Easter Island – Rapa Nui Easter Island – Rapa Nui July 17, 2013 by Stevie 18 Comments When you take on South America by road, there is bound to be a bucket list of must-dos in each country. So far we’ve been successful ticking ours off. Angel Falls in Venezuela , the Pacifico in Colombia , crossing the equator in Ecuador , Machu Picchu in Peru , the Salt Flats in Bolivia , Routa 40 in Argentina ( part 1 and part 2 ), and as of this post, Rapa Nui, better known as Easter Island, in Chile. Rapa Nui is located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the most southeastern point of the Polynesian Triangle, making it the most remote inhabited island in the world. This destination was very high on my list, but Tree wasn’t completely sold. I gave him my best pitch with stories of tribal war, exploitation, tsunamis, overpopulation, man eating man, a cave filled with virgins, giant hand carved statues… Honestly, I think I had him at cannibalism. Rapa Nui is most famous for its 887 carved statues called Moai.

But, really, it’s the entire story surrounding these monuments that draw intrigue from around the world. Take a moment and read this incredible history below and how it ties into today’s coming collapse. According to oral tradition, in the first millenium CE, a Polynesian King, who was escaping disaster on his home island, set sail with his nobel family, some slaves and all the fixings to start a new civilization (chickens, sweet potatoes, etc). Whilst adrift in the middle of the Pacific, he sent his seven strongest men ahead in tiny canoes in search of land, and they found Rapa Nui. The first settlement was on Anakena beach, seen below. The seven Moai below represent the navigators who found the island. They are the only Maoi that originally faced towards the ocean. The King set up two clans, his own on one side, and his sister’s (the Queen) on the other side. In time, their population grew and more clans branched off. They developed a rich culture and religion, most evidenced by the carved moai that represented their deified ancestors.

It was believed that the living had a symbiotic relationship with the dead; the dead provided everything that the living needed (health, fertility of land and animals, fortune etc.), and the living–through offerings–provided the dead with a better place in the spirit world. The moai were of course created by the slaves over unimaginable laborious hours. Without any metal on the island, the slaves used sharp shards of a very heavy volcanic rock called Toki to carve into the side of the mountain. Hundreds of slaves worked on multiple Moai at a time, slowly chiseling their shapes right out of the sides of the cliff. Below you can see one of the unfinished statues, still embedded in the cliff… Once completed, they used logs to roll the Moai (some of which are over 30 ft tall) across the island to their destination. This practice led to the decimation of all the trees on the island. To this day, numerous Moai that fell during transport are scattered across the island. Moai were also used as tombstones for important dead people, who were buried beneath the monuments. Supposedly the faces are of famous ancestors, but they all look alike to me.

As the population grew, more Maoi were created, leading to extreme deforestation and the disruption of an already fragile ecosystem. Droughts came and brought hunger and tensions to the island. After a while, the slaves tired of this raw deal and revolted. The king’s men were armed and wiped out the slave population, easily winning the war. But, it was a Pyrrhic victory for the King, because without any slaves to exploit, there was no one to build more Moai. As the island became increasingly overpopulated and resources diminished, warriors gained more power and the Ancestor Cult ended, making way for the cult of the Bird Man. Each clan submitted one competitor and one virgin to a competition. The virgins, aged thirteen to eighteen, spent six months before the competition in a remote cave with no sunlight, away from family and friends. (Side note: As a parent, this does not seem like a good way to discourage your young daughter from having sex). On the day of the competition, the competitors scaled down the cliff (behind where Tree is standing in the picture below) and swam across a channel swarming with sharks to the large island.

Once there, they waited for the migratory birds to lay eggs, anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, subsisting off the land (or sea?) and defending themselves from their fellow competitors. When a competitor scored an egg, he then had to swim back and scale the cliff again without breaking it. The first to do so became the Bird Man, and his clan ruled the island for one year. Yet, as invigorating as this new power structure was, it could not restore the teetering balance. The fighting over resources eventually devolved into all-out war and even cannibalism, commencing the demise of the Rapa Nui civilization. By the time of European arrival in 1722, the island’s population had dropped to around 2,000 from a high of 15,000 just a century earlier. The trees were gone, and nearly all of the Moai were toppled, the highest offense one clan could do to another clan. Today Rapa Nui is doing much better. In 2007, a constitutional reform gave the Island the status of “special territories” of Chile, perhaps moving the island towards independence.

Today the island has about 5,800 residents, of which some 60% are descendants of the aboriginal Rapa Nui. This pattern of overpopulation leading to a rapacious exploitation of earth’s resources, warfare and ultimately the demise of civilization does not seem to be–no matter how many times it’s repeated throughout history–a lesson from which we as humans seem to learn. Blithely marching onward, we are still living examples of tomorrow’s ruins – (click and read this Sprinter Life post from Copan, Honduras). Today our religion is capitalism, and we too believe it’s symbiotic. We give it the majority of our precious time, cogs in the wheel working from 8am to 6pm, making our jobs the biggest project (but probably not the most meaningful) of our lives. And, in return, we get what we think we need: stuff. Our monuments are not Moai but money, and we are willing to drive our planet to ruin to create more of it. Like the Rapa Nui, we are teetering on the brink of collapse, but, again, like them, we don’t see it.

Out of all the places we’ve been, Rapa Nui is one of my absolute favorites. The island has a special energy that we fell in love with the second we arrived. Also, it gave me hope to see how the consciousness of the Rapa Nui has changed. They value their history and culture, and the lessons of the past are not lost on them. Foreigners are unable to buy property on Rapa Nui (grossly curbing development), and the tribal committee that must okay all ventures on the island is in place to protect both the Rapa Nui heritage and future, which they agree–if on nothing else–is directly linked to the health of their land. My hope, dream, will and desire is that all of us will come to the same conclusion that we cannot thrive as a species until we realize that the health of the planet is directly related our own health. When earth thrives, we thrive. And when we exploit earth–our living planet, an extension of ourselves–it is like we are eating ourselves. It’s cannibalism. If you’re looking for a unique and magical experience, visit Rapa Nui! It’s so much radder than I can even begin to explain.

