EASTER ISLAND

Interesting Places

TAHAI COMPLEX: Ahu Vai Uri, Ahu Tahai and Ahu Ko Te Riku are the best example of a ceremonial center featuring three Ahu. Ahu Vai Uri with five moai, Ahu Tahai with 1 moai, and Ahu Ko te Riku with 1 moai which was fitted with eyes and 1 Pukao for tourist purposes. Here you can also see boathouses, Umu Pae, Hare Moa, Manavai, a pier, a canoe ramp, caves and a stone circle where the Paina used to stand. The tomb of William Mulloy, an archeologist who restored this complex between 1968 and 1970, is close to this area.

ORONGO: Ceremonial city used between 1600 and 1866 AD to worship birdmen. This city consists of some 53 elliptically shaped houses having shale walls and a small square entry overlooking the ocean. Arranged into two uneven rows, the lower row ends at MATA NGARAHU, the sacred precinct where the Birdman used to be worshipped, and the one most profusely decorated with petroglyphs on the island.

AHU VINAPU: Used in the 1200's AD, it includes three Ahu. The first, called Ahu TAHIRI, is worth noting on account of its perfect stonewall, superficially compared with those in Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Its six moai, which used to be colored in red, are down. The second Ahu, the astronomical orientation of which is similar to the first, features an allegedly female moai that used to have two heads. Only removed stones remain from the third Ahu, the oldest of all.

AHU AKAHANGA: Also known as the "King's Plataform". According to the legend, the tomb of HOTU MATU´A lies nearby. The numerous phases of its construction may be observed: 4 Plataforms, 12 moai and 8 Pukao. It features boat ramps, boathouses and stone hearths (UMU PAE). Towards the inside of the Ahu lies one of the best preserved villages.

RANO RARAKU VOLCANO AND QUARRY: Most of the moai were carved out of volcanic tuff from the inner and outer slopes of the volcano. There are about 400 moai carved to various degrees of completion. Several differences may be observed among them such as, for example, TUKUTURI, the kneeling moai. Another moai stands out because of the three-masted sailboat carved on its chest. Towards the west, moai in the process of being moved lie scattered along the so-called "The path of the moai " (KO TE ARA O TE MOAI).

AHU TONGARIKI: This is the largest Ahu on the island, with the axis of its platform oriented towards the summer solstice rising sun and featuring 15 moai. After it was destroyed and scattered over a wide area as a result of a tidal wave in 1960, it was restored in 1997 with the contribution of a Japanese company, which left a crane for archaeological works. Past the plaza lies an important petroglyph site called PAPA TATAKU POKI, with tuna fish, turtle, Make Make, and Birdman carvings, among others.

AHU TE PITO KURA: It features the largest statue erected on an Ahu, the 10-m and 85-ton PARO moai, whose PUKAO weighs 11.5 ton. This is thought to be last statue to be torn down towards 1840. Beside the AHU is a large spherical stone that hailed to be with the navel of the world (TE PITO O TE HENUA) and that, according to the legend, was brought by Hotu Matu´a on his vessel.

ANAKENA: A beautiful beach with white coral sand chosen for the arrival of ARIKI HOTU MATU´A and his sister AVAREIPUA. Anakena is the name of a small cave found in a gorge nearby. Less than 1 km towards the POIKE is the other sand beach, called OVAHE.

AHU NAU NAU: Restored between 1978 and 1980 by Sergio Rapu, it has a complex, multi-level construction. It features 5 moai fitted with Pukao, two of which are broken. The back of the moai and some of the rear wall stones show petroglyphs on them. During excavations, an extraordinary white coral eye with a red scoria pupil (currently exhibited at the island's museum) was found, indicating that the moai were fitted with eyes before being set up over the AHU to project their ancestors' MANA. To the rear lies the AHU ATURE HUKI, with only one moai, which was raised by the 1955-1956 Norwegian expedition and a group of islanders led by mayor Pedro Atán.

CAVES: The island's landscape features hundreds of caves, most of which were used for housing purposes. In wartime, they were used as temporary shelters (Ana Kionga).

AHU AKIVI: Dating back to 1500 AD, this is the first Ahu that was scientifically restored on the island in 1960 by William Mulloy and Gonzalo Figueroa. The 7-moai platform faces the equinoctial rising sun. According to recent folklore, it allegedly represents the seven young explorers sent from Hiva by Haumaka's spirit to do a reconnaissance on the island prior to Hotu Matu´a's arrival.

PUNA PAU : A secondary crater used for quarrying red scoria for the Pukao, which presumably represent the islanders' hairdo tinted with red soil. Since these cylinders were fitted on only 58 moai and 31 are still in the quarry, this addition is thought to account for a late development depending on groups' power increase.

POIKE DITCH: After the tradition, the Hanau Eepe took refuge in the Poike during the most critical moment of the conflicts arising between two rival groups and built a defensive ditch on the base of the peninsula, running from north to south. Finally, a rival group, Hanau Momoko, attacked them by surprise from behind, pushed them into the ditch and set them on fire. Only one Hanau Eepe managed to survive. One of the names of the ditch is Ko Te Umu O Te Hanau Eepe (the Hanau Eepe's 'Curanto' (a typical Chilean stew)). This hard and bloody fight took place around 1680. Archaeological data contradict the notion of a defensive ditch because this ditch is not smooth. On the other hand, while the Hanau Eepe race has been related to Long Ears and the Hanau Momoko to Short Ears, this has nothing to do either with race or with ear length. In fact, there has been a confusion between Eepe "strong" with Epe "ear". By contrast, Momoko means "lizard-like" or "thin", both of which features are still present in islanders. This confusion motivated researchers to talk about a Polynesian migration (Momoko) and a later migration (Eepe) from Pre-Colombian Peru, likely to be responsible for megaliths, which isn`t based on actual grounds.