31 cm wide. What might thisstrange sculpture represent? Wealready have several interestingand pithy suggestions, and welcomeyours!
An art gallery and bookstore is a new additionto the village of Hangaroa. Christian Walter'sgallery will feature paintings and sculpture byisland artists.
More vanda I ism has been reported, this time atthe statue quarry, Rano Raraku. Moai '62 on theexterior slope of the quarry was badly damaged by twolarge sets of initials gouged on the chest of thestatue. A construction worker from the mainland,employed in the renovation of the island's schoolbuilding, was identified [apparently by hisinitials], and arrested.
Rosita Cardinale has renamed her residencia, itis now called the Ota'i, and a spacious new diningroom, bar and kitchen are nearly completed.
The Search for Elusive Abu Rikiriki[From personal reminescences and notes written
by Emily Mulloy in 1961: we are grateful to Emily forsharing her information with us.]
The mysterious and elusive Ahu Rikiriki wasfirst reported by Thomson in 1891, and havingappeared once in print, the site gatheredauthenticity over the years as more and more writersquoted from Thomson (and then Routledge) withoutmaking the considerable effort to check it out. Ithas never been photographed.
Thomson (1891:513) describes Rikiriki [trans:very small, very little] as being at the extremesouthwest end of the island, remarkably placed midwaybetween the sea and the top, on the face of aperpendicular cliff nearly 1000 feet high. He statesthat 16 small statues are lying on this platform andseem to be in excellent condition. ·We could find noway of reaching the narrow ledge upon which thisplatform stands. No roads lead down from the top: itcan not be approached from either side, and frombelow it is a straight up and down wall against whichthe sea dashes continually. It is hardly probablethat the images were lowered from the top by ropes,and the naj:ural c9nc].usion is , tha.h~1;9ad,..ay once_'existed •••• •
When Routledge (1919:174) came to the island 28years later, she noted, ·One row of images, on theextreme western edge of the crater of Rano Kao, whichwere visible, although inaccessible, at the time ofthe visit of the U.S.A. ship Mohican in 1886, are nowlying on the shore a thousand feet below.·
Clearly neither Thomson nor Routledge descendedthe cliffs to check out this so-called ahu and its 16moai although, as she did visit the off-shore isletof Motu Nui, it is possible that Routledge viewed thesite from sea.
Stories about this ahu continued, despite itsimprobable and unlikely location. When Emily andBill Mulloy were on the island in 1960, during thelate archaeologist's field work, various individualspointed out the ·statues· from above, and FatherSebastian Englert was convinced they must had beentransported to their location by sea.
Development UnderwayA government project to remodel the school is in
full swing. The buildings are receiving a face-liftplus new lighting and other improvements both to theclassrooms and the auditorium. It is hoped that twomore grades can be added to the school, taking thestudents through the 12th grade. Stress will be onvocational training.
The projected breakwater and harbor are shelvedfor the moment. Instead, there are plans to deepenthe bay at Hanga piko to accomodate larger boats fromChile. There is also talk of a fish packing plant tobe built at Hanga Piko to process deep water fishwhich will presumably be caught by the Chileanfishing boats.
The government of Chile is providing prefabhousing for needy islanders. These are being erectedon land belonging to islanders who wish them for$1000 U.S. If an islander has no land, the governmentis providing it. It is expected that there will be100 of these houses up by next December. They aredesigned so that they can be added onto and expandedeasily. As they are, they have 2 bedrooms,living/kitchen and bath. The government is alsofixing up fifty unfinished houses already around thevillage. They will be roofed and stuccoed: windowsand doors will be added, as well as electricity, anda bath. This certainly will be an improvement asmany partially finished houses around the villageconstitute an eyesore.
It hard to imagine how this ahu and its statuescould have been placed in such a perilous place. Thesite was said to be located at the foot of theexterior crater wall of Rano Kau, between theprecipice and the sea. The only possible access wasfrom the sea, over dangerously rocky shore, or byrope descent of the cliff for some 100 meters. Howdid the ancient Easter Islanders manage to create anahu there? And how did they manage to bring moaithere, set them up, and carryon their ceremonies,and then later, destroy it?
December 1960 found Bill Mulloy confined to bedwith hepititis, which islanders thought had beenbrought on by ·akuaku· spirits who were takingrevenge for his having entered secret caves [morelikely, it appears it was due to something he ate ordrank on a passing ship which had recently come fromSoutheast Asia]. Emily set off on an expedition tosee the legendary Rikiriki. She was accompanied byher daughter Kathy, the Chilean archaeologist GonzaloFigueroa, and several other friends.
At this time, there were but three vehicles onthe island. One belonged to the Navy, one to theAliforc~, and_one--a _ ~ep left behind by theHeyerdahl expedition--belonged to Father SebastianEnglert. For this trip, they traveled by Airforcejeep.
The expedition's plan was for the men to descendthe cliff while Emily took pictures. The jeep driverwas to wait on top in case of an accident.
