Modern Rapanui Retroglyphs

RNJ readers may recall the article in the previous issue by Laura Jean Boyd, concerning her film project on the island. (RNJ 21(1):14-25, May 2007). Her contribution included a photograph of herself, taken at 'Anakena. In the picture and just behind Laura Jean, looms a petroglyph of a Makemake face. While Makemake faces are found in many parts of Easter lsland, this motif was not documented by us during our exhaustive study of 'Anakena's petroglyphs (Lee 1988; 1992), nor had any of us seen it previously. Yet there it was: large, deeply carved, and positioned on a hillside where many other (ancient) petroglyphs can be found.