Ocean view

Easter 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.

Wristbands can be purchased at Mataveri Airport, are valid for five days and cost $21 for Chilean residents 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 its 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.

Easter Island is the most remote inhabited piece of land in the world. Its area is only 165.6 square kilometers. Belongs to the island of Chile. But the nearest mainland city of this country, Valparaiso, is 3,703 kilometers away. And there are no other islands nearby, in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean. The nearest inhabited land is located 1819 kilometers away. This is Pitcairn Island. It is famous for the fact that the rebellious crew of the Bounty ship wanted to stay on it. Lost in the vastness of Easter, it holds many secrets. Firstly, it is not clear where the first people came there from. They could not explain anything to the Europeans about this. But the most mysterious mysteries of Easter Island are its stone idols. They are installed along the entire coastline. The natives called them moai, but could not clearly explain who they were. In this article, we tried to summarize the results of all recent scientific discoveries in order to unravel the mysteries that shrouded the most remote land plot from civilization.

History of Easter Island

On April 5, 1722, the sailors of a squadron of three ships under the command of the Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen saw land on the horizon that had not yet been marked on the map. When they approached the eastern coast of the island, they saw that it was inhabited. The natives swam towards them, and their ethnic composition amazed the Dutch. Among them were Caucasians, Negroids and representatives of the Polynesian race. The Dutch were immediately struck by the primitiveness of the technical equipment of the islanders. Their boats were riveted from pieces of wood and leaked water so much that half the people in the canoe bailed it out, while the rest rowed. The landscape of the island was more than dull. Not a single tree towered on it - only rare bushes. Roggeveen wrote in his diary: “The desolate appearance of the island and the exhaustion of the natives suggest the barrenness of the land and extreme poverty.” But most of all the captain was shocked by the stone idols. With such a primitive civilization and meager resources, how did the natives have the strength to carve so many heavy statues from stone and bring them to the shore? The captain had no answer to this question. Since the island was discovered on the day of the Resurrection of Christ, it received the name Easter. But the natives themselves called it Rapa Nui.

Where did the first inhabitants of Easter Island come from?

This is the first riddle. Now over five thousand people live on the 24-kilometer-long island. But when the first Europeans landed on the shore, there were significantly fewer natives. And in 1774, the navigator Cook counted only seven hundred islanders on the island, emaciated from hunger. But at the same time, among the natives there were representatives of all three human races. Many theories have been put forward about the origin of the population of Rapa Nui: Egyptian, Mesoamerican and even completely mythical, that the islanders are survivors of the collapse of Atlantis. But modern DNA analysis shows that the first Rapanui people landed ashore around the year 400 and most likely came from Eastern Polynesia. This is evidenced by their language, which is close to the dialects of the inhabitants of the Marquesas and Hawaiian Islands.

Development and decline of civilization

The first thing that caught the eye of the discoverers were the stone idols of Easter Island. But the earliest sculpture dates back to 1250, and the latest (unfinished, remaining in the quarry) - to 1500. It is not clear how the native civilization developed from the fifth to the thirteenth centuries. Perhaps, at a certain stage, the islanders moved from a tribal society to clan military alliances. Legends (very contradictory and fragmentary) tell of the leader Hotu Matu'a, who was the first to set foot on Rapa Nui and brought all the inhabitants with him. He had six sons, who divided the island after his death. Thus, the clans began to have their own ancestor, whose statue they tried to make larger, more massive and more representative than that of the neighboring tribe. But what was the reason why the Rapa Nui stopped carving and erecting their monuments at the beginning of the sixteenth century? This was discovered only by modern research. And this story can become instructive for all humanity.

Ecological disaster on a small scale

Let's leave aside the idols of Easter Island for now. They were sculpted by the distant ancestors of those wild natives who were found by the expeditions of Roggeveen and Cook. But what influenced the decline of the once rich civilization? After all, the ancient Rapa Nui even had writing. By the way, the texts of the found tablets have not yet been deciphered. Scientists have only recently given an answer to what happened to this civilization. Her death was not quick due to a volcanic eruption, as Cook assumed. She agonized for centuries. Modern studies of soil layers have shown that the island was once covered with lush vegetation. The forests abounded in game. The ancient Rapa Nui people practiced agriculture, growing yams, taro, sugar cane, sweet potatoes and bananas. They went to sea in good boats made from a hollowed-out palm tree trunk and hunted dolphins. DNA analysis of food found on pottery shards indicates that the ancient islanders ate well. And this idyll was destroyed by people themselves. The forests were gradually cut down. The islanders were left without their fleet, and therefore without the meat of ocean fish and dolphins. They have already eaten all the animals and birds. The only food left for the Rapa Nui people was crabs and shellfish, which they collected in shallow waters.

Easter Island: Moai Statues

The natives could not really say anything about how the stone idols weighing several tons were made and, most importantly, how they were delivered to the shore. They called them “moai” and believed that they contained “mana” - the spirit of the ancestors of a certain clan. The more idols, the greater the concentration of supernatural power. And this leads to the prosperity of the clan. Therefore, when in 1875 the French removed one of the Easter Island moai statues to take it to a Paris museum, the Rapa Nui had to be restrained by force of arms. But, as research has shown, about 55% of all idols were not transported to special platforms - “ahu”, but remained standing (many in the stage of primary processing) in a quarry on the slope of the Rano Raraku volcano.

