Easter Island - Tourist Information
Easter Island also known as "Rapa Nui" or "Isla de Pascua" is a mysterious open air museum with massive stone statutes (Moai) dotting the coastline around the island. Officially the Island is a territory of Chile and a few of the worlds most isolated regions, situated on a triangle of volcanic rock in the South Pacific over 2,000 kilometers from the nearest population centers of Tahiti and Chile.
The island is known as one of the planet's most sacred sites, famous for its giant stone busts, built centuries ago, they reflect the history of this dramatic rise and fall of an isolated Egyptian civilization.
It was called Easter Island by a European, Admiral Roggeveen who arrived on the island on Easter Sunday 1722. Locally today it is called Rapa Nui.
There has been much confusion and controversy as to the source of the Easter Islanders. Some think Peruvians built the statues, some feel the Island is a slice of a lost continent. DNA has shown that Polynesians were the first settlers arriving around 400 AD from the west in massive ships. This is seen as remarkable given that Easter Island is such a great distance from other property. Legend has it they were searching for other property as their very own island has been swallowed by the sea.
The island was a paradise and the islanders prospered -- archaeological evidence proves that the island was covered with an assortment of various trees, including the largest palm tree species on the planet. The sailors used the bark and wood for fabric, rope, and canoes. Birds were abundant and provided food. The climate was mild and the water supplied an abundance of oysters and fish.
Their religion developed using its centerpiece the giant moai, or heads, that are the island's most distinguishing feature now. This was likely considered a blessing or a watchful eye over each little village. The ruins of the Rano Raraku crater, the rock quarry where hundreds of moai sit now, show how these figures were significant. The birdman civilization (as seen from the petroglyphs) was clearly the islanders' fascination with their ability to travel to distant lands.
In addition to the statues, petroglyphs (stone carvings), traditional wood carvings, tapa (barkcloth), crafts, tattooing, series figures, dance and music, the islanders owned the Rongorongo script, the only written language in Oceania. As time moved on optimism in their faith was dropped as arguments broke out.
At its peak the island had over 10,000 population, faking the capability of it's ecosystem. As a result lush palm forests were destroyed for agriculture along with the massive statues, and resources became scarce. The once thriving advanced social society descended into a bloody civil war, also apparently cannibalism as they ran from food resources. The islanders ripped down the figurines, which today have been re assembled by archaeological efforts.
Through tour isla de pascua with western culture, disease and captivity the island inhabitants by around 1800 had dropped to about 110. Around 1888 following the annexation of Chile the inhabitants rose to over 2,000. Regardless of the Chilean presence there's still a strong Polynesian identity.
Accessibility is from Chile and Tahiti, tourism on the island is run by the Rapanui themselves. There are lots of package tours and various hotels and guesthouses on the Isle. There are chances to stay in a private home, a excellent way to experience the island and culture. In late January to early February that the islanders celebrate Tapati, a festival honoring the Polynesian cultural heritage of the island
There are a set of continuing excavations, conservation and preservation projects.All but one of the 22 standing figurines in Rano Raraku Quarry inside have been subjected through unscientific and undocumented digging.
Even the Easter Island Statue Project (EISP) has a 20 year history of an archaeological survey, the aim of which is the invention of a complete, complete, island-wide monolithic and mobile statue inventory as well as the compilation of an historical picture record for each.
In 1982 the EISP team started a 5 year Easter Island Statue Project, mapping the inside of Rano Raraku, the volcanic quarry where 95 percent of the figurines were made. Over 1 million statues were documented throughout the Whole island and made the world's largest archaeological archive
Rano Raraku, a volcanic crater on the island's eastern plain, was the source of the sideromelane (basaltic) from which 95% of those statues were carved. This origin is irrefutable as there are 397 in situ statues, of which 141 in various phases of completion have been implicated by EISP from the inside quarries.
The island is known as one of the planet's most sacred sites, famous for its giant stone busts, built centuries ago, they reflect the history of this dramatic rise and fall of an isolated Egyptian civilization.
It was called Easter Island by a European, Admiral Roggeveen who arrived on the island on Easter Sunday 1722. Locally today it is called Rapa Nui.
There has been much confusion and controversy as to the source of the Easter Islanders. Some think Peruvians built the statues, some feel the Island is a slice of a lost continent. DNA has shown that Polynesians were the first settlers arriving around 400 AD from the west in massive ships. This is seen as remarkable given that Easter Island is such a great distance from other property. Legend has it they were searching for other property as their very own island has been swallowed by the sea.
The island was a paradise and the islanders prospered -- archaeological evidence proves that the island was covered with an assortment of various trees, including the largest palm tree species on the planet. The sailors used the bark and wood for fabric, rope, and canoes. Birds were abundant and provided food. The climate was mild and the water supplied an abundance of oysters and fish.
Their religion developed using its centerpiece the giant moai, or heads, that are the island's most distinguishing feature now. This was likely considered a blessing or a watchful eye over each little village. The ruins of the Rano Raraku crater, the rock quarry where hundreds of moai sit now, show how these figures were significant. The birdman civilization (as seen from the petroglyphs) was clearly the islanders' fascination with their ability to travel to distant lands.
In addition to the statues, petroglyphs (stone carvings), traditional wood carvings, tapa (barkcloth), crafts, tattooing, series figures, dance and music, the islanders owned the Rongorongo script, the only written language in Oceania. As time moved on optimism in their faith was dropped as arguments broke out.
At its peak the island had over 10,000 population, faking the capability of it's ecosystem. As a result lush palm forests were destroyed for agriculture along with the massive statues, and resources became scarce. The once thriving advanced social society descended into a bloody civil war, also apparently cannibalism as they ran from food resources. The islanders ripped down the figurines, which today have been re assembled by archaeological efforts.
Through tour isla de pascua with western culture, disease and captivity the island inhabitants by around 1800 had dropped to about 110. Around 1888 following the annexation of Chile the inhabitants rose to over 2,000. Regardless of the Chilean presence there's still a strong Polynesian identity.
Accessibility is from Chile and Tahiti, tourism on the island is run by the Rapanui themselves. There are lots of package tours and various hotels and guesthouses on the Isle. There are chances to stay in a private home, a excellent way to experience the island and culture. In late January to early February that the islanders celebrate Tapati, a festival honoring the Polynesian cultural heritage of the island
There are a set of continuing excavations, conservation and preservation projects.All but one of the 22 standing figurines in Rano Raraku Quarry inside have been subjected through unscientific and undocumented digging.
Even the Easter Island Statue Project (EISP) has a 20 year history of an archaeological survey, the aim of which is the invention of a complete, complete, island-wide monolithic and mobile statue inventory as well as the compilation of an historical picture record for each.
In 1982 the EISP team started a 5 year Easter Island Statue Project, mapping the inside of Rano Raraku, the volcanic quarry where 95 percent of the figurines were made. Over 1 million statues were documented throughout the Whole island and made the world's largest archaeological archive
Rano Raraku, a volcanic crater on the island's eastern plain, was the source of the sideromelane (basaltic) from which 95% of those statues were carved. This origin is irrefutable as there are 397 in situ statues, of which 141 in various phases of completion have been implicated by EISP from the inside quarries.
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