Easter Island

The conference at Gotland University assembled over 200 Pacific Islands scholars, scientists, students and enthusiasts in the island city of Visby in the middle of the Baltic Sea. Like its predecessors, this conference stimulated to new discussions on the Pacific past, present and future. The conference was co-chaired by Paul Wallin and Helene Martinsson-Wallin, Gotland University and Christopher Stevenson, The Easter Island Foundation. The VII International Conference on Easter Island and the Pacific was the first of its kind to be held in Europe and therefore the ideas of the world of the Pacific expands to a global scale.
This volume contains 6 chapters with 40 papers on updated Pacific research in the fields of archaeology and anthropology. Chapter 1-3 focus on Easter Island (Rapa Nui) research, Chapter  4 on Eastern Polynesia and the question on Pacific-American contacts, Chapter 5 on the Western Pacific and Chapter 6 include Miscellaneous Papers.  The main themes at the conference were migration, identity, and cultural heritage. The keynote speech by Professor John Flenley at the Geography Department of Massey University, New Zealand focused on these issues from a paleobotanical perspective that clearly showed how man changes the environment when arriving into untouched Island landscapes. With this as a starting point and background, the discussion continued into cultural complexity and questions on identity...
We hope this collection of papers prove to be a unique and useful contribution to future research in the Pacific area.

Resumen

El presente artículo considera la historia de Rapa Nui en el siglo XVIII desde dos perspectivas distintas. Primero, examino el desarrollo de la exploración europea de los océanos que resultó en el redescubrimiento de Isla de Pascua por los habitantes del Viejo Mundo; lo hago a base del análisis de los viajes de descubrimiento que se realizaron bajo el mandode Jacob Roggeveen, James Cook (Primera Circumnavegación), Felipe González, James Cook (Segunda Circunnavegación), La Pérouse, y Charles Bishop. Sin embargo, este artículotambién se dedica a la historia de herramientas de navegación que hicieron posible la dicha exploración. A base de los diarios de las expediciones que visitaron Isla de Pascua intento demostrar que estos dos aspectos estaban mucho más entrelazados que se puede imaginar. Que yo sepa, hasta el momento este tema no fue debidamente analizado en la literatura acerca de Rapa Nui.



Palabras clave: exploración oceánica europea, historia de la navegación, Isla de Pascua, Rapa Nui, diarios de navegación



Abstract

In the present paper Easter Island is viewed in the eighteenth century perspective, from two angles. Firstly, I examine the history of the European oceanic exploration which led to the re-discovery of Easter Island by the inhabitants of the Old World, describing and discussing the voyages of discovery led by the following commanders: Jacob Roggeveen, James Cook (First Voyage), Felipe González, James Cook (Second Voyage), La Pérouse, and Charles Bishop. However, the paper also deals with the history of the navigational tools which made this exploration possible. Based on an analysis of the journals from the expeditions that called at Easter Island, the paper strives to show that these aspects depended on each other to a far greater degree than many people are generally aware of. To the best of my knowledge, this subject has not been sufficiently addressed in the literature on Easter Island to date.



Keywords: European oceanic exploration, history of navigation, Easter Island, Rapa Nui, travelogues

The Rapa Nui "ecocide" narrative questions whether the prehistoric population caused an avoidable ecological disaster through rapid deforestation and over-exploitation of natural resources. The objective of this study was to characterize prehistoric human diets to shed light on human adaptability and land use in an island environment with limited resources. Materials for this study included human, faunal, and botanical remains from the archaeological sites Anakena and Ahu Tepeu on Rapa Nui, dating from c. 1400 AD to the historic period, and modern reference material. We used bulk carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses and amino acid compound specific isotope analyses (AA-CSIA) of collagen isolated from prehistoric human and faunal bone, to assess the use of marine versus terrestrial resources and to investigate the underlying baseline values. Similar isotope analyses of archaeological and modern botanical and marine samples were used to characterize the local environment. Re...

The Rapa Nui "ecocide" narrative questions whether the prehistoric population caused an avoidable ecological disaster through rapid deforestation and over-exploitation of natural resources. The objective of this study was to characterize prehistoric human diets to shed light on human adaptability and land use in an island environment with limited resources. Materials for this study included human, faunal, and botanical remains from the archaeological sites Anakena and Ahu Tepeu on Rapa Nui, dating from c. 1400 AD to the historic period, and modern reference material. We used bulk carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses and amino acid compound specific isotope analyses (AA-CSIA) of collagen isolated from prehistoric human and faunal bone, to assess the use of marine versus terrestrial resources and to investigate the underlying baseline values. Similar isotope analyses of archaeological and modern botanical and marine samples were used to characterize the local environment. Re...