Art style

In total, there are more than 900 sculptures on the island. They are classified by scientists chronologically and by style. The early period is characterized by stone heads without a torso, with the face turned upward, as well as pillars where the torso is made in a very stylized manner. But there are also exceptions. Thus, a very realistic figure of a kneeling moai was found. But she remained standing in the ancient quarry. In the Middle Period, the idols of Easter Island became giants. Most likely, the clans competed with each other, trying to show that their mana was more powerful. Artistic decoration in the Middle period is more sophisticated. The bodies of the idols are covered with carvings depicting clothes and wings, and the moai often have huge cylindrical caps made of red tuff placed on their heads.

Transportation

No less a mystery than the Easter Island idols, the secret of their movement to the ahu platforms remained. The natives claimed that the moai themselves came there. The truth turned out to be more prosaic. In the lowest (more ancient) layers of the soil, scientists discovered the remains of an endemic tree that is related to the wine palm. It grew up to 26 meters, and its smooth trunks without branches reached a diameter of 1.8 m. The tree served as an excellent material for rolling sculptures from quarries to the shore, where they were installed on platforms. To hoist the idols, they used ropes that were woven from the bast of the hauhau tree. The environmental disaster also explains the fact why more than half of the sculptures ended up “stuck” in the quarries.

Short-eared and long-eared

Modern residents of Rapa Nui no longer have religious reverence for the moai, but consider them their cultural heritage. In the mid-50s of the last century, a researcher revealed the secret of who created the idols of Easter Island. He noticed that Rapa Nui was inhabited by two types of tribes. One of them had his earlobes lengthened since childhood by wearing heavy jewelry. The leader of this clan, Pedro Atana, told Thor Heyrdal that in their family, the ancestors passed on to their descendants the art of creating the status of moai and transporting them by dragging them to the installation site. This craft was kept secret from the “short-eared” and was passed on orally. At Heyerdahl's request, Atana and numerous assistants from his clan carved a 12-ton statue in a quarry and delivered it upright to the platform.

Moai statues on Easter Island- the secret of the island, a riddle that has not yet been solved. These huge stone idols that filled the island appeared from nowhere. Not a single scientist in the world can still answer who and when created these statues, and most importantly, why. Science only suggests that the authors of the stone idols were the Rapa Nui people, who once inhabited the island. What remains unknown to historians is where people came from on Easter Island, which is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The distance to the nearest mainland (South America) is almost 4,000 km, and to the nearest island inhabited by people is about 2,500 km.

Easter Island was first discovered by European sailors in 1722, by the team of the Dutch captain Jacob Roggeveen. The sailors dropped anchor near the island just on the day of Christian Easter, hence the name of the island. The first thing that caught the Europeans' eyes was the poses in which they found the Moai statues. Absolutely all of them were lying face down. How they ended up in such positions and why is unknown. If we assume that this happened as a result of a natural disaster, then an objection immediately arises: in this case, they would lie chaotically, in different positions, and most likely, not all would be thrown off.

In addition, the Dutch were also surprised by the unusual climate of Easter Island. The flora here is quite sparse, there are practically no trees, and in the center of the island there is even a small desert, around which there are about 70 currently extinct volcanoes.


There are a total of 997 stone sculptures on the island, called moai. They were carved from volcanic rocks and mounted on stone pedestals (ahu). The height of the tallest Moai statue is 20 meters, and the lowest is 3 meters. The average weight is from 10 to 20 tons, the largest idol weighs 90 tons! It is still unknown how they were delivered to the stone platforms. According to legends, the Moai themselves “walked” to their places. Historians suggest that they were created on the slopes of the Rano Roraku volcano, not far from the quarries. The people credited with creating the stone idols are called the Rapa Nui. Secrets of Easter Island are also connected with this people: to this day no one has been able to explain not only where they came from here, but also where they eventually disappeared. Today, among the few local residents, only a few
more than 100 people are purebred Rapa Nui, the rest are mainly visitors from Chile.


Thousands of tourists come here every year, because Easter Island is one of the most exotic holiday destinations. The water temperature here never drops below +25. Vacationers can not only try to solve the mystery of ancient civilizations, but also soak up the pink beaches. They are called pink because of the unusual color of the sand on the island; it really has a pink tint. Thanks to such popularity among tourists, Easter Island began to develop, and now it is home to many hotels, bars and other entertainment venues. Local residents try to maintain the spirit of the “desert island”, while at the same time providing minimal amenities. Tourists coming to the island can observe with their own eyes unique sculptures, which have no analogues anywhere in the world. The inhabitants of the island installed the “fallen” giants back on their ahu pedestals, and are now stone Moai statues continue to look into the ocean, keeping the secret of Easter Island.

When did the statues on Easter Island appear and what are they called? Were they created by ordinary people or aliens from outer space? For what purposes were the stone sculptures installed? Many historians dream of giving accurate answers to these questions.

