EASTER ISLAND CLUBS

[kahnjar1]

I am a little surprised that mention of Thor Heyerdahl's book AKU AKU has not appeared here. Whilst it does not deal with the weapons of Rapa Nui, it does discuss at length, the possible/probable origins of the people of Easter Island, and particularly the MOAI (statues), and how they were sculpted.

[fearn]

All available evidence (archeological, linguistic, and genetic) strongly points to Rapa Nui being settled by Polynesians coming out of South East Asia. There certainly was contact between Polynesians and South Americans: Polynesians got the sweet potato, South Americans probably got a chicken, and there may have even been a Polynesian settlement in Chile. However, the Polynesians were the ones to make contact, not anyone from mainland South America.

Hi Kahnjar,

That was actually a swipe at Thor Heyerdahl. I've actually read Kon Tiki and things written by the archeologists that accompanied Heyerdahl to Easter Island, as well as books (such as Kirch's Road of the Winds) and even some South American archeology (Incas and their Ancestors).

Here are some of the problems:
1. Rapa Nui language, genes and artwork, wall-building, and rock carving all come unequivocally from Polynesia.
2. The reeds that Heyerdahl says came from South America had been there for >10,000 years, according to pollen evidence from the lake they grow in on Easter Island. They're also a different species than the totora reeds at Lake Titicaca.
3. Heyerdahl confuses the evidence from South America. He talks about connections with the Inca (a civilization that showed up AFTER Easter Island was settled) and previous Andean cultures (Tiwanaku AD 500-950). This is akin to mixing the Romans and Crusaders, and saying they collectively colonized the Canary Islands in the 8th Century AD.
4. To "prove" the Kon-Tiki raft from South America could make it to Polynesia, he had to have it towed 50 miles out of the Humboldt Current. It's not clear the raft could have actually cleared that current by itself (and they used the rafts to trade along the current).

Nonetheless, the archeologists are charitable. While they've never given Heyerdahl's ideas any credence, they laud his fund-raising and organizing efforts, because he made it possible for archeologists to work on Easter Island, which perhaps helped the Rapanuians to reclaim their own culture (as with the clubs that started this thread).

For Vandoo, I'd also point out that Easter Island wasn't the only place where Oceanic peoples came up with their own script. The Caroline Islanders created Woleai in the 19th Century.

Best,

F

[katana]

Hi Fearn,
you are correct.... climatic, archaeological and oceanic studies all support the distribution of oceanic peoples spreading Westerly from Australasia. The prevailing winds and currents are predominately westerly at this latitude and these forces are intensified when El Nino occurs every 2 - 7 years. Bearing in mind the small canoes used and some of the great distances travelled, often blindly, as many islands could not be seen on the horizon, as they island hopped ....they were incredibly brave or desperate to find new lands. The speed of travel was incredibly enhanced when El Nino struck and there is evidence to support an increase activity in the Westerly movement at such times.

All the best
David

[fearn]

Hi David,

I'm not even sure about the poor quality of some of those boats. As a demonstration, a group of Pacific Islanders built seven vakas and set out from Auckland, New Zealand this April. They sailed to Hawaii, predominantly using traditional navigation techniques. Then they sailed to San Francisco, and currently (8/20/11) they're sailing south off Venice Beach. They'll end in the Solomon Islands next July. That's crossing the Pacific twice in 18 months. Not too shabby.

Here's The Vaka Moana website, which chronicles their voyage.

While traveling through the modern Pacific is a great deal easier than it was 1000 years ago, I think we under-rate both Polynesian boats and sailing skills. Even finding unknown islands isn't a blind shot: when you see land birds take off into the open ocean, you know they're heading for other land somewhere. That's how the existence of New Zealand (and Hawaii) was inferred.

Best,

F

[Battara]

Nice posting Fearn and on the money as far as Easter Island research is concerned.

[katana]

Originally Posted by fearn

Hi David,


While traveling through the modern Pacific is a great deal easier than it was 1000 years ago, I think we under-rate both Polynesian boats and sailing skills. Even finding unknown islands isn't a blind shot: when you see land birds take off into the open ocean, you know they're heading for other land somewhere. That's how the existence of New Zealand (and Hawaii) was inferred.

Best,

F

Hi Fearn,
I suppose I should have said 'relatively' small canoes ....travelling long distances the canoe occupants would need plenty of water and food. Also, tools and weapons to support them once they made land. These provisions would soon fill a canoe. Obviously navagation skills are extremely useful when you have a destination. The earlier 'trailblazers' did not have this luxury or the definate knowledge that they would find land.
I agree that in general following 'land' birds might lead you to land ....but it is far from fail safe. Some birds have been known to stay on the wing for considerable distances. The non-stop migratory flight of the goodwit is over 6000 miles....much over water. Admittedly they are waders ...but are from the oceanic area.
Rapa Nui is indeed interesting from a number of view-points ....including the ecological disaster they created for themselves ....but we are digressing from the original post, sorry.

Regards David

"...The routes of satellite tagged Bar-tailed Godwits migrating north from New Zealand. This species has the longest known non-stop migration of any species, up to 10,200 km (6,300 mi)........."

[tom hyle]

AFAIK the big cargo/transport ships were catamarans rather than canoes; considerably more carrying capacity.

[fearn]

Hi Tom,

There were some big outriggers out there as well. An example is the Fijian ndrua or Marshallese Walap.

Still, your point is well taken. The longest voyages were almost certainly in double-hulled Polynesian Vakas, of about that size, and they do carry a quite a lot.

The biggest issue Polynesian "canoes" face is that we call them canoes, not ships, even though they were multi-hulled, multi-planked, deep-ocean boats that (in the cases above) couldn't be paddled easily or at all.

Best,

F