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The Rongorongo of Easter Island

Item C: The Mamari Tablet

 

Numerical transliteration

 
 

Barthel's tracings:

Lines 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-12 13-14
Side a Ca1-2 Ca3-4 Ca5-6 Ca7-8 Ca9-10 Ca11-12 Ca13-14
Side b Cb1-2 Cb3-4 Cb5-6 Cb7-8 Cb9-10 Cb11-12 Cb13-14

 
 

General Aspect

Tablet Mamari, side a, 8.3k jpg
Side a
 
 
Tablet Mamari, side b, 8.3k jpg
Side b
 
     The Mamari Tablet is the only rongorongo text the meaning of part of which is known: a lunar calendar identified as such by Thomas Barthel in 1958, extending from line 6 to line 8 of side a (Ca6:235-Ca8:175). Jacques Guy (1991) has argued that, rather than a lunar calendar proper, those signs constitute in fact an astronomical canon for predicting in advance when intercalary nights should be inserted in the calendar to keep with the moon phases.
 
 

Photographs

Side a: 6K jpeg Side b: 6.6K jpeg
Click on images above for larger pictures

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