-Stevie Feb 18 2016 12:00 AM EST weather.com Analysis of hundreds of artifacts found on the shores of Rapa Nui, Chile, better known as Easter Island, may have answers to the mystery behind what happened to the archipelago’s civilization. However, new evidence has led researchers to believe these objects were actually general purpose tools. Led by Binghamton University professor of anthropology Carl Lipo, researchers studied the relics that were initially believed to be spear points. Referred to as mata’a, the thousands of triangular objects found on the island’s surface initially supported the theory that the ancient civilization was wiped out by warfare. Because of the large quantity of the items found and the fact that they were made out of sharp volcanic glass, many believed the mata’a were weapons of war. According to a release from the university, Lipo and his crew analyzed the variable shapes of a photo set of more than 400 mata’a using morphometrics , a technique that allowed them to characterize the shapes in a quantitative manner. Based on the wide variety of shapes and their difference from traditional weapons, the team determined that the mata’a were not used for war after all; they would have made poor weapons.

(MORE: Wooly Mammoth Remains May Show Humans Adapted to Arctic Life Earlier Than Thought ) "We found that when you look at the shape of these things, they just don't look like weapons at all," said Lipo. "When you can compare them to European weapons or weapons found anywhere around the world when there are actually objects used for warfare, they're very systematic in their shape. They have to do their job really well. Not doing well is risking death. “You can always use something as a spear. Anything that you have can be a weapon. But under the conditions of warfare, weapons are going to have performance characteristics. And they're going to be very carefully fashioned for that purpose because it matters...You would cut somebody [with a mata'a], but they certainly wouldn't be lethal in any way,” he continued. This new revelation strongly supports the idea that the ancient civilization never underwent the rumored combat, and that the mata’a were not used as weapons. The previous theory was actually a late European interpretation of the record, and not the actual event. (MORE: 'Iceman' Mummy Reveals New Secrets ) Additionally, Lipo pointed out that there are no defensive structures on the island , reports NPR.

“On other islands where we see lethal, inter-group warfare, we see clear evidence of hilltop fortresses. The hilltops are the best place to defend whenever weapons are thrown.” However none of the hilltops on Easter Island “have any evidence of such features. Nothing.” Researchers believe the mata’a were littered all over the island’s shore because they were actually cultivation tools used in ritual tasks such as tattooing or domestic activities like processing plants, according to the release. "What people traditionally think about the island is being this island of catastrophe and collapse just isn't true in a pre-historic sense. Populations were successful and lived sustainably on the island up until European contact," said Lipo. (MORE: The Year 2015 in Archaeological Discoveries ) Some scientists estimate that Easter Island’s population may have been as high as 20,000 at its height , but declined over the years after the island's vegetation was chopped down to build canoes and move the giant statues, Fox Science reported. Another theory proposes that this deforestation caused soil erosion, which impacted the island’s ability to support wildlife and farming, contributing to the civilization’s collapse.

Other experts are unsure the island ever held a large population and cite the arrival of Europeans, who brought diseases and captured islanders for slavery, Fox Science also said. MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Ancient Mosaic Unearthed in Lod, Israel Mythology and traditions of Rapa Nui – Under the influence! by ztevetevans Mythology and traditions of Rapa Nui Rapa Nui is better known as Easter Island and is one of the most isolated populated places in the world. Situated in the south eastern Pacific Ocean around 4,000 kilometres from Chile, South America its nearest inhabited neighbour is Pitcairn Island 2,075 to the west. There in the extreme isolation of the vast Pacific Ocean a unique and amazing civilization evolved that created the most wonderful giant statues and left behind a fascinating and mysterious legacy. Today the inhabitants of the island are known as the Rapanui. According to legend the original settlers named the island Te Pito Te Henua which translates as Navel of the World.

Ahu Tahai English: Ahu Tahai – By Gallardoval – CC BY-SA 3.0 The lost land of Hiva Rapa Nui mythology tells how the first settlers arrived on the island and later how the island was divided to be ruled by different clans whose chiefs were descended from a legendary chieftain called Hotu Matu’a. The location of Hiva is not known for certain but it is thought likely that it was somewhere in the Marquesas Islands, some 3,200 km way, or the Gambier Islands, 2,600 km distant. It was shown in 1999, that it was possible to sail from Mangareva, in the Gambier Islands to Rapa Nui, using traditional Polynesian sea vessels in 19 days. According to oral tradition Hotu Matu’a lived in a place called Marae Renga, which may have been an island in the region of Hiva, or a land location. According to some versions, Hiva was found in the Marquesas Islands but sunk beneath the sea after a natural disaster, possibly a volcanic eruption.

It could have been this that drove Hotu Matu’a into making the arduous journey to Rapa Nui and pioneer a new life for his family and his people. Other oral traditions say that it was internal conflicts that drove him to seek a new way of life. The dream of Hau-Maka Amanecer en Tongariki, Isla de Pascua – By Alanbritom – CC BY-SA 2.0 According to most versions of the legend of how the people came to Rapa Nui it was a priest called Hau-Maka who had a dream which he then told to Hotua Matu’a. In that dream Hau-Maka had flown out over the sea and discovered an island called Te Pito ‘o te Kāinga’, which means ‘the centre of the earth’ He then appeared to Hotu Matu’a in a dream to tell him this news. Hotu Matu’a believed the dream was his destiny and that of his people, so he sent out seven scouts in canoes to find this place.

