The capital city is hanga roa it is famous for its 887 huge statues called moai, made by the early rapa nui people. Most were made from the volcanic rock in the rano raraku area of the island. The moai statues are also known as moai, easter island heads and easter island statues, are monolithic human figures carved by the rapa nui people between the years 1250 and 1500 ce the moai statues are located on easter island, or rapa nui as the indigenous call it, a polynesian island in the pacific ocean. Moai statues at dusk, tahai archaeological site, rano raraku, easter. Nearly half are still at rano raraku, the main moai quarry, but hundreds were transported from there and set on stone platforms called ahu around the islands perimeter. They were sometimes used for fertility rites but were more often used for harvest celebrations, during which the first picking of fruits was. Easter island moai monolith sculpture shop for statues. The purpose and meaning and how these were capped are still unknown. The moai of ahu ko te riku is the only moai with eyes restored, though they are made of cement. The secrets of easter island history smithsonian magazine. The moai are very large statues ranging anywhere from 6ft to 30ft tall. A tourist visiting easter island can view the moai. Ahu vai uri 5 moais, ahu tahai 1 moai and ahu ko te riku 1 moai. Easter island seeks return of stolen moai statue from the.
Ahu akivi, a popular ahu with seven moai statues located over 9 km from the quarry. Interesting facts about the moai statues just fun facts. Finally someone has written an easter island book for children that is just that. Design toscano ny1500 easter island ahu akivi moai. Easter island or rapa nui is now a nature reserve and is governed by chile. The moai statutes date back nearly a thousand years and are the work of the early inhabitants of easter island. A brief history of easter islands incredible moai statues culture trip. Where the mystery comes into play is the fact that the average. The moai statues on anakena beach imagina easter island. In 1995, unesco named easter island a world heritage site, with much of the island protected. Vic stefanu world travels and adventures 8,931 views.
The polynesian island is semitropical and is known for its soft hills, extinct volcanoes, rocky coast and beaches, and famous moai sculptures. Its a little story about a boy, pico, his father a moai carver, and a tidal wave that. Print this secondary source was important because it showed the history of easter island. Platforms are called ahu, and the statues that sit on them, moai pronounced. The book describes the 19551956 norwegian archaeological expeditions investigations of polynesian history and culture at easter island. The restoration work carried out between 1978 and 1980 by the team led by the. Legend has it that the enormous stone statues on easter island can help the. The island became a special territory of chile in 1888.
Easter island is famous for its stone statues of human figures, known as moai meaning statue. Easter island also has a huge crater called rano kau at the edge of the island. Easter island people want british museum to return moai. Easter island seeks return of stolen moai statue from. The island is particularly known for the large statues or sculptures, called moai, which are found there. Sentinels in stone the creation of easter islands moai statues. The moai are some of the worlds most fascinating and widelyrecognised monolithic statues. About half of the moai are at the main quarry at rano raraku. The large rapa nui national park covering the majority of the island is a protected unesco heritage site. Nov 24, 2019 the main bodies of most of the moai statues at easter island were sculpted out of the volcanic tuff from the rano raraku quarry, the remains of an extinct volcano. Of all the ahu in easter island, the most prestigious one is certainly tongariki, which has 15 statues located in front of the rano raraku quarry, less than 2 km away. A small number of these statues were once capped with hats or caps of red volcanic stone.
Good book, good story that deserves to be read for years and years. Jeanmichel schwartz says in his 1975 book the mysteries of easter island that he believes the statues were not moved by wooden rollers or sleds but rather by. While moving these incredibly heavy statues was a feat for islanders, technology made it much easier to transport these ancient relics. Apr 28, 2009 the little booklet that comes with it is very informative.
Over a few hundred years the inhabitants of this remote island quarried, carved and erected. It is 2,300 miles from the coast of south america and 1,200 miles from pitcairn island. Many of easter islands moai had red stone crowns pukau placed on their heads. Easter island simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Moai figure, small wooden statue of uncertain religious significance, carved on easter island. Ahu nau nau is the most elaborate and bestpreserved platform of the three that were built in anakena. The mysterious statues moai of easter island traveling. The rapa nui people, a stone age culture, made these statues to represent deceased ancestors. In addition to representing deceased ancestors, the moai, once they were erected on ahu, may also have been regarded as the embodiment of powerful living or former chiefs and important lineage status symbols. The moai were probably carved to commemorate important ancestors and were made from around c. An easter island mystery great discoveries in archaeology. The easter islanders, according to heyerdahl, insisted that the moai statues.
