Product Description

This reprint of a classic archaeology book on Easter Island was first published in London in 1919. Heavily illustrated with a wealth of old photos, this treasure trove of information begins with Routledge's yacht voyage from England across the Atlantic, and around South America to Easter Island. Her account of this incredible adventure is one of the first ever of the life, history and legends of this strange and remote place. Detailing the statues, pyramid platforms, Rongo Rongo script, Bird Cult, and the war between the Short Ears and the Long Ears, Routledge and her companions explore the secret caves and walk the ancient island roads. This rare early account of Easter Island has served as a primary source for the theories that have evolved to explain Easter Island's enduring mysteries.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #762756 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 568 pages

About the Author
British archaeologist KATHERINE ROUTLEDGE (1866-1935) studied at Oxford University. She also wrote With Prehistoric People (1910), about her experiences in Africa after the Boer War.

Customer Reviews

Easter Island revealed
In the early 1900's Katherine Routledge sailed from England to Easter Island on the schooner 'Mana', leading a group of experts on the first modern day scientific expedition to uncover the secrets of the island. This book is a first-hand account of the expedition. It includes lots of detail on the famous stone statues (moai), the native people & their legends, the mysterious script (rongo-rongo), the bird cult, and much more. Routledge even managed to learn the local language in the hope that interviewing the natives would shed some light on the island's prehistory.

The book is well written and fun to read. It includes lots of fine illustrations, including photos and drawings, depicting the most important sites. It is definately a must-read for visitors to the island, or just for anyone interested in Easter Island and its strange history.

I fancy the image of Katherine Routledge as a kind of female Indiana Jones. Certainly she was adventurous for a woman of the early part of the century; just getting to the island in a yacht ranks as a mildly swashbuckling achievement. There are also some references in the book that she had already been to East Africa, perhaps before the turn of the century, although I have been unable to find further information on this.

excellent early view of Easter Island (1914-1915)
The Mystery of Easter Island was originally published in 1919, based upon the research of an English lady, Katherine Routledge, who lived on the island in 1914-15. She learned the Rapanui language and interviewed all the old people she could find who still remembered the past. The more we now know about the archaeology of Easter Island, the better this material looks. Routledge did excavations, camped out all over the island and accumulated vast quantities of research material. A 'must read' for someone going to Easter Island.

Incredible book
I read this book several years ago and it is still one of my all time favorites. Katherine Routledge has an incredible ability to describe the world around her from out fitting the boat to the difficulty of navigating the eastern coast of South America she is able to describe the world in such a way you feel that you are there. The incredible thing about the book is what she is describing takes place in 1916. She is able to give you the feeling that you are taking a global sailing trip and exploring the island first hand.