When they found it they ate and rested and planted crops of yams, and other plants on the new island so that when they returned with their King and people they would have something ready to eat. Landing at Anakena beach Oral tradition states that Hotu Matu’a and his people landed at Anakena beach in double hulled canoes similar to what Polynesians use to this day. From there they colonised the rest of the island which eventually was to be divided between his sons who went on to head their own clans. The hanau eepe and the hanau momoko Rapa Nui mythology tells that once two different ethnic groups lived together on the island. One group or tribe of people was called the hanau eepe. This term has been mistranslated as meaning ‘long-ears’ when it actually means ‘stout’ or ‘stocky.’ However one of the traits of the hanau eepe was that they inserted pebbles into their ear lobes causing them to elongate overtime. The other group was the hanau momoko. They did not practise ear elongation and kept their ears short, mistakenly becoming known as the ‘short-ears,’ when the term really means slender or thin.

Some experts think that the hanau eepe may have had higher status and were better fed than the hanau momoko who they thought were the workers or lower classes of their society. Other experts argue that the hanau epee came from South America and were an entirely different ethnic group from the hanau momoko who were of Polynesian origin and there is no agreed consensus among by the experts on this at the moment, other than to disagree with each other. In some versions of the mythology the hanau epee arrived after the people of Hotu Matu’a and tried to enslave them. It was the hanau eepe who brought the stone-carving skills to Rapa Nui. In other versions the hanau eepe were already on the island when Hot Matu’a arrived. In yet other versions they came with Hotu Matu’a and had been defeated by him in a conflict in Hiva and he had brought them with him to work the land. Whatever the case, conflict again erupted between the two people resulting with the slaughter of all but one of the hanau eepe. His life was spared and he was said to have took a wife and had many descendants.

In 1722, the Dutch explorer, Jacob Roggeveen in 1722 gave the island its European name of Easter Island because he discovered it on Easter Day. In his accounts of his encounters with the islanders he records that there are two distinct ethnic groups. One group easily recognised as of Polynesian origin and the other group of white appearance with elongated earlobes, some to such an extent that they could be tied behind necks. He also records that some of the islanders were of large stature and this was also noted by Spanish explorers in 1770 who measured some of the inhabitants to be 196-199 cm tall. South America or Polynesia? There are arguments among the experts as to the origins of the Rapa Nui people. Some theories give Polynesia as their origins whereas others, notably by Thor Heyerdahl, the Norwegian ethnographer, who argued for South America. He cited the similarity of some of the stonework found on the island to that found in South America and also the cultivation of sweet potatoes and other plants that originated in South America.

This raises the question of how the sweet potato came to Rapa Nui and other Polynesian islands suggesting some contact between Polynesians and South Americans. Whether this was one-way or two-way cannot be determined but the possibilities exist. The Sweet Potatoes mystery Sweet potatoes originate in South America but are found on Rapa Nui as well as other Polynesian islands. There are theories that they were washed off the South American landmass by heavy storms and floated to the islands where they took root, grew and were eventually cultivated by Polynesians. There are also those see this as evidence of contact between South America and Polynesian cultures. They argue that either South Americans reached Polynesian islands, possible drifting on rafts of balsa wood and driven by currents to Polynesian islands. Once there they either lacked the knowledge or capacity to return against the currents, or did indeed manage a return trip taking back with them parts of Polynesian culture. Or Polynesians did arrive in the Americas and with their better navigational and boat building skills were equipped to make return journeys bringing back parts of American culture with them. The Mapuche Indians of southern and central Chile appear to have possible connections with Polynesians.

Motu Motiro Hiva Situated 390 km east-northeast of Easter Island and 3,210 km west of Chile is Isla Salas y Gomez. In the language of Rapa Nui it is known as Motu Motiro Hiva or Manu Motu Motiro Hiva, which means ‘Bird’s islet on the way to a far away land.’ From Rapa Nui it points the way to mainland South America. Hive was the legendary land from which Hotu Matu’a is said to have originated and the similarity in name stand out, but there are also several other Polynesian islands part named ‘Hiva’ means ‘far away land,’ especially in the Marquesas Islands so it is difficult to draw conclusions. With the great movement of the Polynesian people from island to island it may be a name for a previous island home, though there are those who argue that it points to South America as their original home. Either way it is inconclusive. The island was certainly known to the Rapa Nui and it is believed they used to visit at regular intervals to harvest eggs from the great colonies of sea birds that use the island for breeding and nesting.

The island is surrounded by steep cliffs and rocks and Rapa Nui tradition says that it was made this way by MakeMake to protect the sea-birds. The cult of the moai Author: Aurbina:- Moai at Rano Raraku, Easter Island In its isolation over the centuries its people evolved a unique culture whose most visual manifestation is the huge stone statues called moai, that are found all around the island. Little is really known of their purpose or how they were made and moved into position by people who had only Stone-Age tools and implements at their disposal. They are believed to have been representations of some of their most important forefathers and were part of a system of ancestor worship. Care needs to be taken with the word ‘worship’ as it does not necessarily mean the moai were revered as gods, or were deified. In many forms of ancestor worship there was a symbiotic relationship between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead. It was the task of the living to provide for the needs of the dead in the afterlife in the form of offerings. In return the dead looked after the needs of the living ensuring, health, good fortune and fertility of land to grow food.