Although here in DuPage we are very far from the Pacific, this class will help you become literate with regards to the cultures and histories of Pacific island societies. Each person living in the Pacific is part of an ongoing story of movement, settlement, and adaptation to island environments that has produced remarkable histories of cultural accomplishment and political struggle. Although relatively small in population, the Pacific islands span one-third of the globe, encompass about one fourth of the world’s languages, and include some of its most unique ecological zones. The Pacific has been an object of western world interest and fantasy since the earliest days of exploration, and continues to generate all kinds of exotic images, whether of paradise, of “disappearing” cultures, or threatened ecologies.

In this course, we will be concerned both with the experience of indigenous communities and with representations of the Pacific generated inside and outside the region. Pacific prehistory of travel began with Pleistocene movement of Homo sapiens sapiens, continued with Lapita colonization which gave way to the far-flung voyages of Polynesian navigators. Pacific indigenous settlement was then followed by waves of European explorers, missionaries, and colonizers. These movements have produced dramatic, and often tragic, stories of cultural encounter and transformation. The experience of Pacific communities, past and present, has much to teach us about living in communities that contend with global flows of people, culture, and capital. Today island travelers continue to move through national capitals and metropolitan centers from Honolulu to Los Angeles and Auckland, fashioning new forms and identities that extend the boundaries of the Pacific.

The Annexation of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) by Chile in 1888

Although various nations could claim the right to Easter Island, it
was Chile that finally became the owner of Rapa Nui. The article narrates the history of the annexation, starting from the period of Peruvian slave raids. What follows is a report on missionaries and merchants times, the moment of the cession of sovereignty by the Rapanui in 1888, a commercial exploitation of the island and actions of the Chilean fleet. Important documents are quoted and controversial, doubtful questions are mentioned, such as inconsistencies in the Annexation Treaty.

Rjabchikov, Sergei V., 2019. The Rapanui Manuscript E Reveals Secrets: The Real Bilingual Key to the Rongorongo has been Found. The paper. 6 pages.

The original was first delivered by Sergei V. Rjabchikov as the paper “The Rapanui Manuscript E Reveals Secrets: The Real Bilingual Key to the Rongorongo has been Found” on the scientific session of the Sergei Rjabchikov Foundation – Research Centre for Studies of Ancient Civilisations and Cultures in Krasnodar on February 6, 2019.

Keywords: Easter Island, Rapanui, Rapa Nui, Rapanui, Polynesia, rongorongo, script, writing, Manuscript E, hieroglyphic script

Rjabchikov, Sergei V., 2021. The Forgotten Key to the Easter Island Writing System. Paper. 4 pages.

Abstract. The rongorongo records in the Esteban Atan manuscript are the real clue to the mysterious script of Easter Island (Rapanui).

The original was first delivered by Sergei V. Rjabchikov as the paper “The Forgotten Key to the Easter Island Writing System” on the scientific session of the Sergei Rjabchikov Foundation – Research Centre for Studies of Ancient Civilisations and Cultures in Krasnodar on November 21, 2021.

Keywords: Easter Island, Rapanui, Rapa Nui, Polynesia, rongorongo, script, writing, hieroglyphic script, folklore, Austronesian

In 1911, the Chilean government initiated for the first time a scientific expedition to Rapa Nui (Easter Island), which was part of Chile since 1888. The scientific leader of this expedition was Walter Alfred Knoche, a German who migrated to Chile in 1909. Together with three other Chilean scientists, he spent twelve days on the remote Polynesian island. Neither Walter Knoche nor the expedition itself was noted
since in the scientific community. This article gives a sketch on Knoches biography, mentions some aspects of Knoches book “Die Osterinsel”, and examines the process and the evaluation of the expedition from today’s perspective.