In those days, just to reach the drop off point was atrip in itself. To approach from the side of Orongowas impossible for the cliff drops off abruptly inall directions--toward the sea and toward theinterior of the caldera. At Kari Kari, the craterwall has a large dip in it. Abu Rikiriki was reputedto be just below the lowest point of Karikari so theplan was to reach it from the east. The group droveas far as Vinapu and then started up the side of thevolcano. There were no roads in those days andseveral times it was necessary to stop and take down,and then replace, barbed wire fences that barred theway. Large chunks of basalt had to be moved in orderto clear a path for the jeep.
One of the new prefabricated government houses builtfor islanders
Beginning in September, 2000 palms will beplanted around the airport and the village to providea more tropical effect for incoming tourists. Someconcern was expressed for the palms now on the islandthat seem to be under attact from larvae. Any palmtree specialists out there amongst our readers?
The new archeological museum is completed and itis wonderful. Empty, but wonderful. The lightingand exhibits have not been installed. It has greatpromise, and I for one can hardly wait to see thefinished product.
byEmily Mulloy
By the time they reached the cliff edge, italready was into the afternoon. Then time was neededto fix the ropes and prepare for the descent.
Even to reach the one "solid" rock to which arope could be fastened involved a frighteninghalf-crawling, half-sliding descent down a steepslope covered with slippery grass. Most of the rocksaround the rim of the crater are themselves erodedand loosely attached, so that one must search to findone firm enough to bear the weight of men climbingdown a rope. At last this was accomplished, and themen descended, one by one, and disappeared under theoverhanging cliffs. Much later they could be seenagain, as tiny doll-like figures, still descending onhands and knees due to the steepness of the slope.At last they reached the shoreline, being hidden attimes by immense house-sized boulders which hadfallen from the cliffs above.
It was almost dusk when they began to return tothe top of the cliff. Gonzalo was the last to climbup, exhausted. But they had explored every possiblebit of terrain below, without finding any trace ofahu, moai, or any other evidence of any sort of humanactivity.
Emily and Bill Mulloy on Easter Island in 1972(Photo by Grant McCall)
story to fit the circumstances, whether to suit aparticular listener's interest, or to fit anewly-discovered fact into the context of folklore.
From above, the large blocks of stone which have arectangular shape might appear to be tipped-overstatues, but on approaching them, they turned out tobe naturally-fractured stone. Not only that, but hadthey been statues, their size would have dwarfed allbut the largest moai at Rano Raraku.
The whole legend of Ahu Rikiriki thus proved tohave no basis in fact. Like so many of the legendsabout Easter Island, it owed its perpetuation to thefact that no one before had ever bothered toinvestigate but had simply taken the word of others.
It didn't take long for word to get around thevillage. Stories now came out as to how they knewall the time that no ahu existed there. The samepeople who claimed to have seen it now changed theirstories and remembered that as small children theyhad gone there to fish and there had been no ahu norstatues. This is one of the most characteristictraits of Easter Islanders: an ability to adapt a
By the following month when another trip wasmade to the other end of the island, Ahu Rikiriki hadbeen moved, bag and baggage and statues, to an evenless accessible location beneath the perpendicularcliffs at the foot of the extinct volcano, Poike. Itwill probably remain there, as few will care to risktheir lives to disprove it.
In recent years, survey teams with theUniversidad de Chile rechecked this same area andconfirmed that no cultural remains lie below or onthe cliffs. Yet old legends die hard. as late as1984, islanders were still making references toRikiriki and in addition, some insisted that a moaiwas located on the interior slopes of the caldera ofRano Kau. Lee personally checked this latter rumor,which also proved to be false. Today, rumors persistof buried petroglyph sites and "lost" caves withwonderful paintings and petroglyphs in them. arethese for real, or are we again dealing with figmentsof imagination?
Charlie Love and the late R.P. Alexanderre-discovered it when they literally stumbled overit. The stone is being used as a footscraper at thewest entrance to the museum!
One might assume that almost anything could be afoot scraper, but a petroglyph from Orongo belongsinside a museum. It would be a nice gesture if theyreturned it to Rapa Nui for display in the newmuseum.
An Earthwatch project under the direction of Dr.Christopher Stevenson will take place on EasterIsland in September of this year. The project willinvolve excavations in the area of the south coast.Contact Earthwatch for more information.
the cliffsof excitingsalt water
The new Hotel Iorana, located onsouth of Hanga Piko, is causing lotswaves for tourists with its newgrotto/pool at the edge of the ocean.
Artifact Underfoot in DCA petroglyph stone, originally from Orongo, has
been spotted at the Carnegie Museum in WashingtonD.C. Described as a carved doorpost, it isillustrated in Katherine Routledge's Mystery ofEaster Island (1919:Fig. 109) and since that time, itseemed to have disappeared from sight.
