The discoverer of this mysterious island was captain Juan Fernandez. The history of Easter Island is the subject of long-standing controversy. Historians cannot find all the answers.
History of Easter Island
This island is one hundred and seventeen square kilometers of almost bare land. The more scientists try to understand this island, the more questions they have. Recently, scientists began drilling into the ground to take samples to answer some questions. They were surprised to find an underlying layer of beetles. The question remains unanswered. This is another mystery. Will scientists be able to guess it?
When the Spaniard Juan Fernandez discovered this island, he decided to keep the discovery a secret. But he himself later died under unclear circumstances.
A century and a half later, the same land was discovered by Admiral Jacob Roggeveen. This discovery occurred on Easter Day. This is where this name came from.
An interesting fact is that there were other islands near Easter Island that were mapped and clearly described. But they mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Having learned the history of Easter Island, you can find out the fate of the disappeared islands. At one time, Roggeveen claimed that local aborigines sat down near the idols, lit fires and rocked them. This action of theirs says little. It does not answer the question: who were the idols for them? But it is obvious that the idols were of great importance to them.
Attempts to learn the history of Easter Island
Everyone who visited the island talked intelligently about the purpose of the idols. Cook, for example, believed that these were monuments to buried rulers. There were suggestions that some of the idols depicted gods, and the rest people. So these “moai” idols are a complete mystery that still has no answer today. Some idols lie on the ground. An explanation can be found here. All the idols were placed with their backs to the sea and could fall at the slightest earthquake. But they could have fallen on their own due to water or time.
You will not find such a developed state in all of Polynesia. And, as usual on earth, advanced civilizations subject to persecution. This happened with the mysterious island. Humanity decided to destroy the islanders. To take revenge on them for their high civilization. They have been destroyed for centuries. Let's turn to history. In 1862, pirates from Peru enslaved the entire male population. After some time, missionaries began to cynically destroy island paganism. Forbidden topics in the history of Easter Island have emerged.
They burned signs with signs. The island began to belong to Chile at the end of the 19th century. They created a penal colony here. Later they decided to organize farming there. As a result, all settlements were destroyed. There is only one city left in Hanga - Roa.
The Last Aboriginal Mutiny
At the beginning of the 20th century, the last Aboriginal rebellion was suppressed. The Chilean authorities ruthlessly dealt with the rebels. After this destruction there are no people who were eyewitnesses of the reliable history of the island. There are no masters who kept the secrets of their ancestors. Well, we use legends. One of them says that the idols could move on their own. How this happened remains a mystery. But what this was for in principle is not at all clear.
Ancient craftsmen carved “moai” from tuff. Afterwards they lowered the idols down and distributed them according to a certain plan. The weight of the idols reached up to 5 tons, and the height was on average 7 meters. The material from which they were made was called volcanic pumice. Today, only 150 Rapanui people live on the island. The rest of the population are Chileans and mestizos. In total there are three thousand people on the island.
Unsolved mysteries
Today's inhabitants are Polynesians. But no one knows for sure where the first settlers came from. Even famous scientists and travelers, trying to defend their next version, did so without evidence. Thus, the number of hypotheses was added, but knowledge of the history of the island remained in place. This island was once extremely densely populated. This may have caused civil strife on the island. The anger of the island's inhabitants was repaid on the idols, as a symbol of the enemy.
Another reason for the historical obscurity of the island is that to this day the writings of the inhabitants of Easter cannot be deciphered. The found tablets with inscriptions remain unread. Many tablets were burned by Christian missionaries, and those that remained turned out to be too tough for modern science.
Climbing the Rano Kau volcano, you can see a panorama of volcanic lakes. These lakes are surrounded by Orongo Cave. Swallows fly here every spring. On the island they are considered messengers of the gods. Currently, everything on the island has been preserved unchanged, as it was hundreds of years ago. So what happened on Easter Island? This answer awaits us ahead. In the meantime, the history of Easter Island is yet another mystery for humanity.
The culture of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is distinguished by a number of features unusual for the rest of Polynesia and has long attracted the attention of researchers. Thus, many giant stone statues (moai) and various structures were erected on the island; the cult of birds (in particular, the frigate) played a very important role in religion; local priests used the original script (kohau rongo-rongo). Stone statues are also found on other Polynesian islands (for example, Pitcairn Island, the islands of the Marquesas archipelago), but not on the same scale as on Easter Island.
The cult of birds is unusual for Polynesia. The letter is not found anywhere in Polynesia except Easter Island. In connection with these and other features, hypotheses have been repeatedly put forward about the non-Polynesian origin of Easter Island culture.According to one of the hypotheses (M. Brown), Easter Island is the remnant of a lost continent, whose inhabitants had a very high culture (the Pacific version of Atlantis). One of the main arguments in favor of this hypothesis is that there is no way that the small population of Easter Island could have built such a large number of stone monuments. However, this hypothesis has not been confirmed by either geological or archaeological data.
According to another hypothesis (V. Hevesi), the culture of Easter Island is of ancient Indian origin, which is proven by the similarity of the signs of Rapanui and ancient Indian (Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro) writing (both have not been deciphered).
According to a fairly widespread hypothesis (Balfour), the culture of Easter Island is of Melanesian origin. This hypothesis is supported by the presence in Melanesia of the cult of the frigate bird (a rare bird on Easter Island), the custom of elongating ears and dyeing hair red (which corresponds to the elongated ears and red “headdresses” of the Easter Island statues), as well as anthropological data (dolicocephaly of Rapanui skulls). Proponents of the “Melanesian” hypothesis believe that Easter Island was inhabited even BC. Melanesians, who “brought with them the custom of ear-stretching and the cult of the frigate, and perhaps the art of erecting statues.”1 Much later (around the 14th century) the island was conquered by light-skinned Polynesians, who adopted the custom of ear-stretching and the cult of birds from the Negroid Melanesians . As a result of the mixing of Melanesians with Polynesians, the Rapanui people have different skin tones, which was also noted. Roggeveen, and the islanders still remember which of their ancestors was “black” (i.e. Melanesian) and which was “white” (i.e. Polynesian).
Recently, the hypothesis about the South American origin of Easter Island culture, supported by the famous Norwegian traveler T. Heyerdahl, has become widespread. This hypothesis is supported by the presence among the ancient Peruvians of stone statues and structures similar (according to Heyerdahl) to those of Rapanui. According to Heyerdahl, the culture of Easter Island was created around the 4th century AD. people from South America, which he identifies with the legendary "orejones" of the Spanish chronicles. "Orichones", according to legend, had the custom of elongating their ears and were distinguished by their white skin color. Much later, around the 11th century, Easter Island was conquered by the Polynesians, who destroyed the ancient culture. As a result of the mixing of white people from South America and Polynesians, the Rapa Nui people have different skin tones; the islanders still remember which of their ancestors was “white” (i.e. from South America) and which was “black” (i.e. e. Polynesian).
