Are you visiting easter island or simply want to learn more about this mysterious place. Easter island is home to some of the most famous, and yet most mysterious, statues in the world. Easter island history cultural development the cultural development on the island has been fodder for widespread speculation. Easter island also has a huge crater called rano kau at the edge of the island. Easter island facts and the history of moai statues. Easter island is a place of mystery that has captured the public imagination. Scientists have conducted an analysis of dna from ancient skeletal remains and it turns out history of easter island is not quite as previously thought. While it used to be a fun theory to speculate whether the easter island statues were a product of some alien civilization, the new scientific evidence just goes to. The story of easter island s statues is extraordinary, but the story of how people came to be there in the first place is just as incredible.
The 887 giant moai statues on easter island have turned one of the most isolated islands in the world into one of the most well knownand most mysterious. The place where they stand floats alone in the south pacific, about 2,000 miles from the coast of chile. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. This book, part of the new york times bestselling series, is enhanced by eighty illustrations and a detachable. Thanks, phaedrab, for a minute there i thought i must have imagined reading about this around 30 years ago. The rapa nui language, also known as pascuan, is classified as an eastern polynesian language and is currently written in latin script. More than 600 moai known are distributed throughout the island. Spanish is the most widely spoken language on easter island and the primary language of education and administration. Jan 10, 2016 easter island is a remote volcanic island in polynesia that is a territory of chile and known worldwide for its colossal statues more than 800 that were created by early inhabitants during. Where is easter island stine, megan, who hq, hinderliter, john. Famous for ancient carved statues and a location so remote it boggles the mind, the island presents a captivating. The statues of easter island travel smithsonian magazine. Located on the remote chilean territory of easter island, they tell a mysterious story of the island s early people and their obsession with rock carvings. I seem to recall something about this having made it easier to position the statues as they could be manouvered over the edge then tipped into the hole using the statues own weight against itself to act like a seesaw in raising it to the vertical.
On easter sunday, april 5, 1722, a dutch sea captain named jacob roggeveen landed his ship on an island known as te pito o te henua, meaning the center of the world. Easter island moai statues and rock art of rapa nui. Archaeologists and historians have debated the islands history, but it is believed that polynesians landed on the island around a. Easter island, or rapa nui, its original name, is the polynesian island found in the south east pacific ocean. There is no such flummery in steven fischers new book. The first easter island settlement is said to have been at anakena, the landing point on the island that provides the most protection from rough maritime weather. The book describes the 19551956 norwegian archaeological expeditions investigations of polynesian history and culture at easter island. The mysterious stone statues carved and erected by the rapa nui people have enthralled people since their discovery. Ever since these monoliths were encountered by european explorers in the.
Much research has been carried out on these famous statues and many of the damaged and fallen statues have since been restored around. We visited easter island in sept 2017 and have compiled this list of best easter island books for the curious traveler. I used to be a new yorker for the first 30 years of my life, but getting out of the subway at 34 th street and 8 th avenue during the morning rush hour was a. Go ahead then, declare that aliens built the statues on easter island. Located in the southeastern pacific ocean, easter island, also known as rapa nui, is famous for immense, carved stone statues called moai. Much research has been carried out on these famous statues and many of the damaged and fallen. Easter island statues walked into position, say experts. Easter island rapa nui in polynesian is a chilean island in the southern pacific ocean famous for its stone head statues called moai. Outsiders may never know everything there is to know about this place, but i picked up some hints of mystery when i visited. 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. As for what those curious statues represent, they somewhat resemble rush limbaugh, who, in a former life, must have put up those darn things.
Are statues carved from volcanic ash with easter island, west of chile. Old personal reports from early visitors to easter island are truly an interesting read since they are written by the hand of a firsthand whitness. The secrets of easter island history smithsonian magazine. Though recent research clearly shows rapamycin possesses a potential antiaging compound, it is not without risk and.
