Sidestep: The Matira Design

There is one particular petroglyph from the Matira site that has always intrigued us because it has nothing in common anywhere within NZ, and in fact is found nowhere else in the normal Polynesian region - except Rapa Nui (Easter Island).

We make no claim and no suggestion other than to say we find it interesting. No archaeologist could explain it without looking like he's unsure of himself. We won't say much else here other than just show you the picture and let some speculation run riot for a while...

The above is a fairly complex record and one of the most complex found anywhere in the world. Below we have isolated some specific designs. In this case, lunate designs. Keep in mind these are from Rapanui (Easter Island) and the original inhabitants are said to have sailed of elsewhere at one point according to the old legends.

And now below is a picture of the Matira design petroglyph, found in the late 1960's on a basalt column and which now resides at the Tūrangawaewae Marae at Ngaruawahia. It remains open to the elements and is now so badly deteriorated little of it is visible to the untrained eye

We just thought it was an interesting comparative lesson...