The Riddle of the PacificFirst published in London in 1924, this rare classic has been one of the most difficult books on Pacific archaeology to find. Out-of-print for over 70 years, this highly illustrated volume is a scholarly study of such far-out topics as a lost continent in the Pacific, ancient writing in the Pacific, the stonework of Easter Islands, megalithic roads on Rarotonga and remote Malden Island, connections between New Zealand and Easter Island, ancient tattoo customs, and much more. |
Contents
THE ISLAND OF MAGNIFICENT SEPULTUREEaster Island | |
THE BURIAL PLATFORMS | |
THE WORKSHOP OF THE SCULPTORS | |
THE CENTRE OF THE WORLD | 34 |
SUBSIDENCE DOMINANT IN POLYNESIA AND MICRONESIA | 47 |
HOTU MATUA | 57 |
THE SCRIPT | 79 |
THE FISHANDBIRD CULT AND TABOO0 | 92 |
THE MARIONETTES | 131 |
THE QUEST OF FOOD | 176 |
THE QUEST OF PLEASURE | 192 |
XIX | 205 |
POLYNESIAN | 231 |
IMPERFECTLY POLYNESIAN | 245 |
THE AMERICAN COAST | 257 |
THE Language | 271 |
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Common terms and phrases
aku aku amongst ancient archipelagoes ariki Atlantis banana bark-cloth bird bone brought burial platforms called canoes carved cave ceremonial chief clan coco-nut Cook cyclopean dancing David Hatcher Childress dead dialects doubtless Easter Island empire European evidently Eyraud face feasts feathers feet fish great-stone hand Hangaroa Hawaii Hawaiian hook Hotu Matua huge human images islet king land language legend lizard LOST CITIES Makemake Mangareva Maori Marae Marquesan means megalithic Melanesia Miru missionaries moai mysteries natives never ocean Orongo Pacific Perouse Poike Polynesian areas Polynesian islands priests probably pyramids race Rano Raraku Rapa religion religious rest of Polynesia rocks rongorongo round sacred script sculptors sea-birds sooty tern sorcerers south coast statues stone supernatural tablets taboo Tahiti Tahitian taro tattooing Tiahuanaco timber Tonga Tongariki tooled tradepaper tradition trees tropical tubers volcanic voyagers whilst women wood wooden word Zealand