Mysterious Easter Island Glyphs Suggest a One-of-a-Kind Language

If you assumed the rongorongo language on Easter Island was younger than English, you’d be mistaken. Italian researchers have recently discovered a wooden tablet inscribed with rongorongo glyphs dating back to the 15th century, centuries earlier than previously thought.

Previously, evidence suggested rongorongo originated around the 18th century on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). However, new radiocarbon dating indicates it may be one of the few independently invented writing systems on Earth. The University of Bologna’s Sylvia Ferrara led a study published on February 2 in Scientific Reports, focusing on one of four rongorongo tablets preserved in Rome. The artifact dates to between 1493 and 1509, over two centuries before Europeans arrived on Rapa Nui in the 1720s.

Rongorongo remains undeciphered, and its origins have been obscured by both the language's mystery and its displacement. Europeans, who arrived on Rapa Nui in the 1700s, reportedly did not notice the language until 1864, transferring several examples to Tahiti and then Europe. Today, rongorongo glyphs are found on only 27 objects, none of which are on Rapa Nui.

This situation is ironic for a language that may be one of the world's few forms of writing created without external influence. Ferrara explained to LiveScience that if a writing system is borrowed, it typically retains its original form. Despite this, rongorongo shows no similarities to the English alphabet, with over 400 distinct glyphs identified among the 15,000 surviving characters, none corresponding to any known writing system.

While it's possible to date the wood, determining the age of the inscriptions is not feasible. Ferrara called it "unlikely" that the wood remained unused for hundreds of years before being inscribed. Rafal Wieczorek, a University of Warsaw chemist not involved in the study, found the data inconclusive but promising, suggesting that rongorongo could be one of the very few independent inventions of writing in history. He emphasized the need for further testing on all tablets.

To explore rongorongo yourself, visit the team’s interactive website featuring 3D models of the tablets, including “Tablet D” with its distinctive gouge above the center.