Dendroglyph
Encyclopedia
- See arborglyphArborglyphArborglyphs, dendroglyphs, silvaglyphs, modified cultural trees, or aspen carvings are tree carvings made in the bark of Aspen trees by Basque and Irish American shepherds throughout the Pacific Northwest and Western United States...
for tree carvings left by Basque sheepherds.
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands are an archipelago and New Zealand territory in the Pacific Ocean consisting of about ten islands within a radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island. Their name in the indigenous language, Moriori, means Misty Sun...
the indigenous Moriori
Moriori
Moriori are the indigenous people of the Chatham Islands , east of the New Zealand archipelago in the Pacific Ocean...
people practiced the art of momori rakau (tree carving) as a ritual possibly associated with death or remembrance. Many scholars over the years have tried to penetrate the reasons behind these incisions into the trunks of the kopi
Karaka (tree)
Karaka , is an evergreen laurifolia tree, of the family Corynocarpaceae, with large glossy leaves endemic to New Zealand, where it is widespread in mainly coastal situations, often forming a major component of coastal forest, although it is rarely a dominant tree...
(karaka) trees and none have come up with a plausible explanation that suits everybody. The dendroglyphs cover a range of features, with many representing human figures and others clearly representative of birds, fish, plants and animals.
The best known examples of momori rakau are at JM Barker (Hapupu) National Historic Reserve, where the carvings and trees are protected by a fenced enclosure and the protection of being one of only two National Historic Reserves in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.