A New Discovery at Easter Island Could Rewrite History As We Know It
Yahoo • • world
Key Points:
- A recent study using radiocarbon dating suggests that one of the Rongorongo tablets from Easter Island predates European arrival in the 1720s, indicating the script may have been independently invented by the Rapa Nui people.
- Rongorongo is a unique three-dimensional writing system with pictorial glyphs, and its distinct structure differs significantly from European languages, supporting the theory of indigenous origin.
- The study’s findings, published in Scientific Reports by archaeologist Silvia Ferrara, highlight the potential of Rongorongo as one of the latest independent inventions of writing in human history.
- However, the dating only indicates when the wood was cut, not when the inscriptions were made, and the sample size is limited to one tablet, making definitive conclusions difficult.
- Further research is needed, but access to other scattered Rongorongo tablets remains a challenge, leaving the question of the script’s origins open for continued investigation.