Most of the Moai were situated with their backs to the spirit kingdom of the sea looking inland to the realm of the living looking over the villages where the people lived. MakeMake In Rapa Nui mythology MakeMake, or sometimes written as Makemake, or Make-Make was the creator of humanity, god of fertility and god of the ‘Tangata manu’ or bird-man cult. He was frequently depicted in petroglyphs found on Rapa Nui. Along with MakeMake there were three other gods associated with the bird-man cult. They were Hawa-tuu-take-take who was the ‘Chief of the eggs’ his wife Vie Hoa and Vie Kanatea. Tangata manu and the cult of the bird-man Despite all the effort put into the creation and situating of the Moai the culture was abandoned and most of the statues pulled down. There seems to have been some kind of civil war which swept aside the cult of ancestor worship to replace it with what is known as the cult of the bird-man, though Make-Make was still retained as the chief god of the cult. The cause of the conflict is believed to have been over the diminishing natural resources of the island.

The bird-man cult existed, though with lesser importance during the era of the ancestor worship. In essence the bird-man cult appears to have centred on an annual ritualistic competition which decided which clan would win the rights to harvest the island’s birds and their eggs and also who would be Tangata-Manu or bird-man for the year. The contestants were the prophets of the clans, known as ivi-attuas, who would appoint an individual known as Hopu, who had been revealed to them in dreams to represent them and their clan by competing in the race to bring back the first egg. Just off Rapa Nui there lies a small islet called Motu Nui that was home to a colony of Sooty terns. Starting from the sacred cliff-top village of Orongo, the hopu would have to climb down the cliffs to the sea, swim across dangerous shark infested waters to reach Motu Nui, and then scale the cliffs there to find the first egg and return it unbroken to again swimming the seas and climbing the cliffs to Orongo. The task was arduous and dangerous and some competitors were killed in the process. The ivi-attuas would await the return of the hopu in Orongo.

The hopu who found the first egg was allowed to rest on Motu Nui until he was physically and spiritually ready to carry the egg safetly back to Orongo. The other hopu returned to Orongo with news of the winner to their waiting patrons. The winning patron shaved his head and painted it either red, or white. When the winning hopu returned bearing the egg he would hand it to his patron who would then be declared Tangata-Manu. With the egg in his hand he would lead a procession from Orongo to the place where he would spend a five month residence. This would be Anakena if he was a member of the western clans or Rano Raraku if he was from a clan from the east of the island. When he arrived at his place of residence he became ‘tapu’, or sacred for the next five months of the year long term and grew his fingernails without cutting them for the term and wore a headdress made of human hair and received a new name. He was allowed special privileges as well as gifts of food and tributes. His clan was awarded the sole rights to harvest the birds and their eggs from Motu Nui for that season.

He would then spend the rest of his term in seclusion in a special ceremonial residence. Celebrating the past, present and future After the arrival of Catholic missionaries in the 1860s the cult was suppressed and subsequently went into decline. Unfortunately the Rapanui were to suffer devastating raids by slave traders which decimated their population and contact with Europeans brought smallpox and other diseases which nearly wiped them out completely. In this way many of their leaders and wise men perished and with then went most of the knowledge of the past. But the Rapanui people are resourceful and resilient and their population has increased again to more healthy levels. We will probably never know the secrets of their past or of their origins and the answers to the mysteries of Rapa Nui. Nevertheless, lets us celebrate the past of this truly wonderful island and its people while congratulating them on their present achievements and wish them the best – the very best, for the future.

© 08/16/2012 zteve t evans This article was written and first published by zteve t evans on Wizzley 08/16/2012 Copyright 08/16/2012 zteve t evans Easter Island: Writers offer Rapa Nui impressions - SFGate Easter Island: Writers offer Rapa Nui impressions EASTER ISLAND By Spud Hilton , San Francisco Chronicle Published 4:00 am, Thursday, April 21, 2011 Photo: Martin Bernetti, AFP/Getty Images Image 1of/10 Close Image 1 of 10 A worker repairs a Moais -- stone statue of the Rapa Nui culture -- on Easter Island, 3700 km off the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean, on July 9, 2010. Hundreds of scientists, tourists and locals expect to see from the Easter Island the almost five-minute total eclipse that will take place on July 11, at the same time of the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 final.

AFP PHOTO/Martin Bernetti (Photo credit should read MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images) less A worker repairs a Moais -- stone statue of the Rapa Nui culture -- on Easter Island, 3700 km off the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean, on July 9, 2010. Hundreds of scientists, tourists and locals expect to ... more Photo: Martin Bernetti, AFP/Getty Images Image 2 of 10 Photo: Chris Gray Faust, Special To The Chronicle Image 3 of 10 A turtle is seen on Easter Island, 3700 km off the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean, on July 13, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Martin Bernetti (Photo credit should read MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images) A turtle is seen on Easter Island, 3700 km off the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean, on July 13, 2010.

AFP PHOTO/Martin Bernetti (Photo credit should read MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images) Photo: Martin Bernetti, AFP/Getty Images Image 4 of 10 A Rapanui native climbs a tree on Easter Island, 3700 km off the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean, on July 12, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Martin Bernetti (Photo credit should read MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images) A Rapanui native climbs a tree on Easter Island, 3700 km off the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean, on July 12, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Martin Bernetti (Photo credit should read MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images) Photo: Martin Bernetti, AFP/Getty Images Image 5 of 10 The sun sets behind Moais -- stone statues of the Rapa Nui culture -- on Easter Island, 3700 km off the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean, on July 12, 2010.

AFP PHOTO/Martin Bernetti (Photo credit should read MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images) less The sun sets behind Moais -- stone statues of the Rapa Nui culture -- on Easter Island, 3700 km off the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean, on July 12, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Martin Bernetti (Photo credit should read ... more Photo: Martin Bernetti, AFP/Getty Images Image 6 of 10 Photo: Chris Gray Faust, Special To The Chronicle Image 7 of 10 Photo: Chris Gray Faust, Special To The Chronicle Image 8 of 10 A tourist walks inside Ana Te Pahu cave on Easter Island, 3700 km off the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean, on July 13, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Martin Bernetti (Photo credit should read MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images) less A tourist walks inside Ana Te Pahu cave on Easter Island, 3700 km off the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean, on July 13, 2010.