In the year 1770, a Spanish captain named Felipe González de Haedo
visited Easter Island and claimed it for the Spanish Crown. This act, meant as a strategic measure against other European nations, did not carry with it any serious consequences, because Spain was not really interested in this remote territory. Nevertheless, several journals and reports of the voyage were produced, containing valuable knowledge of the island, its people and culture, and some of them were subsequently translated into English (1903, B. C. Corney); at that moment the island was already a Chilean colony. In the present paper I discuss two subjects: 1) the cultural encounter as presented in the original Spanish texts, 2) differences and distortions that can be found in their English translation. When examining this type of documents, we can clearly see an example of double translation and the interpretation process: primo, the European image of an unknown Pacific culture, and secundo, the rendition of this image as seen by an English speaking author. It is of a high interest if not also value to examine how distant is the last  mentioned vision of the culture of Easter Island from its original.

Kokongo, Rōviro and Hansen’s Disease: Medical Doctors on Easter Island (Rapa Nui) in the years 1786–1853

The paper analyses the accounts of medical doctors (and an anthropologist) who happened to visit Easter Island between the years 1786 and 1853. They were, above all, naval surgeons; one of them – Verdugo Binimelis – was also the first medical doctor who resided on the island. Some of them left their memories in form of travelogues, others wrote more formal reports. The topics addressed are the physical appearance and character of the indigenous people, as well as specific medical issues: diseases observed, sanitary problems, the question of leprosy, the condition of the local hospital, the epidemics of measles and a viral infection known as kokongo, etc. One of the most interesting accounts was written by Chauvet who – without having visited the island – undertook the analysis of typical Rapanui wooden figures moai kava kava from the medical perspective. The paper also comments on the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

"No subject in science can be deeply understood without the history of its roots and the human story behind it. This fine collection of essays does precisely that. It offers a well edited and refreshing approach to the way ‘monsters’ are produced about the past of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) when we put our scientific mind to rest. The bundle is concluded with a nice and very welcome overview of the state of affairs in the field of rongorongo inscriptions". - Jan J. Boersema, Leiden University, Author of "The Survival of Easter Island" (CUP, 2015)

Many ancient cultures around the world have legends of the Birdman, which describe in various forms some sort of half-human, half-avian creature. These tales are possibly connected to our universal psychological yearnings for flight. In liturgical literature and visual art, for instance, the appearance of angels, or simply humans with wings, may be the result of our innate desire to soar above the Earth into the realm of God. The soul itself is sometimes portrayed as winging up to heaven. More archaic traditions conceptualize the bird as a psychopomp, carrying the soul to the underworld.

In this dissertation, cultural heritage is understood as a constructed reality, which in recent decades has ceased to be monopolized by states and elites, so that new patrimonies have emerged, defined from local spaces with increasing participation of social movements. Subaltern groups, including indigenous peoples, are interested and involved in the selection of their heritage, according to a vision built by them on their own identity. We assumed that the binomial identity / heritage can have an economic use, favoring the distinction of touristic destinations and the denomination of origin of certain products and enterprises. Also, performances of intangible heritage and ethno-commodities in which an ethnic identity is represented, can be sold to tourists or intermediaries. Identity and heritage can also be used politically, for example, within regionalist movements and in the context of ethnic struggles. As some authors have proposed (Comaroff & Comaroff, 2009; Escobar, 1995; Van den Berghe, 1994), we believe that, under certain conditions, the economic uses of cultural identity may support their regeneration. In this PhD thesis, we analyze the economic use of rapanui identity through tourism in Easter Island and its possible reciprocal enhancement with the political use of this identity and the associated heritage, in a context of increasing quest of self-determination by the rapanui ethnic group.

El estudio genealógico en Rapa Nui ha demostrado ser un campo de importancia histórica y antropológica capital. No sólo en lo que concierne la sociedad del pasado, sino también a la sociedad contemporánea. Este escrito tiene tres finalidades. Primero, reunir en un mismo lugar información genealógica que se encuentra dispersa en distintas publicaciones. Aquí sólo nos concentraremos en las genealogías de los ‘ariki  y en las genealogías  de fundación. En segundo lugar,  discutimos algunos elementos conceptuales sobre el contenido del sistema de parentesco rapanui, necesarios para entender el lugar privilegiado que las genealogías tienen en la sociedad rapanui. Finalmente, se levanta una reflexión  sobre los usos de las genealogías en la fabricación de una noción de autoctonía rapanui.

