What do the Easter Island heads represent?

They stand with their backs to the sea and are believed by most archaeologists to represent the spirits of ancestors, chiefs, or other high-ranking males who held important positions in the history of Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, the name given by the indigenous people to their island in the 1860s.

Do the heads at Easter Island have bodies?

Though moʻai are whole-body statues, they are often referred to as “Easter Island heads” in some popular literature. All but 53 of the more than 900 moʻai known to date were carved from tuff (a compressed volcanic ash) from Rano Raraku, where 394 moʻai in varying states of completion are still visible today.

What are the stone heads on Easter Island called?

Called moai (say “moe-eye”) they made Easter Island one of the most mysterious places on Earth! The Rapa Nui people who still live on the island aren’t sure as to what the statues were for — they may have been made to honour ancestors or for religious purposes.

Where are the Easter Island heads?

It is famous for its giant stone statues. The island stands in isolation 1,200 miles (1,900 km) east of Pitcairn Island and 2,200 miles (3,540 km) west of Chile.

Is Easter Island safe?

Is Easter Island safe? It’s hard to think of any safer place than Easter Island. Tourists that are victims to violent crimes such as robbery, rape or murder is unheard of. Unless you’re looking for a fight, you can walk by yourself at night without worrying about your safety.

What caused the collapse of Easter Island?

Around 1200 A.D., their growing numbers and an obsession with building moai led to increased pressure on the environment. By the end of the 17th century, the Rapanui had deforested the island, triggering war, famine and cultural collapse.

Are there any Easter Islanders left?

The Rapa Nui are the indigenous Polynesian people of Easter Island. At the 2017 census there were 7,750 island inhabitants—almost all living in the village of Hanga Roa on the sheltered west coast.

Where is the Dum Dum statue?

The Easter Island Head is one of the many exhibits in the Museum of Natural History. He is based on the real-life Easter Island Head. He loves to eat gum and always calls Larry, “Dum Dum.” He is voiced by Brad Garrett in the films and by Jim Cummings in the video game adaption of the second film.

Who owns Easter Island today?

Known as Rapa Nui to its earliest inhabitants, the island was christened Paaseiland, or Easter Island, by Dutch explorers in honor of the day of their arrival in 1722. It was annexed by Chile in the late 19th century and now maintains an economy based largely on tourism.

Is there tourism on Easter Island?

The biggest tourist attractions on Easter Island are the Moai standing upon ceremonial platforms called Ahu.

Does Easter Island have a flag?

The flag of Easter Island (Rapa Nui: Te Reva Reimiro) is the flag of Easter Island, a special territory of Chile. It was first flown in public alongside the national flag on 9 May 2006.

What really happened on Easter Island?

According to Easter Island: The Truth Revealed, approximately 1,500 to 2,000 people – half the population – were taken in 1862 in a raid by slave traders from Peru to work there, predominately in agriculture. They brought disease with them and much of the remaining population was decimated.

How tall are the Easter Island statues?

The isolated Rapa Nui developed a distinct architectural and artistic culture that weathered the centuries. Rapa Nui’s mysterious moai statues stand in silence but speak volumes about the achievements of their creators. The stone blocks, carved into head-and-torso figures, average 13 feet (4 meters) tall and 14 tons.