Of our sonlight history books below, we read from time traveler, usborne book of world history. 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. Practically everyone has seen the iconic images of the easter island heads. According to a genetic study carried out in 2014 indicated interbreeding between the people of easter island, or rapa nui, and native people. This is a great website but i cant find the authors last name. To orientate ones self on easter island and to learn its history, the first stop should be father sebastian englert anthropological museum. With each year, more theories arise concerning the island, the statues, and the rapa nui people who once lived there. This book presents a comprehensive history of easter island told by a writer who is intimately familiar with the island, its people and their extraordinary story. These moai are commonly called stone heads, but actually most possess bodies, and the largest constructed stands at over 30 feet and weighs 82 tons. How were easter islands gigantic statues actually carved. Easter island is one of the worlds most isolated regions and is nearly lost in the vast pacific ocean. What easter islands colossal stone statues teach about the. Easter island history the island itself many people have found easter island history very fascinating. Giant stone statues tell of a rich and tragic past.
Apr 15, 2020 the mysterious easter island statues rapa nui. The mystery of easter island is the title of untold books and modern film documentaries. In easter island dna, evidence of genetic loneliness the. Historians and anthropologists have spent decades trying to understand the culture of its early inhabitants and the towering moai statues that they built.
In easter island dna, evidence of genetic loneliness. Jun 10, 2019 go ahead then, declare that aliens built the statues on easter island. Easter island statues walked into position, say experts this article is more than 7 years old experiment reveals how giant stone statues may have been put into resting places without wheels or. Some scientists say it could stop the aging process and be the key to immortality. Hundreds of stone statues or maoi lie scattered around the island, and encircle it on long raised platforms. The book eventually improves, presenting a general history of the island and an. Archaeologists and historians have debated the island s history, but it is believed that polynesians landed on the island around a. Easter island is most famous for its large moai statues that were carved by native peoples between 1250 and 1500.
Easter island is a remote volcanic island in polynesia that is a territory of chile and known worldwide for its colossal statues more than 800 that were created by early inhabitants during. Jun 02, 2012 thanks, phaedrab, for a minute there i thought i must have imagined reading about this around 30 years ago. How were easter island s gigantic statues actually carved. Easter island, also called rapa nui, is a small island located in the southeastern pacific ocean and is considered a special territory of chile. Apr 11, 2012 make your own moai easter island statues.
The turbulent history of easter island 9781861892829. It covers all the islands most fascinating aspects, including its geological history, the question of the origin of the rapa nui people, flora and fauna, and of course, most importantly, the archeological remains. Megan stine reveals it all in a gripping narrative. Jacob roggeveen had been sailing for more than eight months. Easter island sketchbook at bea 2014, photo by ibpa at the bea with easter island sketchbook. The rapa nui are the aboriginal polynesian inhabitants of easter island in the pacific ocean. Jo anne van tilburg is an archaeologist and the director of the easter island statue project, an archaeological inventory and database project that has produced a stylistic analysis of nearly 900 monolithic statues moai. All the statues are monolithic, that is carved in one piece. In the crater there is a natural lake, one of only three bodies of fresh water on the island. Big island, the navel of the earth, the eye turned to the sky.
Apparently easter islands heads have bodies artnet news. In this lesson, well check out the statues of this remote polynesian island and explore the. Exploring the mystery of easter island visit easter. Rapa nui is a minority language, as most rapa nui people speak spanish as their first language. As a title, it certainly catches the eye, but the facts will speak for themselves, as they always do. Paleogenomic analysis sheds light on easter island mysteries. List of books and articles about easter island online. Easter island comprehensively covers the facts, mysteries, and theories surrounding the island s inhabitants and their famous creations. Scientists are still searching for the mysterious fountain of youth. Though, it should also be remembered that the authors were often not very scientific, but rather wrote how they personally perceived the situation.
Named easter island by the dutch explorer jacob roggeveen, who first spied it. Easter island appeared to us one rainy day during the southern winter, at the end of july 1934. What you may not have known is that those easter island heads actually have hidden buried bodies. Easter island covers roughly 64 square miles in the south pacific ocean, and is located some 2300 miles from chiles west coast and 2500. Easter island lies in the middle of the pacific ocean.
Easter island is an island and special territory of chile in the southeastern pacific ocean, at the. Jan, 2010 a 0 year exploration of easter island history. The moai are some of the worlds most fascinating and widelyrecognised monolithic statues. Some books suggest that the hiva region was an area in the. Easter island is most famous for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early rapa nui people.