1. The creation of Easter Island and the first settlers
The legend about the first settlers is closely connected with the myth of the giant Vok (Wok, Uvok), who raised and destroyed islands with his staff (more precisely, a digging stick). According to Englert, Voke destroyed with his staff big country, as a result of which only Easter Island remained (hence its name Te-Pito-o-te-Whenua - “navel of the earth”).
The first settlers Te Ohiro and Nga Tawake (according to Brown - Ratawake, according to Englert - Ngata Wake) landed at Rotomea Bay near Mataveri and stopped at Wai Marama. The following month they moved to Te Whare on the Rano Kau volcano. As Woke began to destroy the island again, Nga Tawake feared death. But Te Ohiro spoke to the sea so that it would not flood the land, and Woke's staff broke into Puko-puhi-puhi.
The legend of the first settlers Te Ohiro and Nga Tawake is known from a later account by Englert from the words of the brothers Mateo and Gabriel Wariveri (of the Honga clan), who trace it back to the old man Hongi Atua Kawa A'Ura Auwiri. Fragments of it are found in manuscript C (found by Heyerdahl), according to which the first settler, here called Teawaka (instead of Nga Tawake), told about Voka to the Hotu Matu'a scout Ku'uku'u, and then to Hotu Matu'a himself. The latter noticed that the giant's staff had broken, and the lightning of the god Make-make had fallen.20 The presentation of the myth of Vok in the versions of Englert and manuscript C appears to have been greatly distorted by the influence of Brown's hypothesis about the sunken continent (which, apparently, first became known to the Rapanu according to Brown himself). The giant Woke (Woke. Uwoke) corresponds to Woke, mentioned in the cosmogonic part of the genealogy of the island of Hiva Oa (Marquesas archipelago) also in connection with the creation of the islands.21 The first settlers Te Ohiro and Nga Tawake are mentioned in versions of the legend about the scouts of Hotu Matu'a. The name Te Ohiro is preserved in the name of Hanga-Ohiro Bay ("Ohiro Bay"). Apparently they were not the only settlers on Easter Island, but the leaders.
2. Events on the Khiva Islands.
Traditions associate the settlement of Easter Island with the leader (ariki) Hotu Matu'a. According to Englert's most complete version, Hotu Matu'a lived at Marae-renga in the Maori region of Hiva (the Polynesian name for the Marquesas Islands). His sister lived in Marae-tohio. The localities of Te Pei, where the statues (moai) stood, and Ari-ange or Otionge, where Hotu Matu'a was born, are mentioned. There were turtles (kepu-kepu) on the island, and there were many sharks near the islet of Motu Toremo.
The Jossan and Metro versions also say that Hotu Matu'a lived at Marae-renga. According to Routledge, Marae-renga and Marae-tohio are the names of neighboring islands. According to Thomson, Hotu Matu'a lived in Marae-toehau (a variant of the name Marae-tohio), where the climate was so hot that people sometimes died from the heat, and in certain seasons the plants withered under the scorching sun.
After the death of Hotu Matu'a's father (according to Routledge - Ko Kiri-ka-atea, according to Metro - Tupa-ringi-aiga, according to Englert - Taane-Arai), enmity flared up between Hotu Matu'a and his brother (according to Routledge - Ko Te Ira-ka-atea, according to Englert - Oroi). Hotu Matu'a was defeated and forced to leave his homeland.
According to Thomson, Oroi was not the brother of Hotu Matu'a, but a powerful neighboring chief. Brother Hotu Matu'a (?), (in Thomson - Machaa) fell in love with one girl (name not specified), with whom Oroi was also in love. The girl declared that she would marry Oroi if he walked around the island without a break. While Oroi was walking, the girl disappeared with Mataa (?). Oroi decided to take revenge on the entire clan of Hotu Matu'a. Mataa (?) immediately sailed with the girl and six companions, and two months later Hotu Matu'a sailed, defeated by the Oroi in three battles.
3. Son Hau Maka.
One of the islanders in Marae-renga, Tuhu Pato-ea, invented a net for catching shells, caught a beautiful pearl oyster and presented it to his chief, Father Hotu Matu'a. Subsequently, Hotu Matu'a gave this pearl oyster to a certain Hau Maka, who tattooed him. Hau Maka knew that there was an uninhabited island in the ocean. When Hotu Matu'a decided to move, Hau Maka told him that he had seen in a dream an island suitable for settlement. According to this dream, the spirit of Hau Mak first saw a tall extinct volcano (Rano Kau), and near it three small islands (Motu-nui, Motu-itit and Motu-kao-kao). He named these islets Ko-nga-hone-tutu-wai-a-te-Taanga ("children standing in the water, sons of Taanga", Taanga was the son of Hau Maka). He then climbed the volcano (Rano-kau) and named it Ko-te-poko-uri-Hau-Maka ("black pit of Hau Maka"). Next, the spirit of Hau Mak descended from the volcano and went to inspect the coast. He found Taharoa, Hanga-o-Honu, and Anakena bays that he liked.
The legend of Hau Maka is known in a short version by Routledge and a coinciding but more detailed version by Englert. Traces of this legend are found in Metro's version of the legend of the Hotu Matu'a scouts. Hau Maka is mentioned in manuscript A found by Heyerdahl. According to Thomson, the great spirit Mehe-mehe (god Make-Make), probably confused with Hau Maka) appeared to Hotu's brother Matu'a Mataa (?) and told him that in the direction of the ascending sun there is an uninhabited island suitable for settlement.
4. Scouts on Easter Island.
In preparation for the migration, Hotu Matu'a first sent seven youth scouts to Easter Island to plant yams and find a bay suitable for landing from large double boats. The names of the young scouts were: Ira, Rapa-renga, Ku'uku'u. Ringi-ringi, Nonoma, Uure, Mako'i. Chief among them was Ira, to whom Hau Maka described in detail Easter Island, which he had seen in a dream. Ku'uku'u was an expert in yam cultivation. The young men sailed on the boat Ora-ora-miro (“living tree”). On the advice of Hau Mak, the boat of the young men approached Easter Island near the Rano Kau volcano (which clearly served as a landmark), near three islands. The young men landed at Hanga Tepau Bay and went to the Rano Kau volcano. Ku'uku'u planted yams there. The scouts then walked along the coast, rounded the Poike Peninsula and came to Taharoa Bay, which they found unsuitable. The next bay, Hanga-o-khona, was also rejected by Ira. Here they stopped and began to fish. At high tide, the young men saw a large turtle (hence the name Hanga-o-honu, "turtle's booga") and began to chase it. Following the turtle, they came to Anakena Bay. The turtle stopped on the shore of the bay at Hiromoko, a place convenient for landing from large boats. The young men took turns trying to turn the turtle over, but they failed. When Ku'uku'u began to lift the turtle, it hit him with its flipper, he dropped it and severely injured his leg. The turtle swam into the ocean. The young men recognized Anakena Bay as suitable for landing from large boats. Since Ku'uku'u could not walk, he was carried to the cave of Ihi-arero and abandoned there. Ku'uku'u died in this cave.
