Face the Moai of Easter Island

The iconic statues of Easter Island are famous throughout the world, with their mysterious faces luring in explorers searching for a lost civilization. The island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and much of the land is protected as Rapa Nui National Park.

The Polynesian people settled on the island sometime in the first millennium CE, creating the thriving Rapa Nui civilization, whose population reached approximately 15,000. Their society was highly homogenous and centralized, with an ariki god-king wielding absolute power in their class-based society consisting of priests, soldiers and commoners. At some point, a military coup led by the matatoa warrior leaders toppled the king, instituting a religious cult worshipping the birdman, Make-make.

By the time the Europeans arrived in 1722, the island’s population had dwindled from 15,000 to around 2,000 people. Overpopulation and deforestation led to depletion of natural resources, resulting in a fight for survival between clans. European sailors and the Peruvian slave trade introduced diseases like smallpox to the island, reducing the Napa Nui people to just 111 in 1877.

All that remains of this civilization are the monolithic human figures known as the Moai. Constructed between 1250 and 1500, the approximately 887 are feats of artistry, production and transportation, the tallest standing at 33 feet and 82 pounds. All the statues bear a similar set of traits: over-large heads bearing enigmatic faces, strong jaw lines and elongated noses and ears. Most of the statues focus on the face, but some Moai are found to have detailed backs with intricate petroglyphs carved into them, many depicting the birdman god, Make-make.

Archaeologists theorize the statues were symbols of religious and political power, whose creators believed they were actual vessels of the spirit world. It is also believed the Moai are representations of their Polynesian ancestors. All but seven of the Moai face inland, to watch over the people and keep them safe. The seven Ahu Akivi face out to the sea, possibly based on the Rapa Nio legend of the original seven inhabitants of the island waiting for their king to arrive.

Eventually, the Rapa Nui people themselves began to topple the Moai. The construction of the Moai was highly prestigious and superstitious, so when food became scarce and clans began to fight, people would push down the statues of their rivals. Most of the 887 statues are toppled or in poor condition, but the renewed interested in Easter Island has led to the refurbishing of the Moai, in addition to transporting some of the statues to museums around the world.