The legend says…

There is no consensus on how the idols appeared on the island either among historians or folklorists. One of the legends says that the leader of the Hotu Matu'a clan arrived on this island in search of a new land. After his death, a piece of land was divided among the children, and then other descendants of the discoverer. The inhabitants of the island are confident that the stone statues contain special energy that belonged to their ancestors. The statues are considered a kind of talisman of the island. They attract well-being and prosperity.

In the 50s of the last century, the Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl presented his version of the appearance of the statues. Their creators were named representatives of the “long-eared” tribe. These people received this nickname because they pulled back their ears with the help of heavy jewelry. The “Long Ears” kept the secrets of constructing and moving stone faces. The main population of the island - the “short-eared” - were not privy to these secrets, which forced people to come up with all sorts of myths.

Mysterious moai

Not everyone knows the names of the statues on Easter Island. Their name is moai (“idol”, “statue”). The stone sculptures did not appear at the same time:

  • Early period. Idols from this period can be divided into 4 types. Among them there are specimens made in full growth, as well as those without bodies. Some moai depict people sitting on their knees.
  • Middle period. The statues erected at this time are considered an improved version of earlier statues. The stone faces are unnaturally elongated. This elongation is due to the desire to create a taller figure. It was once believed that moai reproduced the faces of Europeans. However, if you look at the idols more closely, you will notice that before us are the faces of the inhabitants of Polynesia. This is evidenced by the wide Asian noses of the idols.

An educated person needs to know not only the names of the statues on Easter Island. It is also important to have information about the creators of this unique monument. A well-known proverb states that it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times. A trip to the island will help you get to know the stone idols better.

Today we will take a trip to the famous Easter Island, which is famous for its Moai stone sculptures. The island is shrouded in many secrets and mysteries that are unlikely to ever be solved. We will try to consider the most common theories of the origin of stone statues created by the ancient civilization of Rapa Nui

This is one of the most isolated islands in the world, since ancient seafarers sailed here in canoes and settled on these shores 1,200 years ago. Over the centuries, a unique community developed in the island's isolation and, for unknown reasons, began carving giant statues from volcanic rock. These statues, known as Moai, are some of the most amazing ancient relics ever found. The people of the island called themselves Rapa Nui, but where they came from and where they disappeared is unknown. Science puts forward many theories about the mystery of Easter Island, but all these theories contradict each other, the truth is unknown as always

Modern archaeologists believe that the first and only people of the island were a separate group of Polynesians who, once arriving here, then had no contact with their homeland. Until the fateful day in 1722, when, on Easter Day, the Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen became the first European to discover the island. What his crew witnessed sparked heated debate regarding the origins of Rapa Nui. Researchers reported a mixed population of the island, with both dark-skinned and light-skinned people. Some even had red hair and tanned faces. This does not quite fit with the Polynesian version of the origins of the local population, despite long-standing evidence supporting migration from another island in the Pacific. Therefore, archaeologists are still discussing the theory of the famous archaeologist and explorer Thor Heyerdahl

In his notes, Heyerdahl talks about the islanders, who were divided into several classes. The fair-skinned islanders wore large discs in their earlobes. Their bodies were heavily tattooed and they worshiped giant statues by performing ceremonies in front of them. How could light-skinned people live among the Polynesians on such a remote island? The researcher believes that Easter Island was inhabited in several stages by two different cultures. One culture was from Polynesia, the other from South America, possibly from Peru, where mummies of people with red hair were also found

Heyerdahl also points out the similarities between Moai statues and similar monuments in Bolivia. According to his theory, thousands of years ago people had already mastered the ocean, and sailed in large canoes over vast distances. Heyerdahl himself traveled from the shores of Peru to Easter Island on a homemade raft in 1947, proving that such a movement is possible

Modern archaeologists strongly disagree with Heyerdahl. They indicate a long history of Polynesian habitation in the South Pacific region. In addition, according to linguistic studies, the most likely origin of the local population is the Marquesas or Pitcairn Islands. Researchers turn to the legends of Easter Island, which speak of origin from the west. In addition, botanical and anthropometric studies confirm that the island was colonized only once - from the west

There is a third theory, a very young one. Around 1536, the Spanish ship San Lesmems disappeared off the coast of Tahiti. Legends speak of Basques surviving and marrying Polynesian women. Interestingly, genetic testing has shown the presence of Basque genes in the blood of Rapa Nui

But there is a third origin story that has as far back as it seems there is scientific evidence behind it. Around 1536 the Spanish ship, San Lesmems was lost near the Island of Tahiti. Legends speak of Basque survivors intermarrying with Polynesians. Either they or their descendants set off from Tahiti to try and return home in the 1600s and were never seen again. Interestingly, genetic testing of pure Rapa Nui blood showed the presence of Basque genes

Perhaps Easter Island was settled by a lost crew of Spanish and Polynesian sailors?


Of course, over time, science will give us the answer to who the Rapa Nui were. They built a highly organized society on a small island, and during the short time of their existence they created a riddle that puzzled the whole world and has not been solved to this day.