Als ein Ergebnis der Kolonialzeit wird die Weltsprache Spanisch heute nicht nur in Europa und den Amerikas, sondern auch in Asien und Ozeanien gesprochen. Dieser Band erschliesst der Linguistik die asiatisch-ozeanische Hispanophonie erstmals als sprachliches Areal. In den Blick genommen werden die drei wichtigsten Sprach- und gleichzeitig Kontaktraeume des Spanischen in Asien und Ozeanien: die Marianen, die Osterinsel und die Philippinen. Die hier gesprochenen lokalen Varietaeten des Spanischen wie auch die autochthonen Sprachen (Chamoru, Rapanui, Cebuano und Chabacano) werden linguistisch mehrdimensional - strukturell, soziohistorisch und kontakttheoretisch - untersucht. Dabei wird der Frage nachgegangen, in welcher Hinsicht die Varietaeten des Spanischen in Asien und Ozeanien ein separates sprachliches Areal darstellen und welche Bedeutung dem Sprachkontakt zukommt.

Ang ating bansang Pilipinas at ang Rapa Nui (RN) o Easter Island at Polynesyang Pranses (PP) o French Polynesia ay may iisang Austronesyanong pinagmulan. Makikita ang pagkakaisang ito sa larangan ng linggwistika, henetika, etnograpiya, at arkeolohiya. Noong 2014, naglakbay ang may-akda sa RN at PP upang pag-aralan ang ugnayang ito. Sa papel na ito, unang tatalakayin ang mga ebidensyang linggwistikal. Pagkatapos, dadako sa kaparehong interesanteng patunay sa larangan ng henetika. Tatapusin ang artikulo sa pagtalakay ng pagkakaisa sa mga dating relihiyon. Ang una sa pagkakaisa sa mga relihiyong ito ang pagtatangi sa mga yumaong ninuno. Ang pangalawa nama’y ang pagtatangi sa mga anito na pinaniniwalaang nananahan sa tatlong antas ng Austronesyanong kosmos. Hinubog ng mga paniniwalang ito ang lahat ng aspeto ng pamumuhay nila. Matingkad ang pagkakaisa ng mga pamayanan ng mga Austronesyano. May iisang diwa ang nananalaytay sa ating bansa at sa mga nasabing pinakamalayong lupaing inabot ng ating iisang ninuno.

La notion d'une ligne reliant des sites archéologiques entre eux et créant un lien entre eux a été avancé par plusieurs acteurs de l'archéologie alternative.
Cet article tente de démontrer que ces liens sont totalement factices et ne reposent sur aucune donnée archéologiques ou culturelle.

Rjabchikov, Sergei V., 2022. The Rapanui Rock Picture about the Explorers: The Plot has been Decoded Entirely. Paper. 9 pages.

Abstract. In this paper Sergei V. Rjabchikov offers the complete interpretation of the Rapanui petroglyph of the explorer canoe and its crew on the basis of the readings of the famous rongorongo script of Easter Island.

The original was first delivered by Sergei V. Rjabchikov as the paper “The Rapanui Rock Picture about the Explorers: The Plot has been Decoded Entirely” on the scientific session of the Sergei Rjabchikov Foundation – Research Centre for Studies of Ancient Civilisations and Cultures in Krasnodar on April 5, 2022.

Keywords: Easter Island, Rapanui, Rapa Nui, Polynesia, rongorongo, script, writing, hieroglyphic script, folklore, Austronesian

Resumen. Isla de Pascua, un territorio de unos 170 km 2 , poblado por unas 6 mil personas, puede equipararse a un pueblo o una aldea. Desde 1888 Rapa Nui pertenece a Chile; situada a la distancia de 3700 km de sus costas, cumple con la definición de un área periférica. Tras la primera visita europea en 1722 y otras expediciones que se produjeron a lo largo del siglo XVIII, a partir de la mitad del siglo XIX la isla sufrió cambios culturales y sociales de gran magnitud. Acabadas las razzias esclavistas, la población decimada por enfermedades contagiosas fue evangelizada por los misioneros; luego la isla fue convertida en un rancho de ovejas por comerciantes extranjeros. Mientras tanto fue anexionada a Chile. Ya en el siglo XX Rapa Nui fue escena de dos levantamientos de los indígenas, quienes tenían que esperar hasta 1966 a que se les otorgase la ciudadanía plena. En 2007 la reforma constitucional transformó Isla de Pascua en el llamado Territorio Especial, pero los problemas de la pequeña comunidad rapanui no terminaron. Hoy los pascuenses intentan luchar por un mayor grado de autodeterminación y contra la avalancha de turistas que pone en peligro el medio ambiente insular y su riqueza arqueológica.

