The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-11-16
HUNDREDS or GIGANTIC
SIAIIlES LET

there.
HUNDREDS or GIGANTIC
STATUES LEFT
Tho island. triangular Ia shape.
and covering an area OF approx,
imateiy a. square miles. had q popu.
iafion last estimated at from i.1bo
10 1900. Its natives. as far back az
history goes. were Po,ynealans--she
Island Ia the sastermoat OF the Poly.
nesian Gronp-and agriculture has
been the only industry. the natives
raising bananas. sugar cane. sweet
po,atoeA goats. fowl sheep and
cAtsis.
its most remarkable feature. how.
ever. consisted Of tho prehistoric
statues and other archaeological re-
mains found there. These remains
presented an enigma 10 science no
less pcrplexinx than tho age-ol6
riddle OF tho Sphinx.
There were hundreds Of statues
on the island. ranging In sire
from three 10 70 feet. but all Of
exactly the same typ~-a giant
head surmounted by a mammoth
crown. carved cut OF volcanic
rock.
The feature. OF these statues were
invariably tho same-n long head.
with eyss cioss under heavy bross.
n large nose. low hridgcd and very
broad a. tho nos,rlir; lips thin and
pcutinK. the upper lip short. the
lower part 81 the face broad and
heavy: the ears long and pendant.
ana the whole head tipped backward
AZ an arrogant angie.
GREAT STONE HOUSES
WITH MASSIVE WALLS
The remarkable uniformity Of these
statues has convinced scientists that
they must be . fairly accurate por.
trayni OF IN. prehistoric inhabitants
OF this islnnd-ani that brings out
the most perplesing feature of the
mystery: for the features are utterly
unlike those OF any prehistoric men
known 20 science.
This, coupled with other discover.
les on the island. has convinced many
that Easter island must have once
been the home OF an extinct civilixa.
ton
In addition 10 the statues. dis-
eovercrs have found on the
island q number Of stone houses.
some 100 feet In length. with
walls SIX feet thru. built like
forts. Inside these houses were
tablets. inciscd with hciro-
glyphics utterly unlike those Of
any known ancient language
which scientists have been utter
~ incapable OF decIphering.
These works could not possibly
have been performed by the Poly.
nesian natives OF the island. for
these have no written language. and.
what IL more. M there IN absolutely
no metal on the island. tho natives
had no tools with which tho giant
stone images could have been carved.
All OF tho statues seem 10 have
been hcwn out OF rock found In the
craters OF the three volcanoes on
the island.
Some OF these statues. dozens OF
tons IN weight. were removed several
miles TO platforms IN other sections
OF the island. With their utter lack
Of engineering knowledge or imple-
ments. tho poiyneaan natives could
not have done this~-which demon-
stratcs that tho original civilization
OF the Island must have been CEN
turtles ahead Of its successors.
Another evidence Of tho high de-
gree OF civilization which must have
flourishcd M ono time on the island
is found IN tho hieroglyphlcs inside
the houses--wbich arc now held In
leading museums thruout the world.
HIEROGLYPHtCS
SkILLFuLLY DONE
These hieroglyphics. while undc-
cipberable, were incised with as much
skin as Is displayed by tho modern
copper engraver. aud were evidently
the work Of craftsmen OF the first
water. They are. by the way, unique
In that they must be- read from left
to right and then, turning tho tablet
upside down. from left to right again.
and so on.
Some scientists have attempted TO
connect these statues and hierogly-
plies with traces of tho ancient Aztec
and Inca civilizations. but this theory
is not generally credited.
BY far the majority Of students
lean toward the belief that Eas-
ter island was the last remnant
OF a vast continent.
Strength Us lent to this theory by
the position OF n number OF the
statues found on the island. No
less than 20 OF them appeared on
the side OF one OF the volcanoes.
with ms many more erected inside
the crater. This might indicate that