Conservation tests are still in process on thestatue at Kio'e, plus test "spots" on statues atAnakena, One Mahiki, and Vaihu. Further checking andtesting will continue in June. It is said that theproduct being tested will prevent further erosion andweathering of the stone.
(Photo: Eric Hochberg).
A Great White shark was caught off Anakena lastyear. positive identification was made by a recentvisitor to the island, Dr. Eric Hochberg of the SantaBarbara Museum of Natural History in California.Hochberg identified the shark by its AWESOMEjaws--all that remained of the creature, for it waspromptly eaten by islanders.
The Museo Sociedad Fonck in Vina del Mar has anice new catalog concerning the Rapa Nui artifacts intheir collections. Its title: Catalogo de lacoleccion Pascuense.
Also new on the island this year are excellentfull-color maps. These are a vast improvement overthe previously available ones. They unfold tomeasuie 25 by 35 inches, and sellon the island foru.S. $10. For' information, contact Antoni Pujador,Balmes 334-335, 2an, 4b; 08006, Barcelona, s~ain.
Discover magazine, May 1987, has an interestingshort art1cle about Rapa Nui (page 9). It is titlea·Toppled Statues and Upended Theories·, and cites Dr.Jo Anne Van Tilburg' s statue research. The articl",concludes: "Experts on OCeania have'•••convincinglypresented the case that the practices of the originalRapa Nui •••were similar to those of peoplesthroughout Polynesia. For his part,Heyerdahl ••• continues promoting his own theories,while presenting no compelling new evidence on theirbehalf.·
A beautiful new full-color photographic essayabout Rapa Nui is in the island's stores. Publishedin Chile, the text is in English, Spanish, andFrench. The photographs are outstanding. The titleis Rapa Nui, donde cordialidad no es un misterio, byGeorge Munro; both the quality of the pictures andthe vision of the artist are excellent. In theForward, the author states, ·Values so vital totoday's man, such as tenderness, cu1ture and peace,remain constantly available to humanity in thisisolated spot of the world.· The publisher isPublicidad y Ediciones S.A., Santiago de Chile, 1985;I hope to have information on how this can beobtained in 'the U.S. in the next issue of Rapa NuiNotes.
The Institute of Archaeology at UCLA is offering,a 10% discount on their Easter Island issue toreaders of Rapa Nui Notes. This is the Journal of NewWorld Archaeology VII:l, 1986, which sells for $8;readers may order for $7.20 plus $1.50postage/handling. This 72 page paperback volume hasmaps, drawings and black and white photographs,glossary and references; it contains papers by SergioRapu, Jo Anne Van Tilburg, Christopher Stevenson andClaudio Cristino, Georgia Lee, and Joan Seaver.Subjects range from prehistoric settlement patternsto statues and petroglyphs, to ethnoarchaeology.Write Journal of New World Archaeology, The Instituteof Archaeology, University of California, LosAngeles, CA 90024.
JNWA Features Easter Island
Anyone for Zagreb?The 12th International Congress of
Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences will beheld in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, from July 24-31, 1988.Two symposia on Easter Island will be held as part ofthe proceedings: 1) ;:aster Island--Archaeology,Ethnology and Linguistics. For information, contactthe organizer, S.V. Rjabchikov, Krasnoarmejskaja 1,Krasnodar 350023, USSR; ,and' 2) Island Archaeology,contact Willam S. Ayers, Department of Anthropology,University of Oregon" Eugene OR 97403.
Papers concerning rock art conservation werefeatured at the recent American Rock Art ResearchAssociation meeting, May 23-25 in St. George, Utah.As part of this landmark conference, a report titled·Problems of Conservation and Preservation of RockArt on Easter Island" was presented by Georgia Lee.These papers will be pUblished by ARARA in the nearfuture.
Publications4
Ana Maria Arredondo has a manuscript (inSpanish) looking for a publisher. It is abouttattooing and body painting on Easter Island andcovers pigment, tapa figures, and legends concerningtattoo, illustrated by photographs and drawings. Hermanuscript also includes biographies ,of, the last twofemales on the island who were tattooed.
Back Issues AvailableIf you want to have a complete set of Rapa Nui
Notes and missed some, earlier issues are availablefor U.S. $3 each.
The current issue of Rock Art Research, theJournal of the Australian---Rock Art ResearchAssociation, Volume 4 (1), May 1987, has a four-pageillustrated article about Easter Is land by GeorgiaLee, and titled ·The cosmic komari." The paperdiscusses the ubiquitous vulva form petroglyph foundon the island, and its significance for ancientPolynesian sexual mores in general.
\-.
Cominrgsin~,~utureIssues"Rell-gious" .:-Records in the Easter Island
Tablets'~'"'- by -Sergej v. Rjabchikov [USSR); and ·TheMany Names of Easter Island,· by Alan S. Coulson.
Rapa Nui Notes 4P.o. Box 1275San Luis Obispo CA 93406
