Photographs depicting Rongorongo "boards," wooden objects incised with glyphs that originated on Easter Island. The boards shown include the Oar, Keiti, Aruku Kerenga, Mamari, Echancree, Small Santiago, and Large Santiago. The material was probably collected by William J. Thomson for his report "Te Pito Te Henua, or Easter Island."
Biographical/Historical note:
William J. Thomson (1841-1909) was the United States Navy paymaster on the USS Mohican expedition to Easter Island in 1886. The expedition's purposes included archeological surveying and excavation, the creation of geographical charts, and ethnographic research. Two moai (Easter Island stone figures), Rongorongo boards, and a variety of other artifacts for the Smithsonian Institution were collected during the trip.
Local Call Number(s):
NAA Photo Lot 75-13
Location of Other Archival Materials:
Photographs of Easter Island by Thomson can be found in the National Anthropological Archives in Photo Lot 97.
Easter Island specimens donated by Thomson, including original Rongorongo boards and casts of others, can be found in the Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution, in accessions 020078 and 023098.
Additional photographs of the USS Mohican expedition can be found in the National Anthropological Archives in Photo Lot 76-26.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Photo lot 75-13, William J. Thomson photograph collection of Easter Island Rongorongo boards, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
