AHU A MOA PARO

Maintenance of Protectective Structure

The Ahu A Moa Paro, an ancient platform relatively unknown even among the local community, is found in the Hanga Hemu sector, approximately 80 meters (260 feet) to the west of the only gravel quarry that exists on Rapa Nui.  During the last 30 years, this nearness to the quarry has affected the platform and caused damage to the three moai (statues) that are strewn across it.  In 2010, in an agreement with the MOP (Ministry of Public Works), the German Archaeological Institute, under the direction of the archaeologist Burkhard Vogt, set up a wooden structure to protect the central platform and, especially, the moai.

Today, this protective structure is considerably deteriorated due to its exposition to the elements and, added to that, perforations that are caused by the impact of debris and the gradual loss of stones from the upper part of the platform. During the months of August, September and October, the Department of Archaeology of the Ma’u Henua Indigenous Community installed a new protection. The process involved tearing down the old one and making a new registry and diagnosis for preservation. 

Rafael Rapu, Head of the Department of Archaeology, confirms that this maintenance is in line with the obligations of Ma’u Henua under the terms of Conservation Initiatives. Within these parameters, other important projects are also underway at Rano Raraku and Ura Uranga Te Mahina, with a series of evaluations, monitoring and cleaning the sites. “As it is recognized, we’ve had a delay of a semester and a half, so we have had to adjust our agenda for the remainder of the year to be able to fulfill our commitments, our efforts are concentrated in completing the projects that have been promised to the Community.”

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