The rest of the young men moved on. Halfway from Anaken to Mataveri they met a stranger named Nga-Tawake, who joined them. On the way to the Rano Kau volcano, Ira and Raparenga secretly hid from the others the statue (moai) of Hinarira with a necklace of pearl mussels around its neck that they had brought. Returning to Orongo, on the Rano Kau volcano, the young men discovered that their yam plantation was overgrown with poporo weeds. From this the young men concluded that the island was not suitable for settlement. After weeding out the weeds, they built themselves a house in Orongo.
Ira and the rest of the young men decided to return back. Only Ringi-ringi wanted to stay. But he did not know where Ira and Rapa-renga hid the statue of Hinarira. Mako'i, who sympathized with him, deliberately started a conversation about this statue with Ira, while Ringi-ringi pretended to be asleep. Ira, believing that Ringi-ringi was sleeping, said: “Rukhi - to the right, Pu - to the left, a necklace of pearl oysters on the neck of the statue of Hinariru.”
However, Ira and the other young men did not have time to sail to their homeland, as they had intended. From the top. Rano Kau they saw the boats of Hotu Matu'a approaching the island.
The legend of the scouts sent by Hotu Matu'a to Easter Island is found in the records of Thomson, Routledge, Brown, Metro, Englert. According to Thomson's version, Hotu's brother Matu'a Mataa(?), fleeing the revenge of Oroi, hastily sailed in a double boat with his bride and six companions. two months before Hotu Matu'a. The voyage took two months, after which he landed south coast Easter Islands. Further, only the episode with the turtle is mentioned. Routledge's version states that six scouts landed on the island at three islets, near the Rano Kau volcano, planted yams, and then walked around the island. Next, the episode with the turtle (the death of Ku'uku'u) and the meeting with an unknown person (Nga-Tawake) are mentioned. The remaining versions differ from Routledge's version only in more details. According to the Metro version, there were six young men: Ira, Rapa-renga, Ku'uku'u, Ringi-ringi, Tavatava-ahu-atava (Tava-tava-a-huatava). According to Englert, Ku'uku'u, Ringi-ringi, Nonoma, Uure, Makoi and Ringi-ringi were the sons of Huatawa. According to Brown, the boat of the youths was called Ora-ora-ngaru.
5. Hotu Matu'a on Easter Island.
Khotu Matu'a, preparing to sail, equipped two double boats. Each of the two rook hulls had its own name. The boat Hotu Matu'a called them Oteka and Oue. The boats had high prows, like the neck of a swan, and an equally high stern. Hotu Matu'a sailed with his wife Wakai. The second boat was commanded by Tuu Ko Iho (Tuu Ko Ihu), married to Awa Rei Puna, sister of Hotu Matu'a. There were more than a hundred people in each boat. Hotu Matu'a took with him the plant expert Teke and the skilled builder Nuku Kehu. The wife of the builder Mara-mara Koi did not want to leave her home island.
On the eve of sailing, Teke decided that he had too few varieties of yams. Therefore, he and his assistant went to the neighboring Ariki Maeha, who had good plantations. While Teke kept Ariki Maheha busy with conversations, his assistants stole two baskets of new varieties of yams from the owner’s plantation, in particular hatuke and tarakura.
In addition to different varieties of yams (fish soup), Hotu Matu'a carried with him many other plants. The legends give huge lists, among which are mentioned taro, kumara, ti, banana (maika), sugar cane (toa), ngaoho and hau-hau, plants from which ropes were made, pua and pia, used to obtain yellow and white dyes, toromiro and mako' and, providing good wood for various products and digging sticks. Hotu Matu'a took a lot of nau-nau nuts for food in the first months after his arrival (the shells of these nuts are often found in ancient caves). In addition, there were chickens on the boats. Hotu Matu'a took with him 67 tablets with writing (kohau rongo-rongo).
After a two-month voyage, the boats of Hotu Matu'a approached three islands near the Rano Kau volcano in the morning. Here Hotu Matu'a was supposed to find out from his scouts sent ahead where a bay convenient for landing was located. At the island of Motu Nui he met with his scouts. Ira and Rapa-renga shouted to Hotu Matu'a that the island was not suitable for settlement, since there was a lot of weeds on it. Hotu Matu'a nevertheless decided to land. Then the young men explained to him where Anakena Bay was located, convenient for landing. The boats split up to explore the entire coastline. Hotu Matu'a swam to the right and approached Anakena Bay from the east, and Tuu Ko Iho swam to the left and approached the same from the west. As the boats sailed along the coast, Wakai, the wife of Hotu Matu'a, had a son, Tuu Maheke, and Awa Rei Puna, the wife of Tuu Ko Iho, had a daughter. Hotu Matu'a's boat landed at Hiromoko. and the boat Tuu Ko Iho is in Hanga-Ohiro. At this time, the month of Anakena was in progress (where the bay got its name from).
On the shore of Anakena Bay they built a house and oven (umu)(umu pae) for the ariki of Hotu Matu'a and a house for his wife Vakai. Nearby stood the house of the builder Nuku Kehu. The builder missed his abandoned wife and spent all his time on the shore, looking to the northwest, where the island of Khiva remained. Teke remembered that he had forgotten to take sandalwood with him, and swam after it. Hotu Matu'a ordered a statue (moai) of Tauto, one of the ancient Ariki, to be brought from the island of Hiva. Concerned about the lack of streams and springs on Easter Island, Hotu Matu'a began building cisterns to collect rainwater.
Versions of the legend about the arrival of Hotu Matu'a on Easter Island differ slightly from each other. According to Roussel's version, each boat had 400 people, according to Thomson - 300. According to Routledge's version, the second boat was commanded by Hine-lilu (Hineriru), an expert in writing. Tuu Ko Iho is referred to as a sculptor in this version.
6. The fight between Hotu Matu'a and Oroi.
The enemy of Hotu Matu'a Oroi, on the eve of departure, infiltrated the boat Tuu Ko Iho under the guise of a servant, and after disembarking he disappeared. He killed defenseless travelers, and once killed five children of a certain Aork (the name is clearly distorted). When Hotu Matu'a went to visit his adopted daughter who lived near Maunga Tea Tea, Oroi set a trap in his way, but Hotu Matu'a noticed it and killed Oroi.
According to Thomson, Oroi was a powerful leader and began to quarrel with Hotu Matu'a because of an episode with a girl. After arriving on Easter Island, he hid in the Orongo rocks (on the Rano_Kau volcano), but was eventually caught by Hotu Matu'a in a net. According to Routledge, Oroi killed (at Marae-renga) the children of Hotu Matu'a.
7. Death of Hotu Matu'a.
In his old age, Khotu Matu'a quarreled with his wife. The quarrel arose because Hotu Matu'a, angry with his eldest son Tuu Maheke, who was crying from hunger, called him a "degenerate." Wakai, having learned about this, said that Hotu Matu'a himself was a degenerate, the illegitimate son of Ko Hiri Tu'u Hongo-hongo, and not at all the son of ariki Te Riri-ka-atea, left his home and moved to Hare-moa-viviri where he was engaged in farming. Wakai also came there, and Hotu Matu'a moved again, first to Hare-moa-tataka, and then to Te-ingao-o-te-hona, where he lived with his favorite youngest son. He then went to Akahango to look for fresh water. Vakai again came to Khotu Matu'a and soon died. She was buried at Ahu-atur-hoa. Hotu Matu'a moved to Ko-te-ware-tereinga-tahi on the slope of the Rano Kau volcano. Here he built a monument of three large stones, which is called Ko-te-maea-hono-a-Hotu Matu'a ("stones set by Hotu Matu'a").
