Rapanui: Tradition and Survival on Easter Island

Abstract

loves and losses of Mei Ling, the cadre's daughter, are compelling but leave me skeptical about generalizing these representations beyond the urban elite. Some readers may be put off by a subtext from evolutionary biology that depicts Chinese men's and women's sexual strategizing in terms of universal differences in reproductive strategy (see, for example, pp. 325-326). The discussion of cosmetics use, for example, emphasizes sexual attractiveness to the virtual exclusion of all other aspects of cosmetics' polyvocality.The final chapter on mortuary rites is a major contribution to our understanding of northern Han and Mongol mortuary practices. The data are stellar, providing exemplary detail for an area in which such information has been scant. There are specific contributions on mourning dress and ritual, new information on soul possession and its relation to power in the domestic arena, and an interesting discussion of the fate of spirits under scientific socialism. A very rich case study of an old woman's funeral highlights the ambivalence, contradictions, and general messiness of ideology in practice as family members come to grips with different attitudes toward funeral rites and symbols appropriate to representing status, reputation, and honor.In sum this book is a must for China specialists and highly recommended for scholars of comparative ethnicity, sexuality, and mortuary ritual. It could spark useful discussion in graduate and upper-division undergraduate seminars on methods and gender.

Rapa Nui (Easter Island) monument (ahu) locations explained by freshwater sources

“…Access to raw materials for architectural construction and tools seems to be unrelated to image- ahu locations. Obsidian used for cutting and scraping tools known as mata‘a [72–75] was derived from several discrete locations near their source volcanic vents away from ahu activity [76,77]. Basalt, on the other hand, which was used to create adzes and other tools, had many sources around the island, but there is no clear pattern suggesting localized control [78,79].…”

“…Manavai were likely of secondary importance to mulch gardens [19,88,89]. Terrestrial protein was available from domesticated chickens ( Gallus gallus ), rats ( Rattus exulans ), and potentially birds [90–92].…”

“…The available zooarchaeological data for Rapa Nui marine resource use are limited but also suggest the importance of near-shore fishing in the precontact times. Ayres [90,98] excavated several deposits on the north and south coasts and found that fish and shellfish remains comprised a relatively low percentage (< 30%) of the overall food remains and suggested a greater importance of near-shore fish taxa. Ayres [98] also found slight geographic differences in fish remains, with a higher proportion on the north coast, though these were balanced by a larger proportion of invertebrate remains on the south coast.…”

“…Ayres [98] also found slight geographic differences in fish remains, with a higher proportion on the north coast, though these were balanced by a larger proportion of invertebrate remains on the south coast. However, a later analysis of additional remains from these sites found a much higher percentage (~85%) of fish remains and less geographic differences between the north and south coast [90]. Similarly, Rorrer [91] excavated two cave sites on the southwest coast which yielded abundant fish remains and small amounts of marine shell, with the assemblage being predominantly comprised of snapper, wrasse, and moray eel.…”

No meat on that beautiful shore: the prehistoric abandonment of subtropical Polynesian islands

“…Leaving aside ethnographic records describing a heavy reliance upon a diverse fishing technology on Raivavae, Rapa and Easter Island, there is supporting archaeological evidence. On Easter Island there are abundant remains of simple and compound hooks in stone and bone, fishing lures and sinkers and numerous rock drawings of deep sea fishing for tuna and other large species (Ayres, 1979). On Henderson Island, the limited excavations produced abundant remains of fish hooks, both finished and in the process of manufacture, with imported and local pearl shell being used.…”