The easter island most popular feature is the giant stone statues also known as moai. Apr 02, 2019 with numerous moai statues on display around the world, researchers at some point had to move some of the statues from easter island. How were easter islands gigantic statues actually carved. Steven roger fischer offers the first englishlanguage history of easter island in island. Easter islands indigenous community want the british museum to return a unique moai statue that was taken from them 150 years ago and given to queen victoria as a gift. Merlot of valparaiso leases the greater part of the island and subsequently form a company for the exploitation of easter island. Although there are stone figures in other polynesian islands none of them are of the size of the easter island statues. The island is known to its inhabitants as rapa nui. Secondary sources work cited history of easter island.
A brief history of easter islands incredible moai statues. Like all the other ahu, the tongariki was devastated during the time in which the clans that fought against each. The fascinating mystery of moai statues at easter island. Rapa nui, otherwise known as easter island, is the home of the mysterious and majestic statues known as the moai. Although scientists and archaeologists have pieced together large chunks of. The turbulent history of easter island, reaktion books, 2005, p. Just a little to the left moai statues near the town of hanga roa, rapa nuis capital city. Main page culture, history easter island is one of the most mysterious places on earth. The moai are monolithic human figures which were carved between 1250 a. Tahai ancient easter island village near town hanga roa.
No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Rapa nuis majestic rock statues also known as stone heads of easter island have been a mystery since europeans first arrived in the 1700s on the island, located in the pacific ocean off the. The figures, thought to be representations of ancestors who live on in the form of skeletons, are of two types, moai kavakava male and moai paepae female. Theories about the moai abound, but little has been proved beyond the. Archaeologists and historians have debated the island s history, but it is believed that polynesians landed on the island around a. Though dutch explorer jacob roggeveen was the first european to arrive at rapa nui. Moai are sometimes called heads but they do have shoulders, arms, and a body but these are usually too small for the head, also some of. The easter island statues have remained one of the worlds bestkept secrets. Apr 06, 2016 the easter island most popular feature is the giant stone statues also known as moai. Apr 25, 2017 staying remote from whole world at 3,700 kilometers 2,300 miles from the coast of south america and 1,700 kilometers 1,100 miles from the nearest neighboring island, the ancient civilization of easter island had created more than 800 unique monolithic sculptures known as moai. Thousands of massive stone monuments, known as moai, preside over easter island. Though dutch explorer jacob roggeveen was the first european to arrive at rapa nui he landed on easter sunday, 5 april 1722, thus.
Volcanic stone and colourful wild flowers near ahu tongariki on the south coast of easter island. The easter island civilization collapsed centuries ago, but their legacy lives on through the countless statues that make it clear how powerful it once was. Easter island statues walking theory stirs debate live. May 04, 2020 two of the most famous moai can be found in rano raraku. Photos reveal giant easter island moai statues are covered in. When the statues were knocked down during the clashes between the various clans of the island, they were left buried in the sand on the beach, which allowed them to be more protected from erosion than the others. It is famous for its 887 huge statues called moai, made by the early rapa nui people. Using basalt stone picks, the easter island moai were carved from the solidified volcanic ash of rano raraku volcano. Ahu nau nau the moai statues on anakena beach easter island. An average moai states are about fourteen feet and six inches tall and weigh around fourteen tons. Its famed for archaeological sites, including nearly 900 monumental statues called moai, created by inhabitants during the th16th centuries. Jennifer vanderbes, in her first novel, easter island, plays loosely with. Exploring the mysterious 15 moai statues of ahu tongariki platform duration.
Moai are sometimes called heads but they do have shoulders, arms, and a body but these are usually too small for the head, also some of the best known ones had been partly buried over the. Sentinels in stone the creation of easter islands moai. The island is planted with monstrous great statues, the work of i dont know what. The way they were carved, using only stone tools, seems.
Although scientists and archaeologists have pieced together large chunks of the puzzles, there is still a lot we dont. The book is also very well made and the printing is clean and easy to read. Located on the remote chilean territory of easter island, they tell a mysterious story of the islands early people and their obsession with rock carvings. The largest finished statue reaches more than 30 feet or 9. Its claim to fame and the source of its mystery are the aweinspiring monumental stone statues called moai.
Katherine routeledge visits for a yearlong expedition to the island. Aug 07, 2018 easter islands indigenous people have asked chiles government to help them recover a unique moai statue removed 150 years ago and now kept in the british museum in london. Much research has been carried out on these famous statues and many of the damaged and fallen statues have since been restored around the island. Assumed to be depictions of local chiefs, heroes, or gods, the giant statues on easter island are some of the worlds most intriguing archeological artifacts. Easter island is located in the middle of the pacific ocean, 3000 km from the chilean coast. Where did the moai statues on easter island come from. They are tall sculptures made out of volcanic rock, with disproportionately large heads. The moai statues are located on easter island, or rapa nui as the indigenous call it, a polynesian island in the pacific ocean. Scholars believe the island was inhabited from 300.
