Who built the giant heads of Rapa Nui and why?
The most easterly island in Polynesia, approximately 3,700 kilometres (2,300 miles) west of South America in the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island could hardly be more remote. Yet this isolated landmass is home to some of the most incredible man-made wonders on Earth – over 887 carved stone heads, called "moai", that have seen the entire 166.3-square-kilometre (64.2-square-mile) island, known as Rapa Nui by its population, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The origin of these stern-faced monoliths – which average four metres (13 feet) tall and weigh an average of 14 tons – and the society that built them is largely a mystery. What is known is that settlers travelling on wooden outrigger canoes arrived on the island between the 4th and 13th centuries and carved the "moai" sometime between the 10th and 16th centuries from tuff – a light, porous volcanic rock – and placed them upon platforms called "ahu". Some even wear ‘hats’ of red scoria, representing the topknot hair styles of the Rapa Nui people. The eye sockets are believed to have held coral eyes with either black obsidian or red scoria pupils, while the bodies may have been carved with patterns that mimic the traditional tattoos of the Rapa Nui.
As for why they were carved, it may have been to honour important chieftains or warriors as some of them contained tombs in their "ahu", or it may be to offer protection as with only a few exceptions they gaze over nearby villages. Ultimately it’s impossible to know for certain.
When Dutch explorers arrived on the island on Easter Day in 1722, the islanders that had created these breathtaking monuments had long since been divided by civil wars and many of its "moai" toppled, leaving only stories preserved in the oral histories of the Rapa Nui people and a forest of impassive stone heads breaking forth from the earth to stare out across the grass.
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What happened to their creators?
Though largely barren and sparsely inhabited by the time Europeans arrived on Rapa Nui, the island was once heavily forested and home to several now-extinct species of birds before it suffered a mysterious collapse.
One theory is that the rats and chickens brought by the original settlers as a source of food laid waste to the island’s limited plant life. When the last palm trees were cut down – maybe as late as the 17th century – the Rapa Nui’s ability to build boats and fish for food was also restricted. As conflict between tribes for the dwindling resources became inevitable, the population plummeted and some even resorted to cannibalism.
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How were they moved?
Though the carvings are impressive, getting them into place suggests a feat of engineering even more so. With no evidence of wheels or cranes – and no large animals to do all the heavy pulling – archaeologists originally believed the "moai" may have been moved on sledges or wooden rollers as far as 18 kilometres (11 miles) from the quarry.
Though some scholars still support this, a more recent theory is that the curved base of the "moai" was designed for them to be ‘rocked’ from side to side and then pulled forward by carefully coordinated teams of workers with ropes. Damage to the base during experiments moving replica statues is consistent with flakes of rock found along roadsides on the island.
The debate is still ongoing, but this theory may be the source of Rapa Nui folklore that recalls the statues being commanded to walk by the gods.
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Treasure Island - The many "moai" of Easter Island
Ahu Akivi - The only "moai" that look toward the ocean, these seven face the exact direction of sunrise during the autumn equinox.
Ahu Tahai- Seven "moai" which were restored in the 1960s and 1970s.
Ahu Akahanga- Also known as ‘the king’s platform’, these fallen "moai" are near the tomb of Hotu Matu’a, believed to be the island’s first monarch.
Rano Raraku - A volcanic crater that was used as a tuff quarry and workshop by the "moai"’s creators.
Ahu Tongariki - The largest moai on Easter Island, the now-restored Ahu Tongariki was toppled by war and swept inland by a tsunami.
Published in "Book of Incredible History",editor in chief Jon White, Imagine Publishing Ltd, UK, excerpts pp.18-19. Digitized, adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.