AFP PHOTO/Martin Bernetti (Photo credit should read MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty ... more Photo: Martin Bernetti, AFP/Getty Images Image 9 of 10 Stone statues known as Moais are pictured during the total solar eclipse in Easter Island, Chile, some 4,000 km (2,480 miles) west of the Chilean coast, Sunday, July 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Patricio Munoz) Stone statues known as Moais are pictured during the total solar eclipse in Easter Island, Chile, some 4,000 km (2,480 miles) west of the Chilean coast, Sunday, July 11, 2010.

(AP Photo/Patricio Munoz) Photo: Patricio Munoz, AP Easter Island: Writers offer Rapa Nui impressions 1 / 10 Back to Gallery It's difficult not to love a place that calls itself the "navel of the world." The island of Rapa Nui, better known to the Western world as Easter Island, is remarkable for many reasons, chief among them that a few of the earlier inhabitants carved more than 900 stoic lava rock monuments around the island - for reasons that are unclear to this day. Whether Rapa Nui is a living archaeological exhibit, a South Pacific idyll, a chess board for the gods or a homing beacon for space aliens, it rarely fails to capture the imagination of all who hear about it. From Jacob Roggeveen, the first European to land there (on Easter Day, 1722), to Thor Heyerdahl , author of a few wildly popular (and even more wildly speculative) books about the place, many have traveled there - and most were somehow changed. What follows are a few passages by writers who have been there, offering what struck them most about Rapa Nui.

- Spud Hilton, Chronicle travel editor MARYBETH BOND Easter Island isn't your typical island. There are only two small sandy beaches and very few palm trees or trees of any kind. But there are more than 900 reasons to make the epic journey to this 15-mile long triangle of volcanic rock. In every direction, huge basalt statues - the island's enigmatic maoi - are silhouetted across the azure blue skyline, the stone survivors of a lost civilization. Close up, the haunting statues are similar but not identical: prominent chins, deep sockets for eyes, and some have fingers, headdresses and tattooed backs. Four of them are women. It is estimated it would have taken six workers 12-15 months to carve and another 90 days to lower the statue down the mountains and transport it to an altar along the coast. Gina, our 27-year-old guide of Rapa Nuian descent, told us that the statues represent clan chiefs. After they were carved in a quarry, rolled on tree trunks to the shore and erected, they became repositories of supernatural powers. Marybeth Bond is author of the National Geographic Girlfriend Getaway Guides.

This passage appeared at her blog, GutsyTraveler.com. CHRIS GRAY FAUST Friends who had visited Easter Island warned me that the Rapanui men were unusually attractive. And sure enough, the streets of Hanga Roa could have been a casting call for a romance novel cover shoot. The men resembled Polynesian Fabios, with flowing dark hair, tribal tattoos and confident smiles. One man rode past on a horse, bareback, his shirtsleeves ripped to show off well-developed arm muscles. I learned later that this cultivated sex appeal had a purpose beyond mere vanity; with a population nearly decimated by smallpox, the slave trade and outright slaughter, the Rapanui made rebuilding their numbers a serious, er, proposition . "How else could we get from 250 to 2,000 in just three generations?" a tourism official said with a wink. Chris Gray Faust is editor of the website Chris Around the World: A Travel Journalist's Tips From the Road (caroundtheworld.com). JANET FULLWOOD The first ones I spotted were from the plane - black slabs sticking up like tombstones in a tawny, treeless landscape.

As soon as I'd settled into the hotel, I walked up the coast from the town of Hanga Roa toward the archaeological complex called Tahai. There the eerie silhouettes of the statues loomed behind a cemetery. I didn't go close at first, but sat at a distance in the field fronting the monuments - or moai, as they're called in the indigenous Rapanui language. The panorama encompassed a group of five human representations clustered on a single ahu, or ceremonial platform, and two single monoliths some distance away. On first impression, the statues creeped me out. They seemed to emanate bad vibes, especially the one with the eyes. He was a 16-foot, 20-ton, no-mercy kind of guy: I could visualize the islanders of a millennia ago cowering in his presence, drums thumping, torches blazing, rituals unfolding under a black, star-spangled sky. Easter Island is so isolated - mainland Chile, its parent country, is 2,300 miles away - that the culture of the moai builders thrived, uninfluenced by outsiders, for more than 1,000 years.

The other statues, once I got closer, revealed personalities of their own. One seemed benevolent under its stony, dark-socketed stare. One was wise, one stern. They all had long, stylized ears and long-fingered hands wrapped, Buddha-like, around protruding bellies. The more I looked, the more I saw. And the more I saw, the more deeply I ceded myself to the spell of Easter Island. Janet Fullwood is the former travel editor for the Sacramento Bee , where this story first appeared in 2007. GEORGIA HESSE Ghosts inhabit the sea-girt pebble that is Easter (it has only 10 miles of coastline). One hears them on the wind, senses them spooking the horses. (It may have been ghostly intervention that inspired our guide Raimundo, one hot night, to paint upon the mayor as he slept. On the other hand, it may have been Pisco.) On our last afternoon, we leaned against two of the five silent bodies that stand high above the village of Hangaroa. We sipped good Chilean red wine and let a drop or two fall on each postcard we wrote.

