New visualization method for cranial carvings of Rapanui wooden figurines

Precontact culture of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) produced wooden figurines carved with attention to detail and featuring careful surface polishing. These figurines depict humans and akuaku spirits. Male figurines usually have bald heads adorned with elaborate designs carved in low relief, depicting human beings, fishes, birds, chimerical creatures, or material objects of Rapanui culture. As cranial carvings swirl around the head of the figurine, it is impossible to document them fully with a single photograph. Several publications show cranial carvings in free-hand drawing. In this study, we suggest a methodology for design unwrapping from nearly hemispherical surface, projecting it onto a plane in a uniform and replicable fashion. To do so, we employ 3D models of figurines' heads obtained with photogrammetric modeling. Although this approach features certain limitations, it permits far richer level of detail and documentation accuracy in comparison to commonly used free-hand drawings. © 2023 The Authors. Archaeometry