Rapa Nui National Park on Easter Island, located 2,500 miles east of Tahiti and 2,300 miles west of the coast of Chile, was a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Easter Island, commonly known as Rapa Nui or Isla de Pascua in Spanish, is a Chilean dependency in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Easter island facts
Easter Island is a small island in the South Pacific Ocean that occupies around 64 square miles. Rapa Nui was the name given to it by its first occupants. Dutch explorers named the island Paaseiland, or Easter Island, in commemoration of the day they arrived in 1722. It was acquired by Chile in the late 1800s and currently has a primarily tourist-based economy.
Easter Island’s most famous claim to fame is a collection of almost 900 massive stone statues, named Moai, dating back millennia. The makers of the sculptures reveal themselves to be great artisans and engineers. They stand out amid other stone carvings from Polynesian cultures. The actual function of the sculptures has been the subject of much conjecture.
The function they played in Easter Island’s ancient culture, as well as how they were built and transported, is unknown. Rapa Nui National Park is a protected Chilean wildlife reserve on Easter Island dedicated to the Rapa Nui culture’s history.
Where is Easter island
Easter Island is the Polynesian island world’s easternmost outpost. It is well-known for its massive stone sculptures. The island is located 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) east of Pitcairn Island and 2,200 miles (3,540 kilometers) west of Chile, in a remote location. It covers 63 square miles (163 square kilometers) and is 14 miles (23 kilometers) long by 7 miles (11 kilometers) broad; its highest point, Mount Terevaka, is 1,969 feet (600 meters) above sea level.
Within the Polynesian environment, this culture had unusual qualities that are reflected in unique architecture and sculpture. Easter Island, the world’s most distant inhabited island, is located 3,700 kilometers off the coast of mainland Chile and covers 16,628 hectares, while the World Heritage site covers around 7,000 hectares and includes four surrounding islands.
A small group of settlers from Eastern Polynesia settled the island around the end of the first millennium of the Christian era. Between the eleventh and seventeenth centuries, their culture showed itself in monumental constructions like ahu (ceremonial platforms) and carved moai (colossal sculptures) depicting ancestors.
Rapa Nui history
The archaeological sites are the most conspicuous features of Rapa Nui National Park. There are around 900 statues, according to estimates. More than 300 ceremonial platforms and hundreds of buildings associated with agriculture, funeral ceremonies, housing, production, and other activities may be found. The Moai, which range in height from 2 to 20 meters, are the most prominent of the archaeological finds.
Those are mostly cut from yellow–brown lava tuff with basic picks (toki) made of strong basalt and then lowered down the slopes into holes drilled earlier. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including those in the process of being carved, those being hauled to their final destinations—the ahu—, and those being taken down and rebuilt.
Easter island statues: Moai
The quarries (Rano Raraku and others) provide priceless evidence of the sculpting technique. The ahu vary greatly in size and shape; the Ahu Tongariki, with its 15 Moai, is the largest. An elevated rectangular platform of massive worked stones filled with debris is one of the permanent elements.
A ramp and a flat space in front of the platform are commonly paved with rounded beach pebbles. Pictographs and petroglyphs are also incredibly valuable rock art locations. It consists of a wide range of styles, methods, and themes.
The caverns, which also include rock art, are another archaeological site. There’s also Orongo, a ceremonial natural village that stands out due to its location and design. While the dwellings and productive structures are not receiving as much attention, are quite interesting. According to some research, by the 16th century, the loss of natural resources had caused an ecological catastrophe and the downfall of the ancient Rapa Nui civilization.
It resulted in deterioration and spiritual metamorphosis, culminating in the destruction of these megalithic monuments. The ancestor’s worship was eventually superseded by the cult of the man-bird.
It is thus that the ceremonial town of Orongo, nestled on the Rano Kau volcano, bears witness. This hallowed site is complemented by fifty-four semi-subterranean stone dwellings with circular floor designs. Petroglyphs adorn them in abundance, referring to both the man-bird and fecundity. In the mid-nineteenth century, this cult would come to an end.
Things to do in Easter island
The introduction of livestock, colonization, and the limitation of the native population to limited regions were all part of the process. The devastating impact of alien illnesses and, most importantly, enslavement. It decreased Rapa Nui’s population to just over a hundred people. Currently, descendants of the ancient Rapa Nui live on the island. As well as immigrants from various origins, resulting in a diversified population.
Tapati festival Chile
The Tapati Rapa Nui Festival is an annual Easter Island cultural event. It takes place every year during the first two weeks of February. The island is divided into two groups, each of which is commanded by a queen.
The victor receives the title of “Queen of the Island” for the full year. During the event, islanders participate in traditional activities like dancing, wood carving, and performing music. It’s performed on unusual eight-string flat ukuleles that resemble electric guitars.
What is the meaning of the rongo-rongo scripture?
The rongo-rongo scripture, or kohau rongo-rongo as it is known among islanders, is also known as the rongo-rongo scripture. The inscription, which is made up of characters carved on wood or tablets, is yet untranslated. Rongo-rongo is a Japanese word that means “excellent message” or “great research.”
According to legend, Hotu Matu’a, the famous leader of Easter Island, was born there. He held 67 tablets, each of which was matched to one of the 67 Maori wisdoms, which included astronomy and sailing expertise. However, we don’t know what the true meaning is because we didn’t have any contact with these people until the Spaniards arrived in 1770.
Is it possible to swim around Easter Island?
Visitors to Easter Island may swim in the Pacific Ocean’s crystal-clear waters, which are believed to be the clearest in the world. The water around the island has excellent clarity, reaching depths of 50–60 meters (164–196 feet), making it ideal for snorkelers and scuba divers who want to swim amid coral and fish of different shapes and colors.