This revised version of this article (originally written in 2010), deals with the political organization adaptations carried out by the Rapanui people since the destruction of its social and cultural order in the decade of the 1860s, a destruction caused by external factors (edpidemics and christianization). With a community reduced to a little more than a hunderd inhabitants, the Rapanui created new systems of representation, based on young visible leaderships, although subject to a powerful supervision --and sometimes even direction-- by elderly men and women. On the other hand, the sovereign power was based mostly on the people instead of the now shrunken territory, with a Community secluded in Hanga Roa. Some few elements of continuity from the Pre-Christian era can be observed in these new leaderships, linking the political guiding symbolically with the times of the 'Ariki Mau and Tangata Manu, among others.

Resumen:
La versión revisada de este artículo (originalmente escrito en 2010) se sumerge en las adaptaciones efectuadas por el pueblo rapanui a nivel de organización política desde la destrucción de su orden social y cultural en la década de 1860, producida por factores externos (epidemias y cristianización). Con una comunidad reducida a algo más de un centenar de habitantes, los rapanui generaron nuevos sistemas de representación, en base a liderazgos visibles más bien jóvenes, aunque sujetos a una poderosa fiscalización, y ocasionalmente dirección, de hombres y mujeres mayores. Por otra parte, la base del poder soberano pasó a ser más “la gente” que “el territorio”, con una comunidad enclaustrada en Hanga Roa. Ciertos elementos de continuidad pueden apreciarse, de todas maneras, entre estos nuevos liderazgos y los sistemas anteriores al colapso de 1860, vinculando la dirección política de la comunidad con los tiempos de los ‘ariki mau y el tangata manu ente otros.

The National Musuem of Ireland, Dublin, holds over 200 objects which may have been collected on the second and third voyages of Captain James Cook. These were given by Surgeon James Patten and Captain James King, and two recently identified additional donors, Captain John Williamson and carpenter George Barber.

This paper examines their acquisition and display in the museum of Trinity College, Dublin from the foundation of the College museum in 1777 until their transfer to the newly established Dublin Museum of Science and Art, (now the National Museum of Ireland).

Los primeros en reproducir las hazañas de los antiguos navegantes polinesios fueron los tripulantes de la canoa de navegación tradicional hawaiiana Hokulea, en 1976. El tema se trató más recientemente en la exitosa película de Disney Moana. Pero, ¿qué sabemos verdaderamente de la etnoastronomía de los que colonizaron Rapa Nui, aquella isla remota, la más alejada de las antiguas rutas comerciales de los polinesios? //
The formidable navigational skills of the Polynesians were first replicated by the Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hokulea and her crew in 1976, and have most recently been featured in Disney’s film Moana. But what do we know about the ethnoastronomy of those who settled Rapa Nui, the most isolated trade outpost in ancient Polynesia? Read on and learn.

Easter Island is one of few places around the World where writing was independently invented. Some publications say that there were three different writing systems on the island: Kohau Rongorongo, Ta‘u and Mama. Kohau Rongorongo was first reported in 1864, Ta‘u in 1919 and Mama in 1959. This work presents a comparative study of the inscriptions in Rongorongo, Ta‘u, Mama and the texts in Rapanui, the language spoken on the island. Certain structural patterns of rongorongo resemble those of a Polynesian language written in a syllabic notation. In contrast, Ta‘u and Mama lack these combinatorial properties. Our analysis suggests that Kohau Rongorongo has high chances to be a script, which is not the case of Ta‘u and Mama that seem to be imitations of Rongorongo developed at the late stage.

Resumen
En el presente artículo deseo ocuparme de un episodio que tenía lugar durante la visita del Capitán James Cook en Isla de Pascua (1774) y fue descrito, entre otros, por los Forster, naturalistas de su tripulación (precisamente, eran supernumerarios). Se trata del primer encuentro entre un indígena rapanui y los exploradores, que se produjo a bordo de “Resolution”. A mi parecer, la explicación de los hechos, presentada por George Forster, constituye un ejemplo de malendentido o interpretación errónea de lo ocurrido. Que yo sepa, hasta el presente momento este error no ha sido descubierto por los expertos en el tema de la exploración temprana de Isla de Pascua.