Hotu Matu'a fell ill and went blind. He called his sons and divided the island between them. Tuu Maheke received the area from Anaken to Maunga-tea-tea, Miru te, Mata-nui - from Anaken to Hanga-roa, Marama - from Akahanga to Vinapu, Raa - Hanga-toe (north and west of Maunga-tea-tea ), Koro Orongo - from Anakena to Rano Raraku, Hotu-iti - east coast.
Feeling the approach of death, Hotu Matu'a asked his adopted son to bring him good water from the cistern in Huareva. The old Ariki wanted to hear the rooster crow from Ariang, where he was born, before he died. Having drunk, he faced towards his native island and shouted: “Oh, Kuihi! Oh, Kuaha! Let the rooster crow in Ariang!” From across the ocean he heard a rooster crow, and Hotu Matu'a died.
His sons buried him in a deep ditch at Akahanga, the same place where Wakai died.
Tuu Maheke, the heir of Hotu Matu'a, did not want to stay on Easter Island and left for the island of Khiva. Tuu Ko Iho began to rule in his place.
After the ariki of Tuu Ko Iho, power passed to Mir, the eldest son of Tuu Maheke, grandson of Hotu Matu'a. Miru a Tuu Maheke is considered the founder of the dynasty of paramount leaders of the island (ariki whenua). When the eldest son of the paramount leader married, his father transferred his power to him. After Miru ariki, whenua became Ataranga, then Ihu.
8. Arrival of hanau eepe.
During the life of Ariki Tuu Ko Iho, new settlers arrived on the island. They were called hanau eepe ("burly"), in contrast to hanau momoko ("thin"), the first settlers. Hanau never arrived without women. They had a custom of making their ears longer. They settled on the Poike Peninsula and Hanga Nui. Enmity began between hanau eepe and hanau momoko. Later, Hanau Yepe managed to subjugate the first settlers (Hanau Momoko).
The legend of the arrival of the Hanau Yepe, like the legend of the first settlers, has been preserved only in the form of silent mentions. According to Thomson, many years after the death of Hotu Matu'a, the island was divided between the people of Hotu Matu'a and the "long-eared race." What follows is a story about the war between them. According to one version by Routledge (with reference to the informant Kilimuti), the “short-ears” arrived in the boat of Hotu Matu’a, and the “long-ears” in the boat of Hinelilu. According to the second version of Routledge (with reference to three old men), the “long-ears” arrived at the third ariki, because of his (mana) witchcraft. The war between the “long-eared” and the “short-eared,” which occurred between the voyages of Roggeveen and La Perouse, is described similarly in all versions.
The names of the two groups of the Easter Island population between which there was a “war to overthrow the statues” (huri moai) - hanau eepe and hanau momoko - have been translated since the time of Martinis and Routledge, respectively, as “long-eared” and “short-eared”. Englert was the first to point out that such a translation is absurd. Hanau means "race", "to be born", epe - "burly", "stocky", epe "ear", momoko - "thin". If the name hanau epe (instead of eepe) is translated “long ear,” then it follows that hanau means “long.” In this case, the name hanau momoko should be translated “long short”, for the simple reason that this name does not contain the words either epe or eepe. In addition, it should be noted that in the Wrapanui language the qualifying adjective comes after the noun it defines, and the phrase hanau epe meaning “long ear” is generally impossible according to the rules of grammar. One can only be surprised at the persistence with which the Norwegian traveler defends obvious nonsense if he considers it beneficial for his theory: “The only one who believes that it is necessary to translate “thick” is the priest. Englert, but here he is not supported even by modern Easterers, who unanimously claim that one people was not “thicker than the other.” It is even more incomprehensible why it was necessary to present such strange “arguments” and refer to Routledge as a “primary source” on translation issues, when it is known that, according to legend, the Epe people had the custom of elongating their ears, for which they were nicknamed Epe Roroa, “long-eared” ( epe - “ear”, roroa - “long”, Rapanui word order).
The site was created in the uCoz system
This is a volcanic island, its size is relatively small, only 166 square meters. km, and a height of 539 meters, is located in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean. The island has 70 extinct volcanoes that have never erupted in the 1,300 years since colonization. The island belongs to Chile (3,600 km to the west of the Chilean city of Valparaiso). Its population is only about 2,000 people, so it is said that it is the most secluded corner of the world.
Ancient sculptors tried to use natural material sparingly and not do unnecessary work; for this, when marking future statues, they used -
they cut down the slightest cracks in the stone monolith and cut down the statues in whole series, and not one at a time. ■
Easter Island and its entire history are shrouded in mystery. Where did its first settlers come from? How did they even manage to find this island? Why were 600 multi-ton stone statues made and installed? In 1772, the island was discovered by the Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen, this happened on Easter Sunday, hence the name - Easter Island (in the language of the Polynesians the island was called Rapanui). Imagine J. Roggeveen’s surprise when he discovered that three different races, blacks, redskins and completely white people, were living peacefully here. They were all welcoming and friendly to guests.
The Aborigines worshiped a god they called Mak-Mak. Researchers found carved writings made on wooden tablets. Most of them were burned by Europeans and it can be called a miracle that something survived.
Researchers think these may be statues of leaders deified by local residents after their deaths.
These tablets, called rongo-rongo, were written first from left to right, and then from right to left. For a long time, it was not possible to decipher the symbols printed on them, and only in 1996 in Russia was it possible to decipher all 4 surviving tablets.
But the most mysterious and fascinating discovery on Easter Island is the giant monolithic statues, called moai by the aborigines. Most of them reach a height of up to 10 meters (some are smaller than 4 meters) and weigh 20 tons. Some still reach large sizes, and their weight is simply fantastic, about 100 tons. The idols have a very massive head, long ears, a heavy protruding chin and no legs at all. A few have red stone caps on their heads (perhaps these are leaders deified after death in the form of statues).
To create the moai, builders used solidified lava. The moai were hewn straight out of the rock and were supported only by a thin bridge, from which, after processing was completed, the statue was chipped off and brought to the desired shape. The crater of the Rano Raraku volcano, as a visual aid, still preserves all the stages of processing stone giants. First, the general appearance of the statue was carved, then the craftsmen moved on to the contours of the face and carved the front part of the body. Then they treated the sides, ears and finally, hands folded on the stomach with disproportionately long fingers. After this, the excess rock was removed, and only the lower part of the back was still connected to the Rano Raraku volcano by a narrow strip. Next, the statue was moved from the crater, across the entire island, to the installation site (ahu).