"Like pawns in an immense chess game, played against the background of the ocean and the ages, the statues of Easter Island seem to be waiting for the next move of a long-hesitant hand," wrote Christian Maillard . We had the pawns and the past to ourselves. Georgia Hesse was the first editor of what is now The Chronicle Travel section. TONY HORWITZ I'd always wanted to see Easter Island, having marveled as a child at one of its astonishing stone figures in the Smithsonian Museum . But (Capt. James) Cook was so sick during his brief stay at Easter Island that he barely went ashore, leaving it to his men to measure "those Colossean Statues" and to wonder how they'd been erected. Cook also made the island sound almost as bleak as the Antarctic seas he'd just departed. "No nation will ever contend for the honour of the discovery of Easter Island as there is hardly an Island in this sea which affords less refreshments and conveniences." This excerpt is from Tony Horwitz's book "Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before" (2002, Picador).

BOB PAYNE As we crouched at the base of the platform and sifted through rubble that contained everything from seashells to human teeth, Ramon told me that at least a dozen transport theories had been put forward. There's the traditional one - that some kind of supernatural power gave the moai (statues) a mana that allowed them to walk upright (which may explain why no moai was ever moved until it was completely carved, down to the eye sockets, though that would seem to increase dramatically the possibility of damage during transport). And there are variations involving pulling or prying using sizable timbers, which today, at least, the island notably lacks. Theorist Erich von Daniken even proposed that the statues were created and transported by stranded alien astronauts, who used them as some kind of rescue beacon. Considering all the broken moai lying around, one would think that if it had been space aliens, such technologically superior beings would have found a way to be a little neater. Bob Payne is a Seattle journalist. This excerpt was taken from "30 Days in the Pacific: True Stories of Escape to Paradise" (2005, Travelers Tales).

CATHERINE WATSON Among themselves, the islanders spoke their own language; it was soft, rounded and full of vowels, like all its cousins across Polynesia. With me, they spoke Spanish, the island's second language and mine as well. But while I heard about local problems - feeling discriminated against by mainlanders was mentioned often - no one dragged me into them. I think it was because I was under Yolanda's wing - not a part of the community, but not an ordinary tourist, either. She treated me more like a daughter. Sometimes, when she called me for breakfast, she would come in and perch on the foot of my bed and chat. She also gave me advice. It wasn't always wise, but it was always the same: Disfrute su vida, Catalina, she said. Enjoy your life, Catherine. And I did. I began to exist in the present tense, as if I had no past regrets and no future fears. . . I likened it to hiding in a childhood tree fort with the rope pulled up. "No one knows where I am," I kept thinking. "No one can find me." My days quickly fell into their own gentle rhythm: Go out walking after breakfast.

Explore a cave, a volcano, a vista. Take pictures. Talk to people. Go home for lunch. Nap or write or poke around Hanga Roa. And in the late afternoon, walk over to Tahai - the row of giant statues, called moai, that stood closest to town - and watch the sunset paint the sky in the direction of Tahiti. Catherine Watson is the former travel editor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. This story most recently appeared at worldhum.com. Latest from the SFGATE homepage: Click below for the top news from around the Bay Area and beyond. Sign up for our newsletters to be the first to learn about breaking news and more. Go to 'Sign In' and 'Manage Profile' at the top of the page. Project MUSE - Restoration on Rapa Nui Restoration on Rapa Nui In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content: Restoration on Rapa Nui Regina V.

Alvarez (bio) and Jon Sperling (bio) Rapa Nui, better known by most of the world as Easter Island and to its native residents as Te Pito o Te Henua (The Naval of the World) and famous for its monumental moai, was once covered by subtropical forest but is now denuded of its native vegetation. Being only 166 square kilometers, this small and fragile island was unable to recover from the historical ecological devastation, whatever the cause might have been ( Mann et al. 2008 ). Dave Egan (2005) gives a good synopsis of the history of Rapa Nui and presents the case for its ecological restoration. As botanists and restoration practitioners, we were intrigued by the ecological problems on Easter Island. In January of 2007, we had the opportunity to join an Explorer's Club expedition to Rapa Nui, led by John Loret, an archaeologist who was part of Thor Heyerdahl's 1955 expedition and who has led many subsequent expeditions since 1996 ( Loret 2003 ).

This gave us a first-hand look at restoration efforts on an island so thoroughly deforested and a chance to learn how restoration practitioners are handling the issues. This expedition had two objectives: to help preserve several archaeological sites and to assist with reforestation efforts. While our contribution was tiny compared to what needs to be done, what we learned in the process is worth sharing. Along with Patrick Franklin, arborist for Bartlett Tree Experts in South Carolina, we led the expedition's plant projects. The expedition included ten people, and we worked with the Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF), the Chilean agency in charge of managing Rapa Nui National Park, which encompasses almost half the island. Led by Ignacio Espina Igor of CONAF, we planted trees in two restoration projects. Easter Island is located in the Pacific Ocean (27°S 110°W), 3,700 km from the coast of Chile and 2,250 km from Pitcairn Island, making it the most remote inhabited island in the world. It has a subtropical climate with mean annual temperature of 21°C and mean annual precipitation of 1,350 mm.

When one arrives in Hanga Roa, the capital and only town, one is initially unaware of the deforestation, since there are many beautiful trees lining [End Page 422] the streets. These, however, were planted only in the past 50 years. Once one leaves town, the change is stark; vast areas are covered in nothing but grasses, sedges, and other low-growing vegetation. As one looks more closely, severe erosion becomes evident. Large areas along the sides of the volcanoes and cliffs are washing away. At the quarry at Ranu Raraku, towering statues that once stood over 10 meters tall are buried up to their necks in erosion. By the 1700s, this island was completely deforested; most of the native plants have been extirpated, and many endemic plants are now extinct. There are approximately 435 plant species on the island, and of those, only 48 are native (I. Espina, CONAF, pers. comm.). Plants have been introduced to this island for many reasons.