Summary
In this present paper I would like to expound and explain an event that took place during the visit of Captain James Cook to Easter Island (1774), and was described, among others, by the Forsters – the naturalists belonging to his crew (strictly speaking, they were supernumeraries). It was the scene of the first encounter between an indigenous Rapanui and the explorers aboard the “Resolution”. To my mind, the presentation of the episode, offered by George Forster, constitutes an example of misunderstanding or misinterpretation of what really had happened. To the best of my knowledge, this mistake has not previously been discovered by researchers specializing in the early exploration of Easter Island.

Rjabchikov, Sergei V., 2022. The Mystery of the Dog in the Marquesan Rock Art has been Solved. Paper. 2 pages.

Abstract. Sergei V. Rjabchikov studies the drawing on a boulder, Nuku Hiva, the Marquesas Islands. As a result, the mixture of the Peruvian and Polynesian mythologies has been deciphered successfully.

The original was first delivered by Sergei V. Rjabchikov as the paper “The Mystery of the Dog in the Marquesan Rock Art has been Solved” on the scientific session of the Sergei Rjabchikov Foundation – Research Centre for Studies of Ancient Civilisations and Cultures in Moscow on July 4, 2022.

Keywords: Marquesas Islands, Easter Island, Rapanui, Rapa Nui, Polynesia, Quechua, Andean, Peruvian, rongorongo, script, writing, hieroglyphic script, folklore, mythology, Austronesian studies

Rjabchikov, Sergei V., 2018. The Bird-man Cult in the Rapanui Rock Art and Oral Literature. Polynesia Newsletter, 16, pp. 2-32.

Keywords: writing, rongorongo, folklore, rock art, Rapanui, Rapa Nui, Easter Island, Polynesia, Quechua, Andean, Old Peruvian, Incan, petroglyph, archaeoastronomy, mythology

El presente trabajo pretende servir de ayuda a quienes quieran iniciarse en el estudio de las tablillas rongorongo (kohau motu mo roŋoroŋo) de Rapa Nui (Isla de Pascua), desgranando y aclarando los obstáculos existentes en su avance, pues deben enfrentarse a la heterogeneidad de investigaciones realizadas. Frente a toda la literatura generada, que no siempre es fácilmente accesible, es necesario plantearse una relación de las incógnitas a afrontar, para no incurrir en confusiones o reiterar ciertos errores. Para ello es indispensable (re)definir diferentes preguntas y conceptos, dejando claro el avance del estudio del rongorongo dentro de la cultura rapanui.

This article offers an outline of the power relationships between the Rapanui and the sheep exploitation companies on Easter Island between 1896 and 1915: The Merlet Company (1896-1903) and the Compañía Explotadora de Isla de Pascua (since 1903). The small Rapanui community, after surviving slave-piracy in 1862-1863, the following epidemics, and the 1871 diaspora, kept a suspicious attitude towards foreigners during this whole period. The stubborness of the occupying exploiters (despite their will for peaceful domination) would end up detonating fierce resistance and open rebellion that endangered this precarious colonial power. Nevertheless, the meager consequences of these revolts, changed the behavior of many islanders into a passive, apathic or indifferent attitude towards the Company. The Rapanui Community lost cohesion in the following years, exploring different ways to cope with the colonial occupiers. Some figures aimed at pacifying the Company, mediating between it and the Community. However, the way of active opposition exploded at full-strength in 1914 with Angata's revolution. The main consequence of this movement was the entering of a third power to the Rapanui scenario, taking the role of mediator: The Chilean state.