How difficult it was to move the moai is evidenced by the fact that many of the statues were never installed on their ahu and a large number of them were left lying halfway to the goal. Sometimes this distance reached 25 kilometers. And now it remains a mystery how these statues, which weighed dozens of tons, were actually moved. Legends say that the idols themselves walked to the ocean shore. Scientists conducted an experiment where they swung a vertically mounted statue (with ropes tied to the top) and alternately pushed forward with either the left or the right shoulder. To those who watched the work, it gave the impression that the statue was moving on its own. And yet, simple calculations prove that a small population could not process, move and install even half of the finished statues.
Who are the inhabitants of Polynesia, who did they come from, how and when did they populate these islands? The mystery about the origin of the local residents has given rise to many different hypotheses. And since there were no records of the history of Easter Island, but only oral stories, it is clear that with the passing of generations, the culture and traditions of the islanders became increasingly vague.
It is believed that the local population of Polynesia originated from the Caucasus, India, Scandinavia, Egypt and of course from Atlantis. The islanders themselves claim that 22 generations have passed since then, when the leader Hotu Matua brought the first settlers to this paradise, but no one on the island knows where from.
Thor Heyerdahl put forward his hypothesis. He drew attention to the physical matches between the elongated appearances of Easter statues and certain peoples of South America. Heyerdahl wrote that the sweet potatoes that grew in abundance on the island could only have been brought from the Amazon. Having studied local legends and myths, he concluded that all the poetic epics of the Polynesians are in one way or another connected with the god Tiki (son of the Sun), who once sailed here from the eastern mountainous country. Then Heyerdahl began to study the South American culture of ancient times. Legends have been preserved in Peru that people of white gods came from the north and installed giant statues made of solid stone in the mountains. After a clash with the Incas at Lake Titicaca and complete defeat, this people, led by the leader Kon-Tiki, which translates as Sun-Tiki, disappeared forever. In legends, Kon-Tiki led the remnants of his people across the Pacific Ocean to the west. Thor Heyerdahl argued in his book that Polynesians have an American past, but scientific world did not pay due attention to his work. Can we seriously talk about the resettlement of American Indians to Easter Island if they did not have ships, but only primitive rafts!
Then Heyerdahl decided to prove in practice that he was right, but the methods by which he wanted to achieve this were not at all scientific. He studied the records of the Europeans who first came here and found many drawings describing Indian rafts, which were made from balsa wood; it was very durable and weighed half as much as cork. He decided to build a raft based on ancient models. The crew was immediately selected: Yorick Hesselberg the artist, Hermann Watzinger the engineer, the Swede Bengt Danielsson the ethnographer, Torstein Raaby and Knut Haugland..
The raft was built and in 1947, on April 28, they sailed from the port of Callao, many people gathered to see off the brave sailors. It should be noted that few people believed in the successful end of this expedition; they predicted its certain death. On the square sail was depicted Kon-Tiki himself, the great navigator who (as Heyerdahl was sure of) in 500 AD. discovered Polynesia. An unusual ship was named after him. In 101 days, the expedition members covered 8,000 km in the Pacific Ocean. On August 7 the raft reached desert island Raroia, almost crashing on a coral reef at the very edge of the shore. After some time, the Polynesians sailed there on pirogues, they gave a worthy welcome to the brave sailors.
And after a few days, the travelers were picked up by the French schooner “Tamara,” which had specially sailed for them from Tahiti. A grand success of the expedition. Thor Heyerdahl proved that American Peruvians could reach the islands of Polynesia.
Obviously, the Polynesians were the first to populate the island, or maybe it was the Peruvians or even tribes from Southeast Asia. A. Metro, a professor who led the Franco-Belgian expedition to Easter Island in 1934-1935, came to the conclusion that the first settlers led by the leader Hotu Matua sailed here in the 12th-13th centuries. S. Englert is sure that the settlement of the island began even at a later time, and the installation of giant idols began in the 17th century, almost on the eve of the discovery of this island by Europeans. There are many more different versions. For example, supporters of mystical sects are confident that the cradle of humanity is Lemuria, a continent that died four million years ago and Easter may be part of it.
In scientific circles they are still arguing about the purpose of stone statues, why they threw ready-made moai in the quarry, who knocked down the already standing statues and why, why were some people given red hats? James Cook wrote that the moai were erected by the inhabitants in honor of the deceased rulers and leaders of the island; other researchers think that the Easter giants marked the boundaries between sea and land in this way. These are ritual "guards" that warn against any invasion from the sea. There were those who thought that the statues served as boundary pillars marking the possessions of tribes, clans and clans.
Jacob Roggeveen thought that statues were idols. In the ship's log he wrote: “About their services... we only noticed that they made a fire near tall statues and squat down next to them, bowing their heads. Then they fold their hands and swing them up and down. They placed a basket of cobblestones on the head of each statue, painting them white in advance.”
On Easter Island there are statues that reach a height of 22 meters (the height of a 7-story building!) The head and neck of such statues are 7 meters high with a diameter of 3 m, the body is 13 m, the nose is a little more than 3 m, and the weight is 50 tons! In the whole world, even nowadays, there are not many cranes that can cope with such a mass! 
Easter Island
(historical excursion)
(from the series "On the outskirts of the planet")
Easter Island(or Rapa Nui) is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world, and thanks largely to its isolation, Rapa Nui's history is unique. It is part of Polynesia(Oceania subregion). There are many scientific hypotheses and guesses regarding the time of settlement of Rapa Nui, the racial background of the local residents, the cause of the death of a unique civilization, whose representatives built huge stone sculptures ( moai) and knew writing ( rongorongo), which has not yet been deciphered by linguists. With the discovery of the island in 1722 by the Dutch traveler Jacob Roggeveen and the appearance of the first Catholic missionaries, fundamental changes took place in the life of the Rapanui people: the hierarchical relationships that existed in the past were forgotten, and the practice of cannibalism was stopped. In the mid-19th century, local residents became the target of the slave trade, as a result of which most of the Rapa Nui people died, and along with them many elements of the unique local culture were lost. On September 9, 1888, the island was annexed by Chile. In the 20th century, Rapa Nui became an object of great interest for researchers trying to unravel the secrets of the disappeared Rapa Nui civilization (among them was the Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl). During this time, there were some improvements in the island's infrastructure and the quality of life of the Rapa Nui people. In 1995 national park Rapa Nui has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the 21st century, the island continues to attract tourists from all over the world, and tourism has become the main source of income for the local population.
Rongo-rongo, a writing system that
has not yet been deciphered by linguists.
Fragment of a small table from Santiago
Time of settlement of Easter Island
Radiocarbon dating data obtained by scientists Terry Hunt and Carl Lipo from the University of California (USA) during the study of eight samples of charcoal from the bay Anakens, indicate that the island of Rapa Nui was inhabited around 1200 AD. BC, which is 400-800 years later than previously thought, and only 100 years before trees began to disappear on the island. Previously, it was believed that the colonization of Rapa Nui occurred in 800-1200. n. e., and ecological catastrophy, which was characterized by the disappearance of palm trees on the island, began at least 400 years after settlement. However, the issue of colonization of the island has not yet been reached, and it is likely that this figure can be refuted.