Attempts at reforestation have introduced a number of tree species, including eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) and Australian pine (Casuarina equisetifolia), known as aito in Rapa Nui, the language of the local population, most of whom are descended from the original Polynesian settlers. Introductions for agriculture include plants such as guava (Psidium guajava; tuova), papaya (Carica papaya), corn (Zea mays; tarake), mango (Mangifera indica; tumu ivi), and breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis). Some species were brought in as cattle fodder, such as molasses grass (Melinis minutiflora; mauku piru), which has since become a problem. Plants are continually introduced as ornamentals, for example, blood-flower (Asclepias curassavica). The list goes on. This island has lost its original plant community, and the question is how will all these introductions affect reforestation? Ignacio spoke with us at length regarding the challenges to reforestation efforts on Rapa Nui.

Erosion is worst on the slopes and cliffs that make up the natural topography of the island. The soil is volcanic in origin and therefore would be very fertile, were it not for erosion's leaching out nutrients. Also lost are the... If you would like to authenticate using a different subscribed institution that supports Shibboleth authentication or have your own login and password to Project MUSE, click 'Authenticate'. Your subscription does not include this content. View your subscribed titles: Book titles OR Journal titles Purchase/rental options available: International Parks: Rapa Nui, Chile - Albany Kid Family Travel Albany Kid Family Travel in Arts and Culture , Outdoors with Kids , Travel Ideas Rapa Nui is better known to almost everyone by another name. Early settlers called the island Te Pito O Te Henua or Navel of The World. Rapa Nui is the Polynesian name; in Spanish it’s Isla de Pascua, or Easter Island. Rapa Nui lies in the South Pacific, about halfway between Chile and Tahiti, yet is an official territory of Chile. Although off the beaten path, Rapa Nui is not completely inaccessible.

Flights come daily from Santiago, twice weekly from Lima, and weekly from Tahiti. Approximately 5,000 people live permanently on the island, which has many small villages. There is more to see than the famous Moai; two exceptional sites are the volcanic craters of Rano Kau and Rano Raraku. There are also two beautiful beaches, Anakena and Ovahe, and many locals surf in Hanga Roa harbor. The surrounding islets provide great spots for scuba diving; rental equipment and guided tours are available at some of the local shops. Rapa Nui also hides an extensive cave system, many quite large and deep. There are three hotel on the island, as well as many guest houses. These guests houses have reasonable rates, and the owners/hosts are extremely helpful and hospitable. Many serve breakfast and some even dinner. Another alternative is to stay in a cabana. Some are modernized, with hot water from solar panels and WiFi and bicycles for the guests; others are set up more like a dorm, but cost only $25 US a night. Almost every accommodation on the island offers free airport pickup.

Hanga Roa and the harbor, Rapa Nui Cie McCullough Buschle | Cie McCullough Buschle lives with her dog Einstein and a cat named Burton Guster. She is a lifelong traveler and enjoys researching history through holidays, toys, and everyday objects. Cie is a sculptor and co-owns The Creative Chameleon, a place where kids and adults can create, paint, celebrate, and just have a lot of fun. Sometimes you can find her time traveling back to the Middle Ages as part of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Rapa Nui - Easter Island Rapa Nui A comprehensive account of Rapa Nui/Easter Island Search Blog/comments Home Easter Island or rather Rapa Nui as the islanders themselves tend to call it, is home to some of the strangest and most remarkable monuments to be found anywhere in the world. Easter Island lies in the middle of the Pacific, 2000 miles from the nearest mainland in Chile, and is the most remote of all the islands to be settled in the first millennium AD by the Polynesians. But how did they come to erect these giant statues, and when, and how?

In March 2011 I spent six days on Easter Island and visited most of the main sights and photographed them. Here I provide a fully illustrated description of the main sites, and look at some of the current controversies about how and when they were erected. Easter Island (Rapa Nui) - Lonely Planet Easter Island (Rapa Nui) Adventures Welcome to Easter Island (Rapa Nui) Few areas in the world possess a more mystical pull than this tiny speck of land, one of the most isolated places on Earth. It's hard to feel connected to Chile, over 3700km to the east, let alone the wider world. Endowed with the most logic-defying statues in the world – the strikingly familiar moai – Easter Island (Rapa Nui to its native Polynesian inhabitants) emanates a magnetic, mysterious vibe...

Read More Top experiences in Easter Island (Rapa Nui) Sights in Easter Island (Rapa Nui) Easter Island Tours with local private guides Meet Our Guides Easter Island Private Tours The island of Rapa Nui, better known to the Western world as Easter Island, is remarkable for many reasons, chief among them that a few of the earlier inhabitants carved more than 900 lava rock monuments around the island - for reasons that are unclear to this day. Lying 3700km off the Chilean coast, Rap Nui claims to be "the most remote inhabited island in the world". Take a private Easter Island tour and explore this magical open-air museum with a knowledgeable local guide. The mysterious Moia dominate the island's landscape, from Rano Raraku to the quiet shores of Anakena Beach. Get a taste for Polynesian culture at the Orongo ceremonial village, where you can also gaze at the fantastic view from the edge of Rano Kau, or strap on scuba gear and plunge into the blue waters around Motu Nui.

Whether you hope to develop a new theory about the Moias origin, or to enjoy the thrill of nature in this remote paradise, your guide can accommodate you on a private Easter Island tour. Testimonials Easter Island facts and information Easter Island facts and information Links Notable people Moai statues in the volcano Rano Raraku . Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui , is a tiny island known for its huge moai statues scattered all over the island. The world is fascinated by the creation of these statues not only for the impressive size and quantity of them, but also for the circumstances under which they were built. This small island had very limited resources; not much drinking water, no cattle and no metal. The statues were transported to their final location several kilometers across hilly terrain - all of this being accomplished with the highest leader being a tribal chieftain. Location Location of Easter Island on a world map. Rapa Nui is located in the Pacific Ocean, on latitude -27.15 and longitude -109.4, 3600 km west of Chile in South America ( see in Google Maps ). Flying from Chile's capital Santiago, which is the closest flight connection , takes around 5 hours.