Resumen:
Este artículo pretende dar ciertos lineamientos sobre las relaciones entre los rapanui y las empresas explotadoras ovejeras que se encontraban en la isla entre 1896 y 1915: la Compañía de Enrique Merlet (1896-1903) y la Compañía Explotadora de Isla de Pascua (desde 1903). La pequeña comunidad rapanui sobreviviente de los actos de piratería de 1862-1863, de las epidemias de los años siguientes y de la diáspora de 1871, mantendría una actitud sospechosa hacia los extranjeros a lo largo de todo este período. La intransigencia de los explotadores que venían a ocupar el territorio, llevó a que, pese a sus esfuerzos por mantener buenas relaciones, la comunidad rapanui terminara enfrentándose abiertamente con la Compañía en una serie de revueltas que pusieron en jaque al precario poder colonial. Sin embargo, las magras consecuencias de estas rebeliones, llevaron a que una buena parte de la población lentamente cediera paso a la apatía o a la indiferencia respecto a la presencia de la CEDIP. La pequeña comunidad rapanui perdió cohesión en los años siguientes, debatiéndose entre los modos de actuar frente al poder colonial. Algunas figuras buscaron el camino de la “pacificación” de la Compañía, mediando entre ella y los isleños. Sin embargo, el camino de la oposición activa se impuso finalmente en 1914 con la Rebelión de Angata que tuvo como consecuencia principal la entrada definitiva de un “tercer poder” al escenario de Rapa Nui en calidad de “mediador”: el Estado chileno.

Rjabchikov, Sergei V., 2022. The Name of the First King Hinariru is Written in the Record on the Aruku-Kurenga Tablet from Easter Island. Paper. 1 page.

Abstract. The successful study of two rongorongo records engraved on stone hats (pukao) at Akahanga and Tarakiu on Easter Island gave a key to the decoding of the rongorongo record on the Aruku-Kurenga tablet.

The original was first delivered by Sergei V. Rjabchikov as the paper “The Name of the First King Hinariru is Written in the Record on the Aruku-Kurenga Tablet from Easter Island” on the scientific session of the Sergei Rjabchikov Foundation – Research Centre for Studies of Ancient Civilisations and Cultures in Krasnodar on January 25, 2022.

Keywords: Easter Island, Rapanui, Rapa Nui, Polynesia, rongorongo, script, writing, hieroglyphic script, folklore, Austronesian

Portée sur les fonts baptismaux par une hypothèse sensationnelle qui laissait augurer la découverte d’une écriture néolithique, la mission franco-belge Métraux-Lavachery à l’île de Pâques tint toutes ses promesses, mais d’une façon inattendue qui mit en déroute ses parrains en ce qu’elle les désavoua. Alfred Métraux et Henri Lavachery accostèrent fin juillet 1934 dans un lieu lourdement chargé d’histoires, indigène, coloniale, scientifique, qui s’enchevêtraient étroitement pour conférer à l’île de Pâques le statut de paradis perdu, a fortiori pour des ethnologues avides de pureté culturelle, d’authenticité inviolée. En 1934, les deux savants eurent affaire à une société déjà très ethnologisée, un « vieil os rongé » (Métraux) qui mettait au défi l’impératif de sauvetage ethnographique à la racine de toute mission ethnographique dans ces premières décennies du XXe siècle. C’est peu de dire que les conséquences des terribles exactions perpétrées dans les années 1860, la situation coloniale de l’île de Pâques, son statut de lieu mystérieux qui aimante explorateurs et savants, affectaient puissamment la façon dont le savoir ethnographique était recueilli auprès des informateurs indigènes - tout autant que la nature même de ce savoir.
Valorisant de nombreuses archives inédites, cet ouvrage fait une large place à la restitution du déroulement pratique de la mission, insistant tout particulièrement sur la qualité de la relation ethnographique nouée avec Juan Tepano et Victoria Rapahongo. Il rappelle l’importance des recherches archéologiques et ethnologiques menées par Alfred Métraux et Henri Lavachery en les resituant dans leur contexte, la vigueur de la polémique sur la nature du rongorongo, et le statut ambigu accordé à la production contemporaine d’objets d’art pascuan.
Comptant parmi les missions ethnographiques françaises des années 1930 effectuées hors du pré colonial français, la mission Métraux-Lavachery propulsa définitivement les études rapanui sur une orbite scientifique internationale.

Cet ouvrage est le troisième volume des Carnets de Bérose, une collection éditée électroniquement par le Lahic et le département du Pilotage de la recherche et de la politique scientifique de la Direction générale des patrimoines (ministère de la Culture). Il fait partie d’une série consacrée aux missions, enquêtes et terrains des années 1930.

In all of Polynesia, the calendar and annual cycle of activities were associated with a
local subsistence system based on a horticultural cycle determined by wet and dry periods and the arrival of seasonal resources. Rapanui astronomer priests (skywatchers) used observatories (tupa) to keep track of time and set up a calendar of activities (seasonal, annual, monthly) for religious ceremonies, agriculture, fishing, entertainment, etc. This is a compilation of these concepts and our findings as presented in an expedition report to the Explorers Club in 2010. The report was later revised by A. Edwards in 2016-17, perticularly with regards to Rapanui star names.

