By William J. D’Andrea del Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, NY, USA & Andrea Seelenfreund de la Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano. Rapa Nui is known worldwide for its moai and ahu, ceremonial platforms built along the coast. For centuries, these structures were a fundamental part of the social, political, and
By Ma’u Henua Communications The Ma‘u Henua Indigenous Community, with funding from ICRART (International Centre for Rock Art) and the Spanish Ministry of Culture, developed the Training Course for the Conservation of Rapa Nui’s Cultural Heritage, aimed at updating and strengthening the skills of the teams responsible for its protection.
By José Miguel Ramírez Aliaga Arqueólogo Twenty years ago the Easter Island Archaeological Heritage Conservation Project was developed, under the direction of the National Monuments Council and the administration of Unesco’s Regional Office in Santiago, from a contribution of U$ 600.000 from the Government of Japan. After intense conversations between
Moe Toke He Tangata Archaeology is the branch of anthropology that aims to reconstruct the history of humanity from its material remains. The problem is that a very important part of human creation is not expressed in material form, and, on the other hand, many times it is not possible
Since the late 19th century, various expeditions have attempted to unravel the mysteries of Rapanui culture through archaeological investigations and oral traditions of the islanders. However, the knowledge gathered to date has not been very conclusive. This is especially true for the rituals known as “whitening” of selected young people
Ngaru’a or Neck Pillow Antiguamente los isleños no buscaban mayores comodidades en sus Hare Paenga (casas bote), en los Hare Mauku (habitaciones de piedra techada con pasto) o en la caverna que eligieron para vivir; para ellos estos espacios eran solamente lugares donde protegerse de la lluvia, abrigarse y dormir
Among the sites most visited for their supposed magnetism are the large oval rock called Te Pito Kura and a section of the road to Anakena, about half a kilometer from the beach. Illusion or reality? What do the scientists say? by Cristian Moreno Pakarati – Historiador / Historian Rapa
Talismans of Rapa Nui Ho’onu o Tortuga or Turtle: In the old days, turtles were very common on Easter Island. La Perousse Bay was originally called Hanga Ho’onu or “Bay of Turtles”. According to the older people, the sandy shore of La Perousse was where the turtles of the Island
Around three hundred megalithic statues stood upright on ceremonial platforms on Rapa Nui, the vast majority along the island’s nearly 60 km coastline. All of these, sculpted until the 17th century, did not face the sea; instead, they gazed vigilantly toward a village, toward some settlement, channeling the Mana (supernatural
The moai of Rapa Nui are not simply statues. They are the deified ancestors of Rapanui tribes — men with Mana, the spiritual power that allowed them to protect their people from beyond death. Understanding the moai means understanding the cult of the ancestors: the most widespread belief system in
Ara o te, the moai road Halfway up the side of the Rano Raraku volcano and buried up to their chests, more than a hundred giant statues (Moai) never reached the sanctuary (Ahu) for which they were destined. Carved out of the quarry, they were lowered by ropes to an