The marae renga is said to have existed in a place known as the hiva region. Ancient dna sheds new light on easter island mystery. Legend insists that this man was the chief of a tribe that lived on marae renga. However, no written and little oral history exists on the island, so its impossible to be certain. The stone figures gaze across easter island through eyes hooded in shadow. Shop for the perfect easter island gift from our wide selection of designs, or create your own personalized gifts.
Easter island simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. They were searching the south pacific for parts of the world that had never been seen or explored. A guide to easter island, chile national geographic. In 1887, when chile wanted to annex easter island, it became necessary to appoint new local authorities to be able to sign the treaty and accept the sovereignty of chile, so the bishop of tahiti decided to appoint a very pious islander as king, a title that did not exist before on easter island.
Oct 12, 2017 easter island is a place of mystery that has captured the public imagination. What happened along the way that caused the island ecosystem to collapse. When you first see a moai statue you are drawn to its disproportionately large head compared to body length and that is why they are commonly called easter. Easter island is treeless and historians believe its either because of native islanders cutting down the trees or by other people coming to the. This detailed list of best easter island books includes. Jul 26, 2017 practically everyone has seen the iconic images of the easter island heads. Migrations and settlements, the evolution of a culture, wars between tribes, and ultimate decimation of a whole population define the course of easter island history. Although easter island is famous for the large monumental moai statues which adorn easter island, often called the easter island heads, rapa nui is also home to highly sophisticated rock art carvings and paintings with unique motifs. It takes more than 5 hours by plane from chile to get to one of the most remote places on our planet.
Of volcanic origin, easter island is mostly covered with grasslands and is swept by strong trade winds. Rapamycin is a mysterious bacteria discovered on the easter island. A small but wonderfully detailed museum that sheds light on the history and culture of the island though a recommended reading before getting to the island is the mystery of easter island by katherine routledge. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Giant stone statues tell of a rich and tragic past arnold, caroline on.
This fine book is the most complete treatise on easter island available. Easter islands monumental stone heads are wellknown, but theres more to the story. Apr 11, 2012 apr 11, 2012 make your own moai easter island statues. The mysterious easter island easter island travel articles. Easter island is believed to have been settled between 700 to 1200 ce, around the same time that settlers first arrived in hawaii.
What easter islands colossal stone statues teach about. The legendary first paramount chief of easter island is said to have been hotu matu. May 01, 2015 easter islands monumental stone heads are wellknown, but theres more to the story. The statues were then taken from the craters mine to their resting points around the island, but with no written history and only the spoken stories passed along from generation to generation to rely on, there is no real indication of how the statues on easter island were. 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. The easternmost polynesian culture, the descendants of the original people of easter island make up about 60% of the current easter island population and have a significant portion of their population residing in mainland chile. Curious travelers should experience this truly unique destination. Oct 12, 2017 in easter island dna, evidence of genetic loneliness. As befits the head of the institute of polynesian languages and literatures in auckland, new zealand, he has produced a scholarly and readable account of the island s turbulent history. Many books about easter island are superficial fluff. 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.
Where is easter island stine, megan, who hq, hinderliter. According to diamond and heyerdahls version of the islands history, the huri. It covers all the island s most fascinating aspects, including its geological history, the question of the origin of the rapa nui people, flora and fauna, and of course, most importantly, the archeological remains. Oct 24, 20 the remarkable nature of rapa nui easter island is so much more than its renowned colossal statues, known as moai.
Much of the island is protected in the rapa nui national park. 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. I can still see the tall cliffs of poike peninsula looming through the mist, the rounded mass of the volcanoes, and the black, twisted reef bristling with sharp ridges and needles on which the waves are torn to pieces. Come with us to explore the mystical history of easter island, while we show you some the sites that you cant miss out on when visiting it. Captain roggeveen renamed the island easter island. I am doing a research project on easter island and i cant decide what website to use. Easter island statues have full bodies and contain ancient. Learn about easter island, the most remote inhabited island on earth.
Easter island statues have bodies history at 30,000 feet. 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 island s perimeter. The way they were carved, using only stone tools, seems. Easter island, in the middle of the pacific ocean thousands of miles from. The remarkable nature of rapa nui easter island is so much more than its renowned colossal statues, known as moai.