Culture Native dancers at the parade during Tapati Rapa Nui festival The Rapa Nui people are polynesians, such as Hawaiians, Tahitians and the Maori of New Zealand. The native languages of these islands are very similar. Music , dance and art has always been a central part of Rapa Nui culture. The island is today part of Chile , and strong South American influences threaten the existence of the fragile Rapa Nui culture which a mere 3000 people are part of. As tourism became a more common part of the Easter Island society since the 1990's and people travel from all over the world to see this unique culture, there has been an increased pride in the cultural Rapa Nui identity. Today, most newborns that are Rapa Nui are given Rapa Nui names, and parents try to speak the native language to their children as much as possible. During the 1980's and before, most babies were given Spanish names, and parents often did an effort to teach their children Spanish, even if this was their weaker language. Climate The Rapa Nui climate is classed as subtropical.

It is often windy, especially at volcano summits such as where Orongo is located. Being located quite a bit below the equator, Rapa Nui isn't as agonizingly hot as Tahiti sometimes can be. Most find the Rapa Nui climate moderate and quite pleasant. During summer (Dec - Feb), day temperature is around 25°C, and winter (Jun - Aug) around 19°C. At night it gets quite cold, so unless it's summer, you might want to be prepared with a pair of long trousers if you're staying outside. Jan 5167 Independance from Chile A small group called Rapa Nui parlament wish for independence from Chile. Opinions of this group have been heard all around the globe, even though they are only a few people. The rest of the Rapa Nui population doesn't share this opinion. What's more sought for is autonomy, meaning that Rapa Nui would have right to for example create laws of their own. Rapa Nui is dependent on Chile for telephone communication, internet, maintenance of roads, schools, currencies and everything else that defines a modern life.

Without Chile, the people of Rapa Nui would virtually have to go back to living in caves, which is why this island never will be independant from Chile. Economy Official currency is Chilean pesos (CLP), though US dollars are also accepted. Because of the remoteness (everything has to be flied or shipped in) and tourism, prices are quite high. A meal and a beverage at a restaurant may cost around 10 000 CLP - 30 000 CLP and a night at a hotel may cost 80 000 CLP - 200 000 CLP . Opening hours at offices etc Airport ¿I he a Hotu Matu'a e hura nei? Music traditions Music has always been a big part of Rapa Nui culture . In all rituals and ceremonies they would sing. Just like in choirs of today in many countries they had four voices; re'o a ruŋa (upper voice), re'o vaeŋa (middle voice), re'o vaeŋa o raro (middle bottom voice), re'o a raro (bottom voice). The only instruments invented by this culture are basic percussion instruments.

The most common one was the mā'ea poro - two basalt rocks that were pounded together to keep the rythm. Rocks that have been polished and rounded by rolling around in the ocean are selected for this, and when they are pounded together they cause a short, sharp sound. After horses had been introduced to the island, the instrument kaua'e (jaw) became a popular instrument, which is the bones and teeth of a horse jaw. Grabbing one cheek of the jaw and hitting the other would cause the teeth to rattle, which was also used to keep rythm. Each fiest and celebration would have a group of people in charge of the music. They would start practicing long before the fiest, and for the purpose of practicing, big houses would be built called hare koro (reunion house). For the celebration, a simple percussion instrument would be prepared by a man called va'e (foot). A big hole is dug in the ground. In the bottom of this hole, a small, circular hole is dug and a human skull is placed in this smaller hole. On top of the small hole with the skull, a keho (basalt slab - a large, flat stone) is placed.

The va'e will kick the keho with one of his feet to produce a sound similar to that of a bass drum. Rapa Nui music today Most Rapa Nui people are artists in some way. It may be in carving, handicrafts, drawing or - as often is the case - in music. For a small group of around only 3000 people, surprisingly many have recorded CDs and perform on a regular basis. One of them is Alicia Logo of CONAF, maintaining Chile's national parks. Many visitors to Easter Island hear about a Rapa Nui national park and expect to see something similar to other reserves they have seen, only this one has moais . Truth is, borders to this national park are often not visible, and even the locals don't know where the national park areas begin or end. The national park is simply the areas that don't have an owner. These areas make out around 43% of Easter Island. Just as the rest of all Chilean national parks, this one is run by the national organization CONAF. They are in charge of park rangers, signs, rules, maintenance etc.

National park ticket For entering two of the main attractions of Rapa Nui ( Rano Raraku and Orongo ), visitors are required to show a park ticket. These are bought at the airport or at the CONAF office. The ticket costs 60 USD per person, except for Chilean citizens, for whom the cost is only 20 USD. Once bought, the ticket is valid for five days. For visiting Rano Raraku and Orongo after that, you would have to buy a new ticket. Only 1 visit to each of the sites is permitted per ticket. Filming movies, documentaries and shows at Easter Island Many documentaries and show episodes have been filmed at Easter Island. For filming within the national park (basically anywhere where there are moai statues) you need a permission from CONAF. The cost of this permission depends on how many days you will be filming and how many sites will be covered. When filming in the national park, a CONAF park ranger will have to accompany you at all times. No permission is needed for filming in private properties, in town and anywhere that's not national park.

To request a filming permission from CONAF, they will need a detailed schedule of which sites you'll be filming, the exact date and time you'll go to the locations and what scenes will be shot there.

Question: The island of Rapa Nui is better known as what?
Answer: Easter Island