Slope extinct volcano Rano Raraku, strewn with moai stone sculptures
Theories of the settlement of Easter Island
There are even more hypotheses regarding where the first (and subsequent) settlers to the island came from. So, for example, a follower American settlement theories of the Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl believes that the islands of Polynesia were inhabited by American Indians in the middle of the 1st millennium AD. e. immigrants from Peru, who were subsequently almost completely destroyed by a new wave of emigrants who sailed from the northwestern coast of North America by 1000-1300. n. e. There are also adherents among scientists Melanesian theory according to which the island was inhabited by Melanesians - a group of peoples from the islands Melanesia in the Pacific Ocean adjacent to Australia and New Guinea. Among specialists studying Easter Island, there are other hypotheses (settlement from the islands of Polynesia, Tahiti, the Cook Islands, etc.). Thus, throughout the 20th century, many scientific hypotheses have been proposed that identify several centers from where Rapa Nui was settled, but the final point has not been set.
Activities of the ancient Rapanui people
Easter Island is a treeless island with infertile volcanic soil. In the past, as now, the slopes of volcanoes were used for planting gardens and growing bananas. According to Rapa Nui legends, some plant species were introduced by the king Hotu Matu'a, who sailed to the island from the mysterious homeland of Marae-renga. This could really happen, since the Polynesians, settling new lands, brought with them the seeds of plants that had important practical significance.
The ancient Rapanui people were very well versed in agriculture. Therefore, the island could easily feed several thousand people. One of the island's problems has always been the shortage of fresh water. There are no deep rivers on Rapa Nui, and water after rains easily seeps through the soil and flows towards the ocean. The Rapanui people built small wells, mixed fresh water with salt water, and sometimes just drank salt water.
There are no deep rivers on Rapa Nui, and water after rains
easily seeps through the soil and flows towards the ocean
In the past, Polynesians, when setting out in search of new islands, always took with them three animals: a pig, a dog and a chicken. Only chicken was brought to Easter Island - later a symbol of well-being among the ancient Rapanui people. The Polynesian rat is not a domestic animal, but it was also introduced by the first settlers of Easter Island, who considered it a delicacy. Subsequently, gray rats, brought by Europeans, appeared on the island.
The waters surrounding Easter Island are teeming with fish, especially off the rocks of Motu Nui (a small islet southwest of Rapa Nui), where seabirds breed in large numbers. Fish was the favorite food of the ancient Rapanui people, and during the winter months there was a taboo on catching it. On Easter Island, a huge number of fish hooks were used in the past. Some of them were made from human bones, they were called mangai-iwi, others are made of stone, they were called mangai-kahi and was mainly used for tuna fishing. Only privileged residents had hooks made of polished stone. After the death of the owner, they were placed in his grave. The very existence of fishhooks indicates the development of the ancient Rapanui civilization, since the technique of polishing stone is quite complex, as is the achievement of such smooth forms. Fishhooks were often made from enemy bones. According to the beliefs of the Rapanui people, this is how it was transmitted to the fisherman mana of the deceased person, that is, his strength. The Rapanui also hunted turtles, which are often mentioned in local legends.
An ancient fishhook made from a human femur,
or mangai-iwi, from Easter Island.
Consists of two parts connected by a rope
The ancient Rapanui people did not have as many canoes (the Rapanui name is vaka rap. vaka), as, for example, other peoples of Polynesia plowed the waves of the Pacific Ocean. In addition, there was a clear shortage of tall and large trees.
Very little is known about the structure of ancient Rapanui society that existed before the 19th century. Due to the export of the local population to Peru, where they were used as slaves, epidemics of diseases brought to the island by Europeans, and the adoption of Christianity, Rapanui society forgot about the previously existing hierarchical relationships, family and tribal ties. At the beginning of the 19th century, there were ten tribes, or mata, on Rapa Nui, whose members considered themselves descendants of eponymous ancestors, who, in turn, were descendants of the first king of the island Hotu Matu'a. According to Rapa Nui legend, after the death of Hotu Matu'a the island was divided between his sons, who gave names to all the Rapa Nui tribes. The ancient Rapanui people were extremely warlike. As soon as hostility began between the tribes, their warriors painted their bodies black and prepared their weapons for battle at night. After the victory, a feast was held at which the victorious warriors ate the meat of the defeated warriors. The cannibals themselves on the island were called kai-tangata. Cannibalism existed on the island until the Christianization of all the inhabitants of the island.
Anakena Bay, where, according to Rapa Nui legend, King Hotu Matu landed
Disappearance of the Rapa Nui civilization
When Europeans first landed on the island in the 18th century, Rapa Nui was a treeless area. However, recent research papers on the island, including the study of found pollen samples, indicate that in the distant past, during the settlement of Rapa Nui, Easter Island was covered with dense vegetation, including extensive forested areas. As the population increased, these forests were cut down, and the liberated lands were immediately sown with agricultural plants. In addition, the wood was used as fuel, material for the construction of houses, canoes for fishing, and also for carrying the huge statues of the island, or moai. As a result, by about 1600 the forests on the island were completely destroyed. The construction of the moai ceased at this time.
Sketch by Ludwig Lewis Choris (1816) from the book "Atlas in Pictures of the Voyage around the World of the frigate Venus, 1830-1839",
showing two types of Rapanui canoes. One of them is with an outrigger, the other is without.
Oars are also depicted.
The loss of forest cover has led to severe soil erosion and, as a result, crop yields have declined. The only source of meat on the island was chickens, which began to be highly revered and protected from thieves. Due to catastrophic changes, the population began to decline on Rapa Nui. After 1600, Rapa Nui society gradually began to degrade, slavery appeared, and cannibalism began to flourish.
However, this theory of the disappearance of the Rapa Nui civilization is not the only one. According to the research of scientist Terry Hunt, deforestation on Rapa Nui occurred largely not due to local residents, but as a result of eating the seeds of local plants by Polynesian rats, which were brought to the island by the first settlers. And the sharp decline in population (according to the same theory) only dates back to the European Rapa Nui period, when most of the islanders were enslaved and sent to South American or Pacific plantations.
Europeans on the island
Europeans discovered Easter Island only in 1722. On July 16, 1721, the Dutch explorer, Admiral Jacob Roggeveen, sailed from Amsterdam on the ships Thienhoven, Arend and Afrikaanse Galley in search of Davis Land. On the evening of April 5, 1722, the crew of the main ship Afrikaanse Galley noticed land on the horizon. On the same day, Admiral Roggeveen named the island in honor of the Christian holiday of Easter.
Dutch traveler, Admiral Jacob Roggeveen
The next morning, a canoe with a bearded local man, clearly surprised by the large sea vessel, approached the Dutch ship. Only on April 10 did the Dutch land on land. Roggeveen described in detail the Rapanui people and the coordinates of Easter Island. Having seen unusual statues of enormous size, the traveler was greatly surprised that “naked savages” could build such colossi. It has also been suggested that the statues were made of clay. However, the first meeting of the Rapanui people with the Europeans was not without bloodshed: 9-10 local residents were killed by Dutch sailors. At the time of the discovery of the island by Roggeveen, about two to three thousand local residents lived on it, but archaeological research has shown that a hundred years earlier, 10-15 thousand people lived on the island.
