Cloud Atlas and Dendroglyphs

I read the sample pages of Cloud Atlas on my nook to see if I could get into it. At this point I can't! But I did learn a new word for Wondrous Words Wednesday. That's the weekly meme hosted by Kathy at Bermuda Onion if you want to play along.

Dendroglyphs are aboriginal tree carvings made by the moriori found on the Chatham Islands in New Zealand. Apparently they often marked gravesites or memorialized noteworthy events. In the book, one of the characters is suspected of cutting down these trees and selling them! This is the first time I've heard of dendroglyphs and the Moriori (as opposed to the Maori). Now I would love to go and see the trees!