Easter Island is a beautiful island in the eastern Pacific Ocean, located around 3800 km off the coast of Peru. It remains one of the best places to spend your holidays and is usually high up on most people’s bucket list. Although it is a relaxing place with beaches and natural scenery, the Easter Island Rocks are hands down the most compelling reason to visit the island.
These mysterious, at times terrifying, statues are a sight to behold. These Easter Island statues have an interesting history behind them. They were sculpted by the Rapa Nui people, which started somewhere around 1250 CE, and were called ‘Moai’. Read on to find out more about the statues.
The Other Half of the Statue is Buried
Since only the head is visible above ground, most pictures of the statues are of the head, which in itself is massive. People, for a long time, thought that there were only the heads and nothing more. But once archaeologists began excavations, they discovered that the heads of the statues had bodies that were bigger than the heads. The head is about 3/8th of the size of the statue.
How the Easter Island Rocks, were Transported is a Mystery On average, each statue weighs around 13 tons and stands at a height of 13 feet. Just like the pillars of Stonehenge, archaeologists still don’t completely know how these massive rocks were transported across the island without using wheels or animals. For now, there are only theories that suggest that maybe they used logs of wood and other creative techniques to transport these statues.
A Symbol of Strength, Power, and Religion
Experts believe that these massive rock sculptures were symbols of strength and power among tribes. The Rapa Nui people considered these statues to be sacred. They also thought that the statues were magical spirits that looked over and protected the people. That is why all the statues are facing the island and not the ocean, except one which is in Ahu Akivi.
Knocked Down but Didn’t Stay Down
At one point in history, the island was plagued by riots. Although the cause of these riots is not very clear, some suggest that it could be linked to the extensive deforestation that took place on the island. When different tribes fought, they brought down their enemy’s statues. But most of the statues seem to be up right now.