The giant statues of Easter Island are the hallmark of Rapa Nui culture. The full name of the statues in the local language is Moai Aringa Ora, which means "living face of the ancestors." These stone giants personified rulers and important ancestors who, after death, had the ability to spread their "mana" - spiritual power over the tribe.
Ancient ceremonial center
The religious beliefs and power of the ruling classes in Polynesia, as in many other civilizations in the world, gave rise to the construction of great monumental structures. The art of carving stone statues was known to the first Polynesian settlers, led by King Hotu Matua. They sailed to the island between 400 and 800 AD. Rapa Nui architecture prototypes are widespread in Polynesia, especially in the Marquesas Islands and Tahiti. Over time, they acquired their own elements and construction features on Easter Island.
The word "ahu" is used to refer to the altar or ceremonial platform on which the statues were erected. Ahu was the political, social and religious center of the various tribes and clans of Easter Island. Important events were held here: harvest festivals, funeral ceremonies and meetings of elders.
The vast majority of ahu lie parallel to the coastline. The platforms form an almost continuous line around the coast. On average, the distance between them is less than a kilometer.
How moai were created
The original statues of Easter Island were sculpted from basalt and trachyte. It is a hard and very heavy material, so it took a long time to create small statues. Soon, a gray-yellow volcanic rock was discovered on the slopes of the Rano Raraku volcano. It is a pressed ash inlaid with basalt. This material, called tuff, has proven to be more suitable for the massive construction of statues using simple tools.
Master carvers cut the stone with basalt or obsidian chisels. It took up to two years to make one large moai. First, the front part of the statue was carved right into the rock, except for the eye sockets. It is unknown why they did not cut the large rough blocks and transport them to a more convenient place to work. Instead, sculptors climbed the highest and most inaccessible part of the volcano, and carved every detail of the moai, including the delicate features of the face and hands, in their original place. At the final stage of the work, the statue was cut off from the rock. Then she slid down the slope to the base of the hill. People held her with ropes made of plant fiber. Moai landed in a pre-dug hole, and took an upright position. In this position, the craftsmen completed the work on the back and sent the product to the final destination.
58 moai have a red headdress called pukao. It has a cylindrical shape and is made of red tuff from the Puna Pau volcano quarry. Pukao is believed to be hair tied in a bun and dyed ocher. This hairstyle was worn by some Polynesian tribes.
How the statue was transported and installed
Moving these huge and heavy statues still remains Easter Island's biggest unsolved mystery. There are a number of serious hypotheses supported by experiments. They demonstrated that moving 10-ton moai was within the power of the ancient islanders.
The traditional version of scientists says that the moai "walked" to the platform. The giant was forced to alternately bend over, swinging from side to side and placing additional logs. Another successful experiment showed that idols could be transported on a wooden platform that slid over transverse logs.
Once the moai was upright, eye sockets were cut out into which white coral eyes and obsidian pupils were placed. At the time, it was believed that the statue was channeling its supernatural power through its eyes to the tribe to protect it. This explains why all moai look into the island, where the cities were, and not the ocean. Having lost its eyes, the statue also lost its strength.
How many statues on Easter Island
There are about 900 moai registered on Easter Island. Of these, 400 are in the Rano Raraku quarry and 288 are installed on a ceremonial platform. The rest are scattered in different parts of the island, probably left on the way to some ah.
The average height of the moai is about 4.5 meters, but 10-meter specimens are also found on the island. The standard weight is about 5 tons, but 30-40 statues weigh over 10 tons.
The most famous moai platforms
Ahu Tahai
The ancient settlement of Tahai is located in close proximity to the city of Hanga Roa - the capital of Easter Island. The territory of the complex covers an area of about 250 square meters. Archaeologist William Malloy has carefully researched the Tahai archaeological finds and restored many structures: the foundations of houses in the shape of an inverted boat, chicken coops and stone ovens. Tahai's most impressive site is a ceremonial platform with five statues. A little further away is a lone moai, badly damaged by erosion. A few meters away there is a fully restored idol - the only one on the island with preserved eyes.
Ahu naw naw
The Nau Nau platform is the most complex and best preserved of the three built on Anakena Beach. According to legend, it was here that the first settlers from Polynesia, led by King Hotu Matua, landed. The statues remained buried in the sand for a long time, which protected them from erosion.
Ahu Akivi
Akivi is the first ahu to be rebuilt on the island. These are the only statues that face the sea. The seven figures are believed to be reminiscent of the seven explorers who discovered Rapa Nui Island and reported it to King Hotu Matua.
Ahu Tongariki
15 stone giants are installed on an altar 100 meters long. This is the largest archaeological site not only on Easter Island, but in all of Polynesia. All statues differ in height and in the art of detailing. Behind the platform, there are at least 15 more moai, broken. According to historians, they were part of Ahu Tongariki, which could stand over 30 monuments.
Ahu Te Peu
The settlement of Te Peu has remained virtually untouched since the ancient inhabitants left this place. The statues lie broken and abandoned in a secluded area away from the main tourist routes. The heads of the ancient idols are half buried in the ground, and their bodies are indistinguishable from other stones on the coast.