In 1816, the Russian ship “Rurik” sailed to the island under the command of Otto Evstafievich Kotzebue, who led the round-the-world sea voyage.
However, the Russians failed to land on Rapa Nui due to the hostility of the Rapa Nui.
At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, many sailors visited the island. Often the purpose of expeditions to the island was to capture Rapanui people as slaves. The manifestation of violence by foreigners towards the local inhabitants of the island led to the fact that the Rapanui people began to greet the ships with hostility. The year 1862 was a turning point in the history of Rapa Nui. At this time, the Peruvian economy was booming and was increasingly in need of labor. One of its sources was Easter Island, whose inhabitants became the object of the slave trade in the second half of the 19th century. On December 12, 1862, 8 Peruvian ships landed in Hanga Roa Bay. Several islanders, unsuspectingly, boarded the ship and were immediately captured and thrown into prison cells. In total, about 1,407 Rapa Nui were captured, who were defenseless at the sight of firearms. Among the prisoners were King Kamakoi of Rapa Nui and his son. In Callao and the Chincha Islands, the Peruvians sold captives to the owners of guano mining companies. Due to humiliating conditions, hunger and disease, out of more than 1,000 islanders, about a hundred remained alive. Only thanks to the intervention of the French Government, Bishop Tepano Jossano, as well as the Governor of Tahiti, supported by Britain, was it possible to stop the Rapanui slave trade. After negotiations with the Peruvian government, an agreement was reached according to which the surviving Rapanui were to be repatriated back to their homeland. But due to illness, mainly tuberculosis and smallpox, only 15 islanders returned home. The smallpox virus brought with them eventually led to a sharp drop in the population on Easter Island - to about 600 people. Most of the priests of the island died, who buried with them all the secrets of Rapa Nui. The following year, missionaries landing on the island found no signs of the recently existing Rapa Nui civilization.
Antique wooden Easter Island figurines depicting (from left to right): the seal man (tangata-iku), height 32 cm; two figures in the middle of the aku-aku, rear and side views; emaciated ancestor (Moai kawa-kava), height about half a meter, you should pay attention to the image of the spine and ribs. On the far right is a bird-man with a beak (tangata-manu). Photo from the book by Francis Mazières
Since 1862, the active conversion of the Rapanui people to Christianity began. The leaders were not very keen to change their faith. This is due to the fact that they did not want to give up a polygamous family. The leaders believed that if they had one wife each, they would lose influence in the tribe. However, gradually the leaders and all the Rapanui people adopted Christianity. Since the 1830s, Chile has become increasingly interested in the island. And, having defeated Bolivia and Peru in the Pacific War of 1879-1883, this country began active colonization of the lands. On September 9, 1888, Captain Policarpo Toro Hurtado landed on the island and announced the annexation of Rapa Nui by Chile. The local church came under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, and in 1896 the island became part of the Valparaiso region. Even in the 20th century, the rights of the Rapanui people were quite limited for a long time.
Changes began to be observed in the mid-60s. In 1967, the construction of the Mataveri airstrip was completed on the island. Since that time, regular flights to Santiago and Tahiti appeared, and the life of the Rapa Nui people began to change for the better: in 1967, regular water supply to homes appeared, and in 1970, electricity. Tourism began to develop, which is currently the most important source of income for the local population. Since 1966, local administration elections began to be held on the island.
Ocean viewEaster Island has a unique landscape with volcanic craters, lava formations, sparkling blue water, beaches, low hills, cattle farms and many archaeological sites, much of it devoted to the study of moai figures. They reach a height of 10 m. One of the figures, on Anakena beach, was installed almost in its original position, and a memorial plaque was placed nearby in memory of the visit of Thor Heyerdahl in 1955.
The remaining figures are scattered around the island. Each of them has its own name. Poike is a statue with an open mouth that is very popular among locals. Ahu Tahai is another notable statue, with beautifully shaped eyes and a hair stone on the top of its head. From here you can reach two of the island's many caves - one of which appears to have been the center of religious ceremonies.
History of Easter Island
The sailors, when they first saw the island, were amazed by these colossal stone sculptures lining the shore of the island. What kind of people were they capable of installing multi-ton stone giants? Why did they settle in such a secluded place? Where did the stone from which the sculptures are made come from?
The first settlers on the island were Polynesians in the 5th century. Their culture has survived to this day in the form of giant stone figures. (moai). The carriers of this culture were also called “long-eared” because it was customary for them to stretch their earlobes to their shoulders. In the XIV century. under the leadership of Hotu Matu, the “short-eared” people, adherents of the “bird-man” culture, landed on the island. By the end of the 17th century, they managed to destroy the “long-eared” aborigines, and their culture was lost. Only fragmentary information has been preserved about the ancient culture of Easter Island.
It is generally accepted that the leader of the tribe, on the eve of death, ordered a moai - his own portrait in the form of a bird-man - to be carved into the tuff rock of the Ranu-Raraku volcano. After the death of the leader, the moai were placed on ahu, i.e. in the sanctuary, and his gaze was fixed on the dwellings of the tribe. It was believed that in this way he was able to convey strength and wisdom to the heirs, and at the same time protect them in times of trouble. These days many moai (12 m high, weighing several tons) restored and can be viewed. These are Tahai, Tongariki, Akivi, Hekii and Anakena - the place where Hotu Matu made landfall.
To Orongo (Orongo), a place at the foot of the Ranu-Kau volcano, the first settlers built a sanctuary for the supreme deity Makemake and annually made sacrifices to the bird-man. To do this, the first tern egg, which was considered the incarnation of a deity, was delivered here from the island of Motu Nui, located at a distance of 1 km. All local tribes took part in swimming speed competitions, and the leader of the winning tribe took the place of the bird-man.
At the foot of the Rano Raraku volcano
His head and eyebrows were shaved, his face was covered with black and red paint and he was placed in a special ritual dwelling. Thus, for a year he became the spiritual leader of all the tribes inhabiting the island. The warrior who won the competition, bringing victory to his leader, was not forgotten - he was awarded with all kinds of gifts.
The inhabitants of Easter Island had a written language that has not been fully deciphered. Small wooden tablets are covered with carved writings (gopdo gopdo), preserved to this day. These signs are in every house on the island, but none of the residents could really explain their meaning and purpose. Rongo-rongo is no more than 30-50 cm in size, the designs on them depict animals, birds, plants and astronomical signs. Conventionally, the images can be divided into three themes: the first depict local gods, the second depict the actions of the islanders, including the crimes they committed, and the third are dedicated to the history of internecine wars. The islanders were also excellent portrait carvers, as evidenced by the small church at Hanga Roa. Here, ancient pagan beliefs merge with Christianity: a bird is certainly depicted above the heads of the saints.