Resumen: Julien Viaud, conocido como Pierre Loti, visitó Isla de Pascua en condición de cadete en el año 1872. Fruto de aquel viaje fue su diario, reescrito y pulido por él mismo tras varios años. Existen traducciones española e inglesa de estos textos, cada una traducida a partir de otra versión del diario original. Por si fuera poco, el análisis revela que los textos traducidos difieren en cuanto al contenido de los documentos originales. Eso contribuye a la distorsión de la imagen de Isla de Pascua, lugar siempre excesivamente mitificado, cuya historia y cultura frecuentemente sufren malinterpretación. El objetivo del artículo es analizar los mencionados textos para evidenciar ejemplos de la dicha tergiversación de los diarios originales de Pierre Loti, para asimismo aconsejar a los futuros investigadores un cuidado especial al manejar documentos poco fidedignos.

Palabras clave: Isla de Pascua, Pierre Loti, relaciones de viaje, traducción, tergiversación de documentos.

Abstract: Pierre Loti and Easter Island. Diaries, translations, visions. Julien Viaud, A.K.A. Pierre Loti, visited Easter Island in 1872 as a naval cadet. During the voyage he kept a logbook, which he decided to rewrite and polish up after many years. There exist translations of his diary into Spanish and into English. However, each of these translations is based on a different version of the original text. Moreover, the investigation shows that the foreign language renditions differ as far as the content found in the original documents is concerned. This situation contributes to the distortion of the image of Easter Island: a place that always undergoes an excessive mythologisation, and whose history and culture
are frequently misinterpreted. The aim of the present paper is to analyse the above-mentioned texts in order to demonstrate examples of the said misrepresentation of the original diaries by Pierre Loti. The definitive aim is to encourage future researchers to be especially cautious with documents of dubious credibility.

Keywords: Easter Island, Pierre Loti, travel reports, translation, distortion of documents.

"The book is composed of three main parts. The first one comprises a vast and multifaceted background against which travel reports are later analysed, with the discussion of the problem of the ‘other’ as a point of departure. The matter is approached from both philosophical and psychological angle and is closely interwoven with the rich topic of cultural encounters between the Old and the New World. Successive chapters are dedicated to such issues as the Eurocentrism and the European sense of superiority; the perception of the New World from the European perspective; the interaction with other cultures, with a special attention dedicated to such phenomena as imperialism, violence, but also communication and goods exchange. One of the main topics is the vision of the ‘otherness’ presented in travel narratives and reports, with the emphasis on scientific texts from the past. The question posed is whether the travel writings are not only linguistically, but also culturally translatable.
The second part contains excerpts of 20 travel narratives (logbooks, reports, memoirs) dedicated to Easter Island, translated into Polish from Dutch, German, English, Spanish and French. Original first editions and manuscripts were used for the purpose. With few and limited exceptions, up to the moment the materials have been unknown to the Polish reader.The texts came into existence as a result of four 18th century expeditions, commanded by Jacob Roggeveen (1722), Felipe González de Haedo (1770), James Cook (1774) and the Count of La Pérouse (1786), respectively. In the introduction to this section the journeys and the travellers are briefly described.
The third, fundamental part is a thorough analysis of the abovementioned narratives, conducted in the form of the confrontation between the vision of Easter Island as presented in the travel writings with the present knowledge we possess on the subject. The issues discussed range from the marine and land natural environment to the indigenous people of the Island, their spiritual, social and material culture, and the course of their encounters with the Europeans. The recurrent themes are the misinterpretations, manipulations and simplifications that can be found in the specialist and popular literature, as well as two well-known discussions, concerning the Easter Islanders’ origin and the theory of the collapse of its civilisation. Recent study results are presented, indicating that the ‘ecocide’ supposedly committed by the Easter Islandersin the past not necessarily must be true.
Apart from the statement that the ancient society of Easter Island was highly capable of a successful functioning in a demanding environment, the book closes with a conclusion that the Rapanui culture is still being popularly misunderstood and trivialized, regardless of the detailed scientific research conducted on the Island."

ATTACHED: review