What is the history behind the Moai statues?
The moai of Rapa Nui The moai were probably carved to commemorate important ancestors and were made from around 1000 C.E. until the second half of the seventeenth century. Over a few hundred years the inhabitants of this remote island quarried, carved and erected around 887 moai.
What are 3 facts about the Moai?
10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Moai Statues
- 10 Each Moai Took A Year To Complete.
- 9 One Of The Statues Stands Out From The Rest.
- 8 The Statues Were Once Torn Down.
- 7 The Way The Statues Were Moved Is Still Debated.
- 6 Nearly All The Statues Face Away From The Sea.
- 5 They’re Not Just Easter Island Heads, But Whole Bodies.
What is the mystery of the Moai?
Archaeologists suggest that the statues were a representation of the Polynesian people’s ancestors. The Moai statues face away from the sea and towards the villages, by way of watching over the people. So here at Ahu Tongariki these Moai look over a flat village site.
What did Moai represent?
What do the Moai represent? It’s thought that the Moai were symbols of religious and political power and leadership. Carvings and sculptures in the Polynesian world often have strong spiritual meanings, and followers often believe a carving had magical or spiritual powers of the person or deity depicted.
How old are the moai on Easter Island?
The island is known to its inhabitants as Rapa Nui. The moai were probably carved to commemorate important ancestors and were made from around 1000 C.E. until the second half of the seventeenth century. Over a few hundred years the inhabitants of this remote island quarried, carved and erected around 887 moai .
Why are the statues on Easter Island important?
Easter Island is famous for its stone statues of human figures, known as moai (meaning “statue”). The island is known to its inhabitants as Rapa Nui. The moai were probably carved to commemorate important ancestors and were made from around 1000 C.E. until the second half of the seventeenth century.
Is the Easter Island moai made of basalt?
It is one of only fourteen moai made from basalt, the rest are carved from the island’s softer volcanic tuff. With the adoption of Christianity in the 1860s, the remaining standing moai were toppled.
How did the Rapa Nui get to Easter Island?
Legend has it that a chief known as Hotu Matu’a learned about the Rapa Nui from a group of explorers. He decided to lead a group of colonialists to the Island. Where they came from is still a mystery, but it could have been the Marquesas Island, which is 2,300 miles from Easter Island.