According to legend, in 1400, a small handful of Polynesians, led by the leader Hotu Matua, reached an uninhabited island in the vast Pacific Ocean in their canoes. They named it Te-Pito-te-Whenua, "The Navel of the Earth." And Hotu Matua established several holy places along the coast. On the islands where he was from, perhaps the Marquesas, there was a custom of erecting moai, monuments to tribal leaders in the form of monumental stone statues.
The statues - 900 in number when completed - have a height of more than 10 m and a girth of 4.5 m, and in the quarry there are unfinished statues, whose height should have been 22 m! Perhaps they were moved from place to place using thick wooden rollers made from tree trunks that grew in the jungle.
The grandiose figures first sank onto tree trunks, which served either as rollers or sleds. They were then slowly pushed through kilometers of impenetrable jungle. To cope with such work would require the efforts of more than one hundred people.
In 1722, the first European landed on the island - the Dutch admiral Jacob Roggeveen. On this day the Christian world celebrated Easter, hence the European name Rapa Nui.
Captain James Cook visited Easter Island in 1774 and found that most of the idols had been destroyed, and some were completely broken or showed signs of abuse. The island was practically uninhabited, and the pitiful remnants of the once numerous tribe huddled in fear in some creepy caves. What's happened? The islanders' explanations were abrupt and contradictory. Archeology provided scientists with more coherent information: soon after the departure of the Dutch expedition, a demographic catastrophe occurred on the island - overpopulation and famine. The cult of stone idols led to the deforestation on the island, correspondingly reducing the sources of food. Several years of poor harvests in a row made the situation catastrophic. Bloody civil strife and cannibalism began. When Captain Cook arrived on the island, he counted only 4,000 inhabitants instead of the 20,000 reported by Roggeveen in 1722. But the worst was yet to come. In 1862, Peruvian soldiers landed on the island and took 900 people as slaves. Later, part of the population was sent to Peru as slaves, and the rest also did not stay long on the island. By 1877, only 111 people remained on Easter Island. Later, part of the population was sent to Peru as slaves, and the rest also did not stay long on the island. In 1888, Chile annexed it to its territory. There was no self-government until 1966, when the islanders elected their own president for the first time.
The eastern part of Easter Island, called Poike, was formed 2.5 million years ago as a result of a powerful volcanic eruption. After 1 million years, the southern part of the island, Ranu Kau, appeared, and 240 thousand years ago - Maunga Terevaka in the northeast, the highest island mountain (509 m).
On Easter Island there is a settlement called Hanga Roa, where most of the population lives. Their existence is provided mainly by tourism. There are various hotels and restaurants here, and the extremely friendly locals will ensure that your stay here is comfortable and memorable.
Since 1964, there has been an airport on Easter Island, which has strengthened ties with the outside world. Every year at least 20,000 tourists visit this mysterious piece of land. For the 3,800 people now living on the island, sheep farming follows the model of the late 19th century. is an important component of the economy.
When to come
The most suitable period for visiting Easter Island is from October to April, during this period the air temperature warms up to 22-30 °C, and the water in the ocean reaches 20-23 °C. From May to September it often rains, the weather is windy and cloudy, but it is still warm and the temperature fluctuates between 17 and 20 °C.
Beaches of Easter Island
The beaches of Easter Island are some of the best in Chile; in the summer the water warms up well, so families with children often come here. Anakena beach deserves a special recommendation: a quiet bay, tall palm trees, sand that turns pink when wet, silent statues of the formidable moai - all this captivates at first sight and makes you forget about time.
Tapati Rapa Nui Festival
If you find yourself on Easter Island at the end of January, be sure to visit the Tapati Rapa Nui folk festival, which is a competition of dance and musical ensembles. Both island groups and groups from Tahiti participate in the competition.
In addition, a Queen will be elected during the festival. Moreover, not only the contenders themselves, but also their relatives will fight for the title. The winner will be the girl who is the prettiest and whose relatives can catch the most fish and weave the longest cloth.
Visiting attractions
Since 2011, Easter Island has had a new payment system for visiting attractions. Arriving on the island, each tourist will purchase a wrist bracelet, which will give him the right to multiple visits to all the attractions of the island. The exceptions are the Orongo ceremonial center and the Rano Raraku volcano, which can only be visited once. The authorities were forced to take such an unconventional step, since until now a large number of tourists have tried to evade paying for their visit. Now the situation with the “hares” must be resolved radically.
The bracelets can be purchased at Mataveri Airport, are valid for five days and cost $21 for residents of Chile and $50 for foreign tourists. The bracelet can be transferred to another person.
Mysterious moai
When you hear the phrase “Easter Island,” the first thing that appears before your eyes is the rows of huge moai statues, gazing their stern gaze into the distance. The creation and history of these frozen sculptures remained a mystery to scientists for a long time; even today, many aspects continue to remain unclear or controversial.
It is believed that the inhabitants of Easter Island made moai statues in honor of deceased relatives (in another version - deceased leaders) and installed on a special platform, which was called ahu and was nothing more than a burial place. Each clan had its own ahu. The islanders worshiped the moai, who gave them strength and protected their descendants from various disasters. The ritual of moai worship looked like this: a fire was lit in front of the ahu, next to which the worshipers were placed on their haunches, with their faces down, they rhythmically raised and lowered their palms folded together.
Today it is known that the statues were made in the quarry of the extinct volcano Ranu Raraku, where unfinished moai were discovered, including the largest 21-meter El Gigante. On average, the height of the statues ranges from 3 to 5 m; statues of 10-12 m are less common. On the heads of some statues you can see “caps” made of red rocks from the Puno Pao volcano - pukao. They were supposed to symbolize the typical hairstyle of the islanders.
Much of the scientific debate revolves around how the locals were able to transport these huge statues from the quarry to the ahu platforms. There are currently two main versions. According to one, the statues were transported to their destination by dragging with the help of various wooden rails, stops and other devices. As an argument in favor of this version, its defenders cite the fact that there are virtually no forested areas left on the island; all of them were used for rolling statues. In the mid-50s. XX century Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl, together with the descendants of the native “long-eared” tribe, conducted an experiment on carving, transporting and installing a moai statue. The last “long-ears” showed scientists how their ancestors carved statues using stone hammers, then dragged the statue while lying down and, finally, using a simple mechanism consisting of stones and three log-levers, installed it on a platform. When the scientists asked why they didn’t talk about this before, the natives replied that no one had asked them about it before. According to another version (it was put forward by the Czech researcher Pavel Pavel) the statues were moved in a vertical position using cables. This method of transportation created the impression that the statues were “walking.” In 2012, a group of anthropologists successfully proved the validity of this version during an experiment.
Heads and Tails: Easter Island
Data
- Name and dimensions: Easter Island is also known as Rapa Nui. Its area is about 162.5 square meters. km.
- Location: The island lies at 27° S and 109° W. Politically, it is considered Chilean territory. The nearest inhabited land is Pitcairn Island, more than 2000 km to the west. To Chile 3700 km, to Tahiti - 4000 km.
- Uniqueness: Easter Island became famous due to stone idols, made from local volcanic tuff. More than 10 m high, they weigh more than 150 tons.
- UNESCO World Heritage List: The island was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995.
