Reports of The Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island and The East Pacific. Volume 2: Miscellaneous Papers

Book Synopsis: This handsome and lavishly illustrated companion volume of the Easter Island Norwegian Expedition covers archaeological field work on other islands Pitcairn, Rapa, Raivavae, and the Marquesas Islands. The 18 reports (1) offer excellent descriptions and interpretations of excavations and surveys on these islands, (2) provide a useful descriptive catalogue of artifacts collected with a classification and comparison of the adzes, (3) present the most comprehensive and detailed study ever made of Polynesian skeletal material in the description of what was collected on Easter Island, (4) include a comparative analysis of crania and blood samples, (5) feature reproductions of native manuscripts acquired on Easter Island that contain records of the Easter Island script, which records are the result of copying European transcriptions, and (6) contain reports by various authors on these manuscripts. In addition to the above, which provide a new and significant store of knowledge on these islands of East Polynesia, the report written by Thor Heyerdahl on “The concept of rongorongo among the historic population of Easter Island” takes up 44 pages in dealing with the puzzling problems of origin and interpretation posed by the script on the wooden tablets, kohau rongorongo. It is at this last report that serious criticism will be leveled. This is necessary because native statements concerning their prehistory are treated factually, while ethnographic and archaeological evidence are not given adequate consideration, and no sound evidence is produced to show that the writing was in existence prior to the witnessing of European writing by the chiefs, who were required to affix their “signatures” to the document of annexation to Spain in 1770...