Although many questions about these gigantic stone sculptures remain, years of scientific research has uncovered some fascinating insights into their purpose, construction and history. Mysterious constructions made with unknown techniques, fantastic landscapes await you on the triangular rapa. These statues were carved from hardened volcanic material and those who crafted the statues were definitely highly skilled. Easter island is most famous for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early rapa nui people. Together with the egyptian pyramids, machu picchu, angkor wat, tikal and others, this island is one of those places that we will never completely understand. Those statues are the central theme of the book, which shows how evolutionary theory explains moai construction as a typical feature of polynesian society that. Learn about the secrets of the famous easter island heads including how they were created and why they were toppled.
Abandoned statues are found around the island that were not perfect, and not completed. Sep 07, 2011 those statues are the central theme of the book, which shows how evolutionary theory explains moai construction as a typical feature of polynesian society that became enhanced by the island s. Currently, the island has 3,000 inhabitants and a single town, hanga roa. For any information, advice on easter island, our site is what you need. The main bodies of most of the moai statues at easter island were sculpted out of the volcanic tuff from the rano raraku quarry, the remains of an extinct volcano. The rano raraku tuff is a sedimentary rock made from layers of airlain, partially fused and partially cemented volcanic ash, fairly easy to carve but very heavy to transport. The statues were carved by the polynesian colonizers of the island, mostly between circa 1250 a. The statues of easter island travel smithsonian magazine. The gigantic moai or the stone statues at easter island have fascinated everyone since they were discovered. Easter islandand its iconic moai statues are disappearing. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our.
Easter island, a chilean territory, is a remote volcanic island in polynesia. Historians and anthropologists have spent decades trying to understand the culture of its early inhabitants and the towering moai statues that they built. Easter island is one of the most remote islands in the world. Easter islands monolithic moai statues are among the most recognizable ancient wonders on earth. Tahai is a site with several ahus and moai statues close to hanga roa, restored by william mulloy. See more ideas about easter island, island and ancient civilizations. Easter island facts and the history of moai statues. Honor the gods what better way to honor the gods of rapa nui, the people of easter island, then to place this symbol of their kings, ancestors or gods, the moai, on your patio. How were easter island s gigantic statues actually carved. Its comforting to imagine that aliens placed those inscrutable statues on easter island. It is the most isolated, inhabited island on the planet. Aug 08, 2018 easter islands indigenous community want the british museum to return a unique moai statue that was taken from them 150 years ago and given to queen victoria as a gift. Rapa nui, also known as easter island a name given to it by europeans, is located in the southeast pacific and is famous for its approximately 1,000 carvings of moai, humanfaced statues.
Easter islands indigenous people have asked chiles government to help them recover a unique moai statue removed 150 years ago and now kept in the british museum in london. Easter island statues walking theory stirs debate live science. Easter island is a polynesian island located in the southeastern pacific ocean. They statues are all monolithic, the carvings are created in one piece, each easter island statue has an average weight of 20 tons and measuring 20 feet tall or more. It isnt a primary because it showed theories on what happened and facts about the topic. Like all the other ahu, the tongariki was devastated during the time in which the clans that fought against each other rejected the worship to the ancestors. Between 0 and 1500 ad, the rapa nui inhabitants carved over 950 moai that stand up to 40 feet tall and weigh up to 86 tons.
Since the island consists of volcanic rock, the early inhabitants quarried the material into giant statues, some as tall as 14 feet, 6 inches and weighing about 14 tons. In 1989, the chilean government invited giuseppe orifici, an. Pictures of moai statues, easter island, rapa nui, chile. Whenever easter island is mentioned, the word mystery always comes to mind. Easter island is a polynesian island in the southeastern pacific ocean. Easter island facts all about rapa nui and the moai statues. Moai simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Easter island originals, this oversized moai head statue will be the crowning touch of your next tropical polynesian luau party. More than 300 unfinished moai are in place at rano raraku. Feb 28, 2010 easter island, exploring the anatomy and features of the mysterious moai statues duration. But is this story about the decline and fall of easter islands culture. Archaeologists and historians have debated the islands history, but it is believed that polynesians landed on the island around a. Now, the island, as well as its enigmatic moai statues could disappear from history. Easter island history cultural development the cultural development on the island has been fodder for widespread speculation. Moai statues range in size from a height of less than 1. These have taken up residence in pop culture, showing up everywhere from. The average height of a moai is about ft 4m and can weigh around. Aug 22, 2015 the easter island statues have remained one of the worlds bestkept secrets. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Two of the most famous moai can be found in rano raraku. Many civilizations through the centuries have left their own.
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