Our group recently got to take a trip to one of the most isolated places on earth, Easter Island. I will admit that I did not initially have great expectations, but I was quickly enveloped in the history and culture of this beautiful island. Most believe that the Polynesians settled the island in the 10th century, and here they built iconic statues called moai. Like many, I had seen pictures of the moai, but after learning the history from our wonderful guide, I have such a greater respect for these statues and the people who built them.
The moai were constructed out of volcanic ash or tuff rock. It took, roughly, 20-25 people to make a moai of 10 meters in a year. These statues represent a sacred leader who had died and are said to absorb the mana, or good energy, from these dead leaders. These statues were always pointing toward the center of the island because they were said to give off their mana to the villages. Because of the wars between the different tribes on the island, many of the moai have been knocked over on top of the sacred platforms called ahus. Most of the moai are left in rubble today because Rapa Nui leaders are buried under these statues and ahus, so it is considered sacred ground and cannot be touched. It was unbelievable to see that the people of Rapa Nui have preserved this history and culture of the moai and still hold it relevant today.
The biggest question surrounding the moai is how these huge statues were transported to different parts of the island. There are multiple theories for transportation ranging from aliens to gigantic platforms made out of trees. Although no one knows for certain which method was used, there is evidence and different stories that have been told by the locals that have made me believe in one theory over all the others. The older natives of Rapa Nui tell stories of the moai walking upright to different places on the island. Also, the statues that were abandoned while being transported were lying on their backs if they were going uphill and lying on their fronts if they were moving downhill. Both of these points led me to support the theory that the moai were moved upright. The theory was proposed by two archaeologists named Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt. They said that three hemp ropes were tied to the left, right, and back of the moai. The men in the back stabilized the statue while those on the left and right alternated pulling on the moai and this caused the moai to walk. The theory was tested out using 18 people and was successful in moving the statue 100 meters.
The biggest question surrounding the moai is how these huge statues were transported to different parts of the island. There are multiple theories for transportation ranging from aliens to gigantic platforms made out of trees. Although no one knows for certain which method was used, there is evidence and different stories that have been told by the locals that have made me believe in one theory over all the others. The older natives of Rapa Nui tell stories of the moai walking upright to different places on the island. Also, the statues that were abandoned while being transported were lying on their backs if they were going uphill and lying on their fronts if they were moving downhill. Both of these points led me to support the theory that the moai were moved upright. The theory was proposed by two archaeologists named Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt. They said that three hemp ropes were tied to the left, right, and back of the moai. The men in the back stabilized the statue while those on the left and right alternated pulling on the moai and this caused the moai to walk. The theory was tested out using 18 people and was successful in moving the statue 100 meters.
The moai are beautifully crafted statues that contain so much history. The best part of learning about these statues was hearing the passion of the natives in telling different stories about them. I hope one day to go back to Easter Island and be able to hear how theories have changed and what else has been